In the spring of 2022, queuing is undoubtedly a famous scene in the hearts of the Chinese people. When nucleic acids became a habit and swabs ceased to be annoying, the baton in line passed to the price of oil. Just last week, the retail price of refined oil products hit the biggest increase in nine years, the price of No. 92 gasoline soared to 8.65 yuan / L, and the price of No. 98 gasoline broke through the important threshold of 10 yuan / L. On the eve of the price increase, outside the gas station, the traffic flow line is long, just like the owner's nervous mood. At this moment, the call for the smell of gasoline became incomparably faint. On the other hand, the owners of electric vehicles who have been tormented by battery life and energy replenishment have finally laughed out: the happiness of low-cost travel, you do not understand.
Want a fuel car to "walk away", but are afraid of high oil prices? Try hybrids. Since the internal combustion engine has a bottleneck, the motor is used to break the bottleneck. With the help of the electric motor, the hybrid model can easily halve the fuel consumption, but the convenience of energy replenishment is not affected at all. With the increasing maturity of electrification technology, it is now only necessary to pay more than 100,000 yuan to buy a mature and reliable hybrid family car.
In the field of oil-electric hybrid (HEV), Toyota and Honda are well-deserved leaders, and their market share has long been at a high level. With the entry of Nissan e-POWER technology into China, Japanese hybridization has finally entered the Three Kingdoms era. Today, FAW Toyota Corolla Dual Engine, Guangqi Honda LingpaiRui Hybrid and Dongfeng Nissan e-POWER Xuanyi gathered at the test site to point to the hybrid compact car crown. Who will stand out in this competition? Please type your guess in the comments section.
In the previous mid-size vehicle cross-section (static/dynamic) and medium-sized and large-sized vehicle cross-section (static/dynamic), we conducted a comprehensive test of the relevant models based on the X-TEST evaluation system. At the hybrid compact car level, space usability, fuel consumption performance, and cost of use are the topics that potential users are most concerned about, and have a high priority in the purchase decision. Therefore, this issue of the horizontal review will focus on the comparison from the above aspects.
Lingpai, Corolla and Xuanyi are all popular players in the compact car market, which is reflected in sales. In terms of static, the three hybrid compact cars continue the overall design of the fuel version. Putting them in front of you, there is a strong sense of familiarity, and the novelty is slightly lacking. Despite this, the three cars still interpret their own family characteristics, making it easy to identify the brand they belong to.
When it comes to buying a car, Chinese consumers have always regarded the great as the beauty. Major car companies have invested in their favors and actively lengthened and widened every time there is a change of generation, aiming to provide more spacious riding space and tail space. The wheelbase of the horizontal evaluation models is more than 2.7m, but the "fitness" strategy is not the same. The Corolla twin engine side proportions are tight and look thicker; the Ling Pai Rui hybrid roof is high, the rear door is long, highlighting the sense of the big car; e-POWER Xuanyi emphasizes smooth movement, and the two-color body reduces the visual center of gravity.
In terms of wheel configuration, e-POWER Xuanyi is the most generous, with three of the four models in the series equipped with 17-inch rims. Lingpai Rui Hybrid's low- and mid-range models use 16-inch rims, while the top and sub-tops use 17-inch rims. The entry-level version of the Corolla Dual Engine is equipped with 15-inch rims, and the 16-inch rims are only available for medium and high-end models.
The test vehicles that participated in the cross-sectional evaluation were equipped with large rims (of their respective models) and, without exception, low roll-resistance tires were used. The Dunlop ENASAVE EC300+ tire equipped with e-POWER Xuanyi has the strongest comprehensive performance and the most expensive price. In the brake test and noise test, this tire added a lot to the e-POWER Xuanyi. You get what you pay for, that's true.
In the interior part, the Japanese brand is known for its practicality, but it is not very good at creating a sense of luxury. The good news is that the situation has improved in recent years, and Japanese family cars have begun to make up for shortcomings. As a latecomer, Lingpai Rui Hybrid and e-POWER Xuanyi applied a large number of leather materials and stitching designs in the car, and also used a more intimate interior color scheme. In contrast, the Corolla Twin Engine is slightly more modest and lacks impressive highlights.
