Today, with the continuous decline in the price of A-class cars and SUVs, the status of A0-class small cars, which was once the main force of 100,000 class models, has been impacted. "If I can buy a bigger, more comfortable sedan or SUV for the same price point, why buy a car?" This is not only a problem that consumers are thinking about, but also a problem that car companies are thinking about.
In fact, the way out of small cars may not be to enter the inner volume with domestic A-class cars. Instead, with its inherent advantages of being small and flexible and having a high enough appearance, coupled with the progress of model quality, it has once again won the favor of users.
For users, the design form of the personality trend and the pleasant driving attributes brought by the high-horsepower pulling small body are all irreplaceable by higher-level models at the same price. For car companies, if you want to be more competitive with A0-class small cars, you must give full play to your inherent advantages while adding more boutique attributes to the vehicles.
Of course, the question also arises: if we want to get a good-looking, easy-to-use, fun boutique A0-class small car, how to choose? Today, we will find out the answer through Dongfeng Honda LIFE and GAC Toyota YARiS Zhixuan X two 100,000-level high-heat small cars.
Proactive design thinking
In fact, it has been said before that small cars want to get more users under the impact of compact cars or SUVs, and they must catch the user's attention at the first glance from the appearance design. This requires car companies to have a high enough aesthetic level and design thinking. To this end, Dongfeng Honda and GAC Toyota have given two answers: innovation and stability.
In fact, for the current pursuit of personality, the pursuit of diversification of users, a car first needs to meet, is to present the understanding of different lifestyles. Secondly, it is a good-looking and attractive detail display. Because of this, in order to meet the understanding of different users for "good looking", Dongfeng Honda LIFE has brought dual designs - LIFE SPORT and LIFE CROSSTAR.
LIFE dual design
The LIFE SPORT version focuses on creating a more stylish and sporty small car style. Through the carbon fiber texture of the front lip panel, with a low and smooth posture and red sports lines embellishment, it not only brings a trendy style that is loved by young users, but also sets off the sports gene of the LIFE car series more three-dimensional.
The LIFE CROSSTAR version, which has insight into the needs of home users to pursue a textured life, is presented in a cross-border mature posture. With higher ground clearance, with black sporty surround and aluminum alloy luggage rack on the roof, it adds a lot of life atmosphere at the same time, but also makes this A0-class boutique small car have more practical value.
To the dazzling X design
In contrast, the YARiS Zhixuan X from Toyota still seems to have not kept up with Toyota's overseas footsteps, such as sharp front lines and small wheel settings, which still permeate the design concepts of the previous generation. From the overall design idea, it is more to retain the classic, without too many highlights.
If Dongfeng Honda LIFE relies on two forms, it captures the user's mind with a sufficiently trendy design texture. Then come to the car, Dongfeng Honda LIFE will also use a more textured design, flexible space to capture the user's heart.
LIFE interior design
In fact, from the interior design, it can be seen that Dongfeng Honda LIFE has enough care and investment. With a number of sets of lines to decorate the interior design, center console, door panels, a large number of soft textile materials, for this 100,000-level boutique small car to create a sense of design and high-grade beyond the same level.
Brilliant X interior design
The interior of toyota YARiS Zhixuan X is relatively simple. The overall center console layout directly applies the design language of Toyota's previous generation, and the black plastic material almost runs through the car. It can only be said that YARiS Zhixuan X has only reached the level that this level should be, and has not brought more surprises.
Of course, in addition to looking good, a car must have good practicality. In fact, seeing this, everyone knows very well that Dongfeng Honda LIFE will be more outstanding in terms of space processing with the CONCEPT of MM car manufacturing. But how good is this car?
(Left) LIFE rear space - ZhiXuan X rear space (right)
Let's start with the seating space of the vehicle, although the size of the A0 class small car is not abundant. But under the MM concept, engineers turned passive into active, and expanded the crew compartment space by compressing the volume of the cabin. So that rear passengers can still get a generous and comfortable space experience, life is significantly better than YARiS X.
LIFE rear magic seats
In addition, Dongfeng Honda LIFE's storage space is not only more, but also well-conceived. The vehicle has 17 storage spaces to meet the storage needs of every passenger. The CROSSTAR edition is equipped with a rear magic seat design that can present a variety of modes to meet the needs of various loading scenarios. For example, in utility mode, LIFE's rear seats can be completely flattened, resulting in more flat and wide storage space, while in ultra-high mode, the rear seat can easily hold large vases, large luggage and other ultra-high items.
