According to the latest sales released by GAC Toyota, sales in January were 99,900 units, an increase of 11.2% year-on-year, making a good start to the target of impacting annual sales of one million vehicles. Uncle Che noted that in the sales data released by GAC Toyota, in addition to the performance of heavy models such as highlander and Camry, the sales volume of the Veranda family is also quite good, with sales of 17,483 units in January, an increase of 42.5% year-on-year. Since its launch in 2020, Willanda's sales performance has been steadily improving, and following the good results of the fuel model in the market, in may 2021, in order to allow consumers to further obtain more driving control options, a more sporty high-performance version was launched.
Veranda High Performance Edition is a PHEV plug-in hybrid model, a total of 3 models launched, priced at 258,880-29.98 million yuan. In terms of appearance, the design of the fuel version of the model is basically maintained, in addition to the blue "bull head logo", the details of the body have also been adjusted, such as the front grille, front surround, side skirt and other positions, further highlighting the temperament of the high-performance version.
The body is also marked with the exclusive logo of "PLUG-IN HYBRID" in many places to highlight the identity of its PHEV model. In addition to the minimum, the other two models feature 19-inch "Y" rims, further highlighting the dynamic appearance.
The rear of the car is still a familiar taste, but the difference is that the exhaust design surrounded by black highlights and two sides makes the rear of the car look simple and low-key while not losing the sense of sport.
As we all know, the reason why SUVs are loved by Chinese people is because there is more space. Its length, width and height are 4665/1855/1690 mm, the excellent body size of the car is spacious and comfortable seating space in the car to lay the hardware foundation, compared with the popular competitors of the same level, the wheelbase of 2690mm is not inferior to honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 Rongfang and other models.
In the actual experience, both the front and rear seats are very abundant, and even the 180cm tall car uncle does not have to worry about the driving comfort problem at all. In terms of comfort in the seat, it has also maintained a good level. The padding of the seat is relatively soft, the comfort and support of the ride are relatively in place, and it is not easy to cause fatigue after a long time of driving. But the point of deficiency is that the co-driver is still manually adjusted, and should not be used as a guide for family cars with a price of nearly 300,000.
In addition, the whole series is equipped with a rear exhaust air outlet as standard, and the central platform of the rear is completely flat, which also brings a more comfortable riding experience for the passengers in the middle of the rear. At the same time, the rear seats also support proportional reclining, which can form a relatively flat space after being reclined, and the expansion of the space is good.
In terms of interior, the three-frame steering wheel is stable and the multi-function button feels good. 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel, providing ECO, NORMAL, SPORT three display styles, you can also freely switch between analog display and digital display.
The 10.1-inch central control screen has a large area and has achieved the standard of the whole series, equipped with a voice assistant, which can be activated with just one sentence of "Hello, Xiaoyue", but it is a pity that this system does not support the mobile phone interconnection mapping function, and the central control screen is very outdated regardless of the shape and screen display quality. However, users who are interested in Toyota generally have no interest in too fancy design, and the unpretentious and practical style is their favorite, such as configuration.
The Velanda High Performance Edition comes standard with 7 airbags, tire pressure monitoring, lane departure warning system, lane keeping assist system, active brake safety system, front/rear radar, reversing image, full-speed adaptive cruise, automatic parking, electric sunroof, HUD head-up digital display, main driver's seat electric adjustment/heating, steering wheel heating, 10.1-inch central control display, satellite navigation system, roadside rescue call, voice recognition control system, Internet of Vehicles, OTA upgrade and other practical functions. In the same class of models is relatively thick.
In the actual test drive process, The car uncle thinks that the HUD head-up digital display function is very practical, which directly projects the speed information to the front windshield, and the visualization effect is quite good. Especially when driving on the highway, many car owners have the habit of looking down at the speed of the dashboard, and the Velanda High Performance Edition is equipped with a HUD head-up digital display function to effectively improve driving safety, which is commendable.
In terms of power, the Veranda High Performance Edition is equipped with a 2.5L THS-II dual-engine hybrid system, which consists of a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine + motor, and a battery to form a plug-in hybrid system, with a maximum engine power of 132kW and a peak torque of 224N·m. At the same time, two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive versions are also available, the two-wheel drive version and four-wheel drive version of the front motor power are 134kW, the peak torque is 270N·m, the rear motor power of the four-wheel drive version is 40kW, the peak torque is 121N·m, and the total power of the front and rear motors is 174kW. In addition, the NEDC range of the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive models is 95km and 87km, respectively. The model of the car uncle test drive is the 2021 high-performance version of the 2.5L four-wheel drive engine version of the top version, which is the top model of the whole series, priced at 299,800 yuan.
In the actual driving process, the Veranda High Performance Edition is not very different from driving an ordinary oil-electric hybrid model, and even novices can get started directly without making special driving habit changes for this car. At the same time, the Veranda High Performance Edition has three modes: ECO, NORMAL and SPORT, and the driver can switch different driving modes according to different road conditions. In sport mode, both the engine and the rear axle motor are active; in economy mode, when you release the throttle, the energy recovery is stronger, with a little deceleration effect, and the normal mode is in between.
In daily driving, the overall style of the three driving modes will not be too different, can make people adapt well, although the overall driving is not much sporty, but the power is enough and the fuel consumption is still low, with the E-CVT stepless transmission, almost let you feel no frustration. Steering is very characteristic, the steering of the steering wheel at low speed will be slightly heavy, which is different from the setting of other Toyota models, and the slightly heavier feel gives people a sense of stability, especially when the speed rises, the sense of stability will be strengthened.
In terms of suspension, the combination of front McPherson independent suspension + rear E-type multi-link independent suspension is adopted, and because the weight of the vehicle is heavier than that of the dual engine version, the overall thickness of the chassis will be enhanced. When passing through fine bumpy roads, the suspension can filter it well, but when passing the speed reduction belt, there will be a more obvious bouncing feeling. In addition, the most noteworthy thing is that the Toyota Hybrid is indeed very prominent in terms of fuel consumption, driving for three days, even in the full battery loss state, the average fuel consumption is only 6L, compared to this level of model and body weight, it is indeed more fuel-efficient.
Uncle Che summed up
At present, the Velanda family has 19 different configurations, covering gasoline, dual engine, plug-in hybrid three power forms, the price range from 17.18-29.98 million yuan, but also with excellent four-wheel drive label in the SUV market to gain a foothold, and with the addition of The Willanda high-performance version, the competitiveness of the entire car series has been further enhanced. After three days of in-depth experience, although there are some fly in the ointment, but I have to admit that it is already the most comprehensive and balanced of the same model you can choose, such as a reliable power system, high retention rate and rich configuration and lower fuel consumption, is its greatest confidence in the face of competitors. The most important thing is to be able to get on the green card, which is undoubtedly a very perfect car purchase solution for consumers in many big cities.