Limited by the resources of test vehicles, the configuration level of the three horizontal evaluation models is not completely benchmarked, and the richness of the configuration cannot be directly compared. In terms of details, the three cars have their own advantages, and the longboard is different. Corolla's pragmatic dual engine comes standard with four-door one-key up/down windows and an electronic switch at the rear exhaust air outlet. Ling Pairui hybrid configuration is balanced, and the 4 charging ports of the whole car have cured the "mobile phone dependence" of contemporary young people. e-POWER Xuanyi has the only partition air conditioner in the whole venue, and is also equipped with a bose sound that is rare in its class.
What is the most important thing about a family car? For most consumers, the answer is affordable. To create an affordable family car, spatial performance is a top priority. In order to visualize the seating space of the three cars, the test team found two editorial colleagues who were 178cm and 191cm tall. In the space experience session, we adjusted the front seats to the lowest position and the backrest angle to about 110 degrees to simulate the real car scene.
After the 178cm experiencer is seated, all three compact cars offer a certain amount of space margin. Corolla's twin engine and e-POWER Xuanyi performed similarly, and there was enough space in the back row, but it was not enough. In contrast, Ling PaiRui Hybrid is very spacious, and there is a large margin in the head and legs in the rear row, leaving ample room for passengers to move. As a 190cm experiencer, Corolla and e-POWER Xuanyi began to show fatigue, and the vertical and horizontal dimensions were somewhat cramped. Ling PaiRui Hybrid gives people a thumbs up, and there is a certain margin in each dimension. In the compact car class, there are only a few models with such a spacious space.
The measured data confirm the advantages of Ling PaiRui Hybrid. In terms of front seat space, Ling Pairui Hybrid won the first place in the width and height items, but the legroom was small, with a maximum value of only 1035mm. In addition, the Front Seat Adjustment Range (215mm) of the Lingpai Rui Hybrid is the smallest of the three vehicles, significantly smaller than the Corolla Twin Engine's 245mm and e-POWER's 255mm.
In the back row, Ling Pairui's hybrid width is slightly inferior to that of the opponent, but the legs and height have a clear advantage. The rear row of Lingpai Rui Hybrid has more than 1000mm of thigh space, the standard legroom is 880mm, and the longitudinal space even exceeds that of some medium and large cars. The Corolla Twin Engine and e-POWER Are Not Spacious, but They Are Up to the Standard of a Compact Car.
In terms of seat comfort, Ling Pai Rui Hybrid performed the best, with satisfactory support, softness and fit. The Corolla twin-engine seat is hard and the affinity is slightly lacking, but it is not easy to fatigue on long-distance rides. The e-POWER Xuanyi seats are soft and powerful to interpret the "big sofa", but the front seat is high, and tall drivers are not easy to find a comfortable position.
When it comes to the back row, the best seat comfort is still Ling Pai Rui Hybrid. The rear cushions are of the right height and the backrests are just right to support passengers, creating a relaxed and comfortable ride. In addition, the Lingpairi Hybrid is equipped with rear aviation headrests with adjustable wing angles and soft padding for added comfort. The Corolla double engine rear sits high, the padding is hard, and the overall performance is useless. e-POWER Xuanyi performed quite well, but lost in front of Ling Pairui Hybrid.
In terms of storage, Ling Pairui Hybrid won again, defeating the two opponents with a large advantage. Specifically, Lingpai Rui Hybrid has 7 storage spaces in the front/rear row, each with strong practicality. In particular, Ling PaiRui Hybrid integrates a small table board in the central armrest of the rear row, which can be expanded to form additional storage space, and the atmosphere of the carriage is quite lifelike. The space magician, none other than Honda— even a sedan.
The e-POWER Xuanyi and Corolla dual engines are slightly inferior, and the storage space is not as practical as Ling Pairui Hybrid. Although e-POWER Xuanyi does not have the ingenious storage design of Ling PaiRui Hybrid, the basic skills are good and it is not easy to complain. As for the Corolla Dual Engine, the front door handle cannot accommodate the phone, while the front armrest box, center control storage compartment and rear door panel storage compartment are the smallest of the horizontal evaluation models.
