If you ask a question: Who is the hottest car in the independent brand?
Perhaps, many people will think of Lynk & Co 03, Qin PLUS DM-i, Xingrui and other models with good prices, and the recently launched Shadow Leopard and Changan UNI-V also have "hot" attention. Indeed, these models have received a lot of attention with their excellent exterior design and good cost performance, and it seems that they are in the budget range of 100,000-150,000, which is none other than these models.
However, is this really the case? Not necessarily. This is not, recently our editorial department borrowed a Pentium B70, a test drive experience, found that its strength is indeed good, but a bit buried feeling. Moreover, it also has a resounding name - the new national car, let's take a look!
Washed away the lead, can the glory be returned?
For the Pentium B70, everyone may not be unfamiliar. Remember that as early as 2006, the first generation of FAW Besturn B70 came out, the model successfully filled the gap in the domestic high-end car market of independent brands, not only laid the foundation for FAW Besturn's subsequent progress, but also officially knocked on the door of independent brands towards the high-end automobile market.
It's just that time flies, and after 16 years, the market has almost forgotten it. Nowadays, the comeback of the reborn Pentium B70 is no longer the image of the "official car" of the past, and traces of the fusion of traditional Chinese elements and modern technology can always be found. But it doesn't seem to have the sharpness of the past, looking at the sales data in January, there are only 2419 lackluster vehicles. Is the product not strong enough? No. Is the product quality not good? Nor is it. So why?
The guidance price of 9.99-14.59 million is indeed much lower than the price of 139,800-208,800 in the original generation. For example, quantum red car paint, blackened window pattern grille, battle-type headlights, as well as hidden door handles, slipback shapes and through-type taillights, these designs, only from the appearance, placed in today's price range of 100,000-150,000 yuan, is indeed a handful, not to mention that it is still a medium-sized car positioning.
Indeed, as a once-generous "big brother", at first glance, it may not have the current sense of mainstream surprise, but when you look at it more, it is a glimpse of surprise and makes a deep impression. If you have to say that it is "original sin", then blame it for not being hot enough. However, I prefer to "prefer" it with the growth of the lead wash, after all, the current Pentium B70 is more mature and introverted.
Low-key, in fact, to retreat into the advance?
In fact, to say that the marketing of Pentium has not been done enough, it is not, after all, the spokesperson of the Pentium brand is now a powerful coffee such as "Zhu Yawen". Although the effect he brought is indeed not as fast as the popular traffic star, but this is also in line with the current Brand Tone of The Benten, that is, low-key, pragmatic, so that it is simple and unpretentious. Perhaps, this "unpretentiousness" can also find a shadow in the Pentium B70.
As its title goes, the mid-level car, it seems that the Pentium B70 is also consciously or unconsciously diluting the title of "mid-level car", and does not promote the B70 as a mid-size car. Opening the page of the new B70 on the official website of FAW Besturn, I can't find a description of "mid-size car" or "B-class car", which is intriguing.
For the Besturn B70, the 2800mm wheelbase and 4810mm length are completely up to the standard of mid-level cars, in addition, there is a blessing of 2.0T+6AT. Therefore, if this car calls itself a mid-size car, others can't fault it. In fact, this kind of unconventional operation is not difficult to understand, and such a "self-demotion" approach can also be seen on Geely Xingrui. For Geely Xingrui, it is easy to be mistaken for the Geely version of the S60, 2800mm wheelbase, 4785mm length, but also fully up to the standard of mid-level cars, in addition to the full range of 2.0T engines, is also far beyond the specifications of most compact sedan engines.
The reason is that this change in self-positioning and propaganda methods, on the surface, looks like a level of self-demotion, but in fact can play a positive effect of retreating into progress. If you position yourself as a mid-level car, people are accustomed to using the standards of a mid-level car to see how much you are different from others; and locking competitors in compact cars of joint venture brands, so body size and engine displacement have become absolute advantages.
So, if compared with some popular joint venture compact cars, what are the advantages of the Besturn B70?
What are the selling points of the new Pentium B70?
Obviously, like Geely Xingrui, the opponents of the Besturn B70 are also those joint venture compact cars whose monthly sales easily exceed 20,000 or even 40,000 units. Since the competitors lock in the joint venture compact car, the size and space have of course become the first major advantages of the Pentium B70.
In the actual experience, thanks to the 2800mm wheelbase and 4810mm length, the performance of the Pentium B70's interior seating and storage space is indeed good. For example, when a colleague drove the car home, it was all right to load 3 large 24-inch boxes, and with the hatchback tail box (there was no tail box switch worth complaining about), it was exactly the feeling of a large five-seater SUV and a station wagon. It is not difficult to speculate that the Pentium B70 does have a gap between classes if compared with other joint venture compact cars.
As for the design of the interior, it seems that the surface is also "simple and unpretentious", and there is no big innovation, especially the design of the double screen, which can now be said to be rotten. But look closely, there are not many ingenuity, especially in terms of texture, it is still quite sincere.
For example, the material is used in a large area of the whole car, which is imitation leather and plastic materials, and then the door panel also uses a velvet fabric, which is still in place to feel. In terms of configuration, the new FMA technology architecture is compatible with the functions necessary for a series of L2.5 automatic driving systems, including active braking, lane keeping, ACC adaptive cruise, and automatic parking. This is also relatively rare in the same level, and the experience of using it is not bad.
The most critical is the power, in the range of 100,000-150,000, with 2.0T + 6AT medium-sized cars, only this one. In fact, I think that the power combination of 1.5T+7DCT is the main sales model, but I think that if the 6AT can be replaced by 8AT, it will be too good, after all, the 6AT shift speed is too slow, and often needs a high speed to change gears.
But so what, apart from these slightly harsh grooves, it is simply flawed. 340 Nm, 165 kW of power, is certainly surplus, so much so that when we step on the accelerator, we can always hear it roaring. Although the gear shift is a little slow, it is very willing to give force, giving people a very "channeling", and indeed quite a sporty taste.
Perhaps, "the motivation is not going to be" is still the point of the current young consumers. Moreover, the chassis, steering, and brakes of the Pentium B70 are delicate and tight, and the sense of calm and thickness can indeed only be given by "medium-sized cars", after all, the configuration of the front McPherson rear multi-link does not seem to be common in compact joint venture cars.
Auto network review: Pentium B70, worth re-understanding
Pertinently speaking, the emergence of the new third-generation Pentium B70 is eye-catching, and at the moment when independent brands are based on SUV models, excellent independent brand sedan products are undoubtedly the next market opportunity. Of course, we may be able to find the efforts of Pentium engineers over the years on the Pentium B70, which is a car that can attract the attention of Z generation consumers in terms of comprehensive performance, as well as youthfulness and sportiness.
Perhaps everyone still has concerns about this car, which is also a problem that the current independent brands cannot avoid, and many models are also "applauded or not". But in short, as long as you work hard in this direction, progress in this direction, I believe that good products can definitely be recognized by everyone again, re-accepted by everyone, and even the majority of consumers will buy it into the bag, it is only a matter of time.