If you are a parent of a child, when you hear the word "test-oriented education", you should have a feeling of "helplessness" - knowing that it is inappropriate and knowing that it may be a high-scoring and low-energy child, but because of the serious internal volume, you have to go with the flow.
This is true in the field of education, but why not in the field of car building? In order to cater to the "collision examination" of the testing institution, blindly strengthen the part to be tested; in order to cater to the "fuel consumption examination" of the industry media, the working performance is deliberately optimized...
Is it really good to do this? For example, in the actual use process, many people will find these "test scores" very good cars, or in the real encounter with accidents, can not provide good protection for the driver and occupants, or daily driving does not feel the slightest strong power, on the contrary, the corresponding may be high fuel consumption, poor reliability...
With the change of cognition, some capable and courageous parents have begun to challenge "test-oriented education", hoping to cultivate truly capable children through their own efforts. Similarly, with the development of the market and the improvement of consumer cognitive ability, this also makes it possible for some manufacturers to challenge "test-oriented education".
After the debut of The new model of Jiangling Ford Technology in Guangzhou Motor Show in 2021, it has opened pre-sale on February 14, 2022, and launched three models of platinum-collar, prestigious-collar and prestigious-collar PLUS, with pre-prices of 158,800 yuan, 178,800 yuan and 188,800 yuan respectively. On March 14, Lingrui launched a pre-priced 148,800 yuan fine collar type. Judging from the current news, lingrui will be officially listed before the end of March 2022.
Why is Lingrui mentioned here? Because in the view of Che Yun fungus, it will be a typical representative of challenging "test-oriented education". In many ways, Lingrui's product strategy does not fully follow the "examination rules", but is more inclined to create models that make the target group more satisfied. It is also based on this that Lingrui has aroused widespread concern from the target group since its release.
So, how does Lingrui do it? What kind of enlightenment can it bring us in this way?
Overall design: Break the "length-only theory" circle
Chinese consumers like "big cars", which is related to The characteristics of Chinese families (respect for elders, frequent gatherings), which is understandable. However, there are often some misinterpretations of the understanding of "big".
For example, we often see some people in the industry who like to use the captain to comment on the size and even level of the model. We can often see statements such as "the car is more than 4.7 meters long and has stepped into the ranks of mid-size SUVs".
So many manufacturers have invested in it and made a fuss about the longitudinal size of the body. In the joint venture circle, it is reflected in various "L version" models.
However, from the perspective of professional model development, the body width is the decisive factor for a car class. For example, we feel that cars like Highlander and Ruijie are more comfortable to ride than cars like RAV4 Rongfang and Ruiji, often not because their longitudinal space is larger, but because the horizontal space is wider.
Note that the lateral space affects not only the elbow space, but also all aspects of the overall design of the rear seats. All of this, if summed up, corresponds to the word "level". Corresponding to consumers, it is reflected in sitting up and feeling "more advanced", running long distances "more comfortable" and "less likely to fatigue".
Then when we look at Lingrui again, we will feel how it is different from the conventional practice. Looking at the length of 4630mm alone, although it also exceeds the RAV4 Rongfang (4600mm), Tanyue (4598mm) and other competitors, it still belongs to a category in general. However, pay attention to the width of the lingrui, reaching 1935mm. This width even surpasses highlander (1930mm) and Ruijie (1925mm), and significantly surpasses RAV4 Rongfang (1855mm) and Tanyue (1860mm).
Note: Width is different from length. The difference in width of 80-100mm means that it spans the stage, and we can calculate it in equal proportions how much it is equivalent to the length increase (roughly equivalent to 200-300mm).
What does this mean? This means that Lingrui's car ride is actually comparable to that of medium-sized SUVs such as Highlander and Ruijie. For example, the horizontal space of Lingrui can reach 1494mm in the front shoulder and 1484mm in the rear row, which is difficult to achieve by rav4, Tanyue and other competitors. The wider space leads to a more optimized seat layout, which also makes its longitudinal space and 295mm rear center aisle space significantly better than compact SUVs, and directly comparable to mid-size SUVs.
What are the consequences of this? It's like a graduate. Looking directly at his report card, he may not feel top-notch, and he may not stand out during the interview, but in fact, once he arrives at the employer, his ability will be revealed, and finally he will be reused and grow into a backbone.
Performance calibration: do not spell the limit acceleration, then fight what?