The Corolla dual engine adopts independent suspension of the rear wheel, which has certain advantages in driving performance, and the disadvantage is that the luggage compartment space has been encroached upon. Luggage compartment width and length are ranked last, and height data is centered. The advantage of the Corolla Dual Engine is that the luggage compartment layout is more regular and the practicality is satisfactory. e-POWER Xuanyi and Corolla double engine performance is similar, but the luggage compartment layout is not regular enough, loading 3 trolley boxes are slightly crowded.
Ling Pairui Hybrid installed the battery above the rear axle, which certainly provided ample seating space, but also limited the luggage compartment space. In the standard state, the height of the luggage compartment of Ling Pairui Hybrid is only 415mm, and the vertical space is slightly cramped. Because of this, the Lingpai Rui Hybrid can only accommodate two trolley cases, large and medium sizes. To compensate for these shortcomings, engineers designed a pit under the cover to extend the vertical space to 780mm.
Overall, Ling Pairui Hybrid Space performed best, with the seating space and storage space leading the opponent, and the luggage compartment space quite ingenious. I have to admit that Honda has two in terms of space applications. Corolla and e-POWER Xuanyi are manifested between Bo Zhong, and the space is suitable for daily use, but it is less eye-catching.
In terms of power, Japanese brands seek common ground while reserving differences, opening up three different technical paths. The three compact car hybrid solutions are different, but the goal is to improve drivability and economy. To achieve this goal, a dual-motor DHT hybrid proprietary architecture is essential. To this end, the "Japanese Three" have sacrificed their housekeeping skills - THS, i-MMD and e-POWER.
As the originator of hybrid popularization, Toyota has an excellent user reputation, and its THS system is installed on many of its models. Specifically, the Corolla Twin Engine is equipped with the THS I hybrid system, and its structure is slightly different from the THS II of the Asian Dragon, RAV4 Rongfang and other models. In this horizontal evaluation, the Corolla dual engine displacement is the largest, but the comprehensive maximum power is the smallest. The reason is that the 1.8-liter Atkinson engine is purely built for efficiency, and power performance is not the primary goal of engineers.
Both the Honda i-MMD and Nissan e-POWER are arranged with P1+P3 motors, and there are similarities in the hybrid architecture. The Honda i-MMD provides a direct engine drive function that enables tandem, parallel, and direct drive. The LingpaiRi Hybrid is equipped with a 1.5-liter Atkinson engine, equipped with a powerful electric motor, and the overall output is the highest of the three cars. Nissan's e-POWER engines are only used to drive generators, cannot deliver power directly to the wheels, and the power transfer path is similar to that of an extended-range electric vehicle. On the e-POWER Xuanyi of about 1.4 tons, the 1.2L engine can fully meet the power generation demand, and there is no need to use a larger displacement.
Readers can click on the following links to learn about the technical features of Honda i-MMD, Toyota THS, and Nissan e-POWER:
With the help of electric motors, all three hybrid models offer outstanding drivability, with fast and smooth power response. Tapping the throttle and slowly accelerating, the hybrid system relies entirely on the motor to drive the vehicle, and the engine remains silent. In the traffic flow to see the needle in the seam, the seemingly ordinary hybrid car may be more "heeled" than the six-cylinder performance car with large brick flying. More importantly, the smoothness has also reached a very high level, and the setback is difficult to detect. In the case of nitpicking, the Corolla Twin Engine and Ling Pairui Hybrid occasionally shake slightly during the rapid tip-in/tip-out of the throttle, and the torque change is not absolutely smooth. e-POWER Xuanyi remains supple at all times, and the power output texture is as refreshing as a pure electric vehicle.
Honest and old, can you still eat? At least on the level of driving experience, the Toyota THS sword is not old. The power output is direct, the throttle is very "heeled", and it is not an exaggeration to describe it as a follow-up. Compared with competitors, the start-stop smoothness is slightly lacking, and there are occasional slight breaks when the engine intervenes. This kind of intrusion is at a level that can just be detected, and the picky users are slightly unhappy, and most users do not pay attention to it at all.