In contrast, the storage space in the car of YARiS Zhixuan X is relatively solidified. For example, squeezing out a small piece of the armrest space for use as a water cup holder, changing the original storage space to another name, lack of elaborate thinking. In the rear storage space, although this car also supports the rear backrest ratio down, it does not bring a flat space, which is more ordinary.
Sophisticated car construction with insight into user needs
Although the sparrow is small, it can be complete. The same is true of a delicate small car, and if you want to evolve from a means of transportation to a "weapon to improve the quality of life", you need to focus on more than just the basic design and practical performance. When we travel, we all want greater convenience and comfort, richer entertainment features and even safety performance.
First of all, in terms of convenience in the car, Dongfeng Honda LIFE is equipped with a standard 7-inch LCD instrument and an 8-inch DA smart screen interconnection system. Based on this system, users can also use the mobile phone projection screen mapping function, which enhances the sense of technology and greatly improves the convenience of travel.
At the same price, YARiS Zhixuan X also provides a screen with mobile phone interconnection function. However, the dashboard of this car still uses the traditional pointer instrument, and there is still a gap between the richness of the information display and the convenience of the observation instrument and the full LCD instrument.
(Left) LIFE full LCD instrument panel - Zhixuan X pointer instrument cluster (right)
In some related convenience and comfort configurations, it is not difficult to find that in the same price point, the difference between Dongfeng Honda LIFE and GAC Toyota YARiS Zhixuan X is not small. In general, LIFE can bring a more convenient and comfortable experience than YARiS Zhixuan X, and the "boutique upgrade" of the two has also opened up the gap here.
In addition, when we travel every day, we also pay great attention to safety. Dongfeng Honda LIFE can be said to have achieved leapfrogging at the passive safety configuration level. Six airbags are standard to provide all-round protection for drivers and occupants, while yaRiS X, with its entry-level model, offers only two airbags, and even when it comes to the top model, there are only four airbags.
LIFE Honda SENSING safety supersensitive system
Of course, the high security brought by LIFE is not just the "pull full" of passive security configuration. At the level of intelligent driver assistance system, the high-end version of LIFE is also equipped with Honda Black Technology Honda SENSING safety super sense system, which includes active cruise, lane keeping assistance and other functions, which can not only help drivers control vehicles more efficiently and safely. At the same time, we are also working to reduce the difficulty of driving. And this is also the missing configuration of yaRiS Zhixuan X.
Consistent power handling
Many rally car fans have a fondness for A0-class small cars: in the dusty arena, a rally car modified from A0 small cars toss and turn, experiencing the thrill of adrenaline rushing; in real life, most consumers occasionally want to drive freely and release the surging passion. Drive a small car with strong power and easy handling, and flexibly travel through the city and on mountain roads.
Of course, if you want to get such an experience, you put forward high requirements for the power tuning and chassis tuning of the A0-class small car. Honda technology blessed WITH LIFE and WRC aura shrouded in dazzling X, who can give the optimal solution?
As can be seen from the list, LIFE and YARiS X are both power combinations of 1.5L self-priming engine + CVT transmission. However, the dynamic performance of the two is relatively different.
(Left) LIFE1.5L engine - Zhixuan X1.5L engine (right)
The difference between LIFE and YARiS Zhixuan X is mainly reflected in the driving texture level, for example, when driving on high speeds, the 131 horsepower engine is enough to easily push the LIFE car, and from the beginning can provide a more powerful push back feeling; while the YARiS Zhixuan X, which drives only 112 horsepower, although the overall power is enough, it cannot bring such a passionate driving experience.
For home users, in addition to a good power performance, a car needs excellent chassis tuning to provide driving comfort; for young people who pursue excitement, a good chassis means that the vehicle's cornering limits are higher and the driving pleasure is more abundant.
Although both cars use the suspension structure of the front McPherson + rear torque beam. However, from the actual experience, life's chassis dynamic performance is better, and this is due to the low friction design of the chassis of this car.
When we need to be smooth and comfortable, LIFE's chassis provides ample filtration. Especially when rolling manhole covers or speed bumps, the chassis response of the vehicle is very crisp and clean, and the shock absorber does not have excess jumping like the YARiS Zhixuan X. When we need to drive passionately, the driver can clearly feel the lateral support of the LIFE chassis, and the body posture is well controlled when cornering, and it can easily and calmly pass through the corners.
Conclusion: In the camp of boutique cars, Japanese brands are deeply loved by the market with solid quality and excellent workmanship. Among the Japanese brands, Dongfeng Honda LIFE has undoubtedly become a new benchmark. More trendy design, more exquisite workmanship to better mechanical quality, all make Dongfeng Honda LIFE go farther and farther on the road of boutique, becoming a more worthy boutique small car.