Performance is definitely what consumers pay attention to, and the key is what kind of performance is really satisfactory to consumers. At first, everyone looked at the parameters, and then found that the parameters were inconsistent with the actual performance, so they began to look at various tests, and gradually took the 0-100km/h acceleration as the standard for measuring performance.
However, in fact, "zero hundred acceleration" and daily driving are completely different from engineering, and even contradictory. This is also why you will find that many cars with good zero hundred acceleration results are not easy to drive. What's more, some manufacturers blindly equipped with large-displacement engines in order to cater to this test. After the consumer buys on impulse, he finds that this "excess" performance cannot be used at all, but instead has to bear higher purchase prices, higher fuel consumption and higher maintenance costs.
Lingrui has adopted a "pragmatic" attitude – to meet the needs of consumers through technological innovation, rather than blindly stacking displacement. At the same time, in terms of technology application and matching, more emphasis is placed on improving the dynamic responsiveness, smoothness, economy and reliability of daily driving.
The Ford EcoBoost170 1.5T engine is the latest model in the EcoBoost series. From the data point of view, its 170 horsepower power may not be the strongest of its own displacement models, but it has the highest 260 Nm torque in its class.
Tuning is focused on torque rather than power, which is typical of a "pragmatic" design. For a long time, most professionals will "talk about heroes" with power, but they don't know that powerful torque output is what is most needed for daily driving.
Not only that, this EcoBoost170 engine also uses Honeywell small inertia high-speed turbochargers, which effectively improves the intake efficiency, which is also the root of Lingrui's wide body, but it is very light to drive, and the daily driving power is always stepped on.
At the same time, the engine's technical applications in terms of energy efficiency are exhausted. For example, the use of DVVT central control combination camshaft, variable displacement oil pump, etc., and matching the transmission efficiency of up to 97% Magna 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, so that Lingrui has a low 7.5L WLC comprehensive fuel consumption. By the way, starting in July 2021, the continental passenger car fuel consumption test cycle standard has been switched from NEDC to WLTC. In simple terms, NEDC is a perfect working condition, which is basically impossible to achieve in theory, while the WLTC is more in line with the real driving conditions and is more referenced.
The transmissions matched by Lingrui also reflect the same characteristics. This 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission is from Magna. The same transmission is also equipped with luxury brand SUVs such as Mercedes-Benz GLB and BMW X1L.
An important reason why this transmission is valued by these manufacturers is that it is efficient and reliable. Its electronic cooling pump effectively avoids the overheating problems of early dual-clutch transmissions, and the 97% transmission efficiency is industry-leading.
Similarly, the above is rarely studied by professionals, and consumers may not necessarily understand it when they buy a car. But the end result is that the user's car experience is good and translates into word of mouth.
Security: What's more important than taking five stars?
When it comes to safety, everyone's first reaction is to "collide with a few stars." However, what followed was a variety of "test-taking education", resulting in most models being able to "get five stars". C-NCAP was also once ridiculed as a "five-star club".
So what should be the safety of a car? First of all, test scores are still needed, but it only represents passive safety. Like the fine collar type recently released by Lingrui, although it is an entry-level model, passive safety is also quite in place - the body adopts aircraft-level high-strength body material - 1500Mpa high-strength boron steel for key parts, 360° cage-type circular body skeleton, 6 airbags with all-round coverage as standard, Bosch ESP 9.3 high dynamic version, HHC ramp assistance system + HDC steep slope slow descent system, etc.
However, this is not the point. The focus is on Lingrui's focus on proactive safety.
There are certain misunderstandings here. For example, general professionals identify ABS and ESP as active safety equipment, while those who are accustomed to paralleling assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping, active braking systems, etc., are classified as intelligent driving. This makes intelligent driving assistance often only appear in some high-end new forces are pure electric products, in the same level of fuel vehicles, as a "smart driving" gimmick, mostly only provided to high-end or even top-of-the-top models.
However, in fact, the greater value of these technologies at this stage lies in active safety, rather than "intelligent driving". For example, they are more about solving the problem of driver negligence than replacing the driver to steer the vehicle.
Because such technologies can effectively eliminate accidents caused by driver's negligence, or greatly reduce the harm caused by accidents caused by driver's negligence, it is more valuable to ordinary consumers than "collision five stars".
You can think of it this way. How many car owners really use "five-star protection"? If an accident really occurs, how much protection effect does "five-star protection" have? On the contrary, preventing problems before they occur and avoiding the occurrence of accidents can not only truly keep the driver away from injury, but also greatly reduce the vehicle losses caused by conventional accidents (non-life-threatening) (maintenance costs, used car discounts, etc.).