Ling Pairui Hybrid sat on the highest parameters in the whole field, and so did the actual power performance. Compared to the Toyota THS, the Honda i-MMD has a simpler construction, but the rideability is just as good. When accelerating at full strength, Ling PaiRui Hybrid can even provide a certain sense of pushback. Driving Ling Pai Rui Hybrid is like drinking a cup of boiled water mixed with micro-sugar and lemon, plain and not boring. Of course, you have to put up with its presence in engine noise.
In this horizontal review, e-POWER Xuanyi is the car with the highest degree of "de-internal combustion engine", and its engine does not have a direct drive function. The engine is decoupled from the wheels, and the vehicle is completely driven by an electric motor, which brings a pure electric vehicle-like driving experience, no wonder the manufacturers write "e" in the hybrid nameplate. The running quality of the 1.2L three-cylinder engine is impressive, the car rarely feels fine chips and shakes, the sound line is slightly sweet, and the overall performance is even better than the competitors' four-cylinder engine.
Thanks to the higher motor power, The Lingpai Hybrid and e-POWER Xuanyi are much lighter to drive than the Corolla Twin Engine. Test data confirmed this, with players from Honda and Nissan entering the "8-second club" as scheduled, with 0-100km/h acceleration times of 8.87 seconds and 8.92 seconds respectively. The Corolla twin engine accelerates at 0-100km/h for more than 10 seconds, mainly because the second half of the range is not as powerful as the competitors.
It is worth noting that the hybrid architecture largely determines the sustainability of the power output. As the battery SOC gradually decreases, the acceleration force of e-POWER Xuanyi is significantly reduced, and the acceleration time of 0-100km/h gradually slides down to the 10-second range. The Performance Ofi Hybrid and Corolla Twin Engines were relatively stable, and proved the value of direct engine drive and power shunting with actions.
In terms of mid-course acceleration, Ling Pairui Hybrid once again came out on top. In the 40-80km/h range, Ling Pairui Hybrid and e-POWER Xuanyi scored between Bozhong, with a difference of only 0.1 seconds. After reaching the 80-120km/h range, Lingpai Rui Hybrid widened the advantage to 0.4 seconds. The actual driving experience is also the same, Ling PaiRui Hybrid is the easiest to overtake at high speed, and the Corolla twin engine is somewhat inadequate.
In terms of chassis, Corolla pulled back a city and made up for the lack of power. The Corolla Twin Engine features front McPherson suspension and rear E-type multi-link suspension, making it the only model in the cross-section review to feature a four-wheeled unsuspass. The Lingpai Rui Hybrid and e-POWER Xuanyi suspension structures are the same, both using front McPherson independent suspension and rear torque beam non-independent suspension.
Since the replacement of the TNGA architecture, Toyota models have significantly improved the driving quality, and the quality of the chassis is worthy of recognition. In terms of tuning, the Corolla double engine is more European than the opponent, and the high-speed stability is excellent. The chassis's treatment of fine bumps is crisp and sharp, and there is no obvious residual vibration on bad roads, and the sense of heaviness has certain advantages at the same level. Of course, the strong damping setting means a relatively direct impact, and the feeling of jacking is easy to occur when passing through the speed bump.
Among Japanese brands, Honda is a staunch supporter of sporty style, and its products usually have a strong sense of driving engagement. Ling Pairui Hybrid is facing the mainstream family car market, and naturally chooses comfort tuning, and the chassis will not be as hard as the sporty model. Nevertheless, Ling PaiRui Hybrid is still the most lively of the three cars, which is reflected in the two dimensions of steering response and steering feel. For the Gu family's grandfather, Ling Pairui Hybrid retains a touch of driving pleasure. Lemon microsaccharides, staged again.
e-POWER Xuanyi driving experience is most like an electric vehicle, the engine presence is not strong, and the high-frequency noise of the motor has been effectively controlled. Unfortunately, the chassis performance is not satisfactory, which affects the driving quality. When cruising at high speed, the rear axle is prone to continuous, high-frequency vertical jumping, and the transmission of fine bumps is relatively direct. In the face of large shocks, the sense of isolation is relatively limited, and it is better to encounter a speed bump or reduce the speed.