Then look at Lingrui. It starts with a platinum-collar model priced at 158,800 yuan, which is equipped with Ford's Co-Pilot360 Intelligent Driving Assistance System. Such a combination of configurations is rare in the same level of joint venture cars (for example, Tanyue, it is necessary to provide intelligent driving assistance until the top car of 264,900 yuan).
Obviously, this type of technology does not have a "test-taking test" at this stage, but it can bring real value to car owners.
Intelligence: Break the vicious circle of "family inheritance"
The locomotive problem of the joint venture brand is the same old tune. Behind this, it is related to the mechanism of joint venture brands, such as the blind pursuit of the consistency of the global system, which has led to the inability to take advantage of China's technological dividends in the car and machine industry chain. In fact, the car machine that conforms to the global system is difficult to win the competition in the Chinese market - even Tesla, which is known for its car machine intelligence overseas, is not criticized in the Chinese market?
Fortunately, Lingrui did not have such an "axis". At the beginning of the design, its vehicle and machine system made full use of the technical advantages of China's intelligent industrial chain. Therefore, the highlight of Lingrui in intelligence is not just a double screen. The Tencent TAI4.0 intelligent car machine system it uses covers the various functional modules of the current latest generation of intelligent car machines, such as OTA, remote mobile phone interconnection, personalized customization, full-featured speech recognition, support for CarLife, HiCar and so on.
In addition, based on the Tencent ecosystem, it also has many convenient functions that conform to the usage habits of mainstream groups, such as WeChat one-click launch, Tencent intelligent driving map, Tencent small scenes and so on. In short, this product and technology strategy allows Lingrui to comprehensively surpass the joint venture car in terms of vehicles and machines, while also being more cost-effective.
Effect: May surprise you
Combing through this, let's see what kind of effect Lingrui will bring by doing so.
As mentioned earlier, first of all, Lingrui participates in the market competition of compact SUV as a medium-sized SUV, and it can have obvious advantages in terms of comfort.
With such advantages, it can provide mainstream consumers with the most suitable equipment at an unexpected price. Let's make a few simple comparisons.
For example, if you attach great importance to the materials used in the car, there is a high probability that you will choose the Ashkenazi Tanyue, but the entry-level version of the Tanyue is priced at 204,900 yuan, while Ford's Lingrui Elite Collar type only needs 148,800 yuan to enjoy the solid materials comparable to the German and German systems. The difference reached nearly 60,000 yuan.
In terms of intelligent car machinery, RAV4 Rongfang has done a good job of these competitors, but it still cannot support OTAs like Lingrui, nor does it have CarLife and HiCar. More critically, the 2.0L RAV4 boom boom can not be compared with the 1.5T Lingrui, and the same performance can only choose the dual engine version, the same configuration under the price directly rose to about 250,000 yuan. And the Lingrui fine collar type, 148,800 yuan these have all.
Look at the CR-V, which can provide the same performance engine. However, the 169,800 yuan entry-level classic version of the CR-V is still very "plain" - there is no full leather seat, and the steering wheel is not wrapped in leather.
And that's not all. Even if you choose a CR-V 1.5T two-wheel drive top with more than 200,000 yuan, it can only provide a very ordinary car with only a 7-inch central control screen. The function of the car machine is even simpler that voice control only supports phone calls (unlike Lingrui, in addition to voice control telephones, it can also control the entire multimedia, navigation, air conditioning, sunroof, etc.). As for OTAs, CarLife, etc., it is impossible to talk about.
The final result is that as a medium-sized SUV, Lingrui directly brings a dimensionality-reducing blow to the joint venture competitors, more spacious and comfortable, the power is just right, and the configuration is complete with a strong price advantage - is this not what the target groups of "you, you and you" want the most?
summary
In the face of the exam, everyone wants to get a good score. But is a good grade necessarily good? The key is for good results, or sacrificing reliability, or sacrificing fuel consumption, or sacrificing cost performance, or sacrificing... Does this have to be appropriate for consumers?
Whether Lingrui's approach will succeed or not, we cannot make up our minds at present. Yet we sincerely hope that it will work. I hope that through its success, it will bring some enlightenment to the market product research and development level - perhaps, abandoning the test-taking thinking and developing the products that the target group really wants is a more appropriate approach to the current and future markets.