In terms of noise, e-POWER Xuanyi has obvious advantages, subjective feelings and measured results. In all the noise test items, e-POWER Xuanyi won the first place, leading by about 2-3 decibels. The idle noise of the Corolla Dual Engine is basically the same as that of e-POWER Xuanyi, but the former driving noise is large, and there is a sense of penetration in machine noise and road noise. As for Ling PaiRui Hybrid, the noise of medium and low speed driving is not much different from that of Corolla's dual engine, but the high-speed noise performance is somewhat lagging behind, and the measured noise value of 120km/h exceeds 71 decibels.
In terms of braking, the performance of the three hybrid compact cars is in line with expectations, and the braking distance of 100-0km/h is within 39m. Specifically, e-POWER Xuanyi performed the best, with a measured brake performance of 37.63m. Ling Pairui Hybrid and Corolla double engine ranked second and third respectively, and the braking distance entered the 38m range. The most stable performance is the Corolla dual engine, after five consecutive sets of 100-0km/h brakes, the braking system did not have significant thermal attenuation.
Dynamic part, the three hybrid family cars have their own strengths. The Corolla Dual Engine objective test results are average, but the driving experience is the most balanced, and there is no obvious shortcoming in mechanical quality. Ling Pairui has the strongest hybrid power and retains a hint of driving pleasure, but is helplessly dragged back by sound insulation and filter performance. The driving experience of e-POWER is close to that of electric vehicles, and the measured results are also more prominent, but unfortunately, the texture of the chassis is slightly lacking.
The reason why consumers choose hybrid, the low cost of using the car is undoubtedly an important reason. To find out which car saves the most money, we conducted fuel consumption tests and cost surveys on The Lingpair Hybrid, Corolla Twin Engine and e-POWER. Among them, the fuel consumption test consists of two parts: urban low speed and intercity high speed.
The test uses economy mode throughout the test and switches gear to B gear (if supported by the vehicle). Specifically, the corolla dual engine driving mode, D gear / B gear can be freely matched, so the test chooses the economy mode + B gear. e-POWER Xuanyi provides D and B blocks, but the economic model only allows the use of D blocks, not B blocks. Ling Pai Rui Hybrid has an economic model, but does not provide B gear, and can only adjust the energy recovery force through the deceleration paddle.
During the test, the three vehicles remained in formation, with the lead model rotating, as far as possible to avoid the influence of different testers' driving styles on fuel consumption. The three test vehicles were on exactly the same route, but showed a slight discrepancy in mileage. To be fair, we use the average of the metered mileage as the mileage of the fuel consumption test to calculate the average fuel consumption. In the end, e-POWER Xuanyi defeated Ling Pairui Hybrid with a slight advantage of 0.1L/100km and won the first place in the city group. The Corolla twin engine was pulled apart by the opponents, and the city's low-speed fuel consumption exceeded 5L/100km.
In the intercity high-speed fuel consumption test, the Corolla double engine finally turned the tables and won the race at 5.1L/100km. Compared with the Honda i-MMD and Nissan e-POWER, toyota THS has stronger "oil car characteristics", and the fuel consumption advantage is reflected in the medium and high-speed range. Limited by the structure, e-POWER Xuanyi and Ling Pairui Hybrid are not very good at high-speed cruising, and the intercity high-speed fuel consumption climbs to more than 5L/100km.
Urban commuting is a high-frequency scenario for hybrid car owners, and the proportion of long-distance self-driving is lower. We calculated the comprehensive average fuel consumption of the three hybrid car based on the weighted average of 70% of the city and 30% of the high speed. e-POWER Xuanyi won the first place, with an average fuel consumption of 4.2L/100km. Ling Pairui Hybrid was second by a slight margin, although he lost. The Corolla Twin Engine was affected by the city's fuel consumption, and the combined average fuel consumption failed to enter the "4L Club".
On the day of the test, the price of No. 92 gasoline at Sinopec's directly operated gas station in Beijing was 8.05 yuan / L. According to this calculation, the comprehensive fuel cost of e-POWER Xuanyi is 34.2 yuan / 100km, and the energy consumption cost is comparable to that of pure electric vehicles of the same level (estimated by 2 yuan / kWh public charging costs). Ling Pairui Hybrid followed, and the comprehensive fuel cost was only 0.7 yuan /100km higher than that of e-POWER Xuanyi. For every 100km, the Corolla Twin Engine costs about 7 yuan more than Ling PaiRui Hybrid and e-POWER Xuanyi. If you drive 20,000km per year, the cost of fuel for the Corolla Dual Engine will be about 1,400 yuan more than that of competitors.
During the test, as potential consumers, we visited Guangqi Honda, FAW Toyota and Dongfeng Nissan dealers in Beijing to investigate terminal discounts and maintenance costs. At present, the three hybrid compact cars have certain discounts. Among them, Ling Pairui Hybrid cash discount is 15,000 yuan, and Corolla double engine cash discount is 12,000 yuan. e-POWER Xuanyi provides an additional $5,000 replacement subsidy on top of the 8,000 yuan cash discount.
From the perspective of market change trends, the price of the Corolla dual engine terminal is relatively stable, and potential car owners do not have to wait for the reserve price. Ling Pairui Hybrid mid-term revamps soon, the discount has been recovered, consumers interested in the car may wish to observe for a while. e-POWER Xuanyi was listed at the latest, the current preferential strength is small, and the later policy depends on whether sales have improved.
Hybrid technology is relatively complex, what is the maintenance cost? Judging from the survey results, readers and friends do not have to worry. e-POWER Xuanyi car has the lowest cost, 3 years / 60,000 kilometers maintenance cost is only 2957 yuan. The official recommended maintenance period of the car is 10,000km or 6 months, which is longer than the 5000km or 3 months of the fuel version, which directly reduces the maintenance cost.
The maintenance interval of the Corolla Dual Engine is also 10,000km or 6 months, but the single maintenance cost is slightly higher than that of e-POWER Xuanyi. After calculation, the 3-year / 60,000-kilometer maintenance cost of the Corolla Dual Engine is 3408 yuan, ranking second in the horizontal evaluation model. The maintenance cycle of Lingpai Rui Hybrid is 5000km or 3 months, which is half of the other two models, and the long-term maintenance cost is rising, and the last place is expected.
The three hybrid models have the same vehicle warranty, and 3 years or 100,000 kilometers is the usual policy of the joint venture brand. In terms of battery warranty, Ling Pairui Hybrid is the most generous, with 10 years or 200,000 kilometers basically covering the life cycle of the first car owner. Corolla Dual Engine and e-POWER offer an 8-year battery warranty, with different warranty miles. As a latecomer, e-POWER Xuanyi should show greater sincerity and use quality assurance to eliminate the doubts of the general public about hybrid technology.
In terms of comprehensive fuel costs and maintenance costs, e-POWER Xuanyi is the model with the lowest cost of cars in this horizontal evaluation. Ling PaiRui hybrid fuel consumption performance is also outstanding, but its maintenance cycle is shorter, long-term maintenance costs are high, and the comprehensive car cost is unfortunately lost to e-POWER Xuanyi. The Corolla dual engine maintenance cost is lower, but this can not hide the drawbacks of high fuel consumption in the city, and the cost of using the car is higher than that of the first two players.
In this horizontal review, the three hybrid compact cars each showed their magic and showed different performance characteristics. Judging from the results, the horizontal evaluation models have their own advantages, but they also have relatively weak parts. Let's summarize the advantages and disadvantages of the test model in the order of brand pinyin.
Editor's comments: More precious than money is knowledge, and more precious than knowledge is the price of oil. In the era of high oil prices, the pursuit of low-cost cars, hybrid may be the most perfect solution. Compared with pure electric vehicles, hybrid models do not have endurance anxiety and do not need to change their usage habits. Compared with traditional fuel vehicles, the fuel cost of hybrid models is halved (urban conditions), and some models have lower maintenance costs, which helps car owners save car expenses. As the saying goes, blue is better than blue.
In recent years, many players have entered the hybrid market, breaking the monopoly situation that once existed. In the case of hybrid systems alone, the law of "the newer the stronger" gradually formed, and the latecomers quickly encroached on the territory of the old overlords. In addition to the Japanese, Chinese brands have also actively launched many hybrid products with outstanding quality. When the market enters healthy competition, it must be consumers who ultimately benefit.