When buying a B-Class, what exactly do we want to get, is it identity labels, handling fun, family space, technological innovation, fuel consumption, quality, or safety? In the face of this topic, the answer is never the only one, and the needs of different times and different people are not the same. Focusing on the present, the market grasped by the veteran joint venture car companies seems to let us see a trace of "commonality" for everyone.
Today, we will explore what kind of B-class car Chinese families need through three models: Dongfeng Nissan 2021 Tianlai, SAIC Volkswagen 2022 Passat, and GAC Toyota 2021 Camry.
▲Camry (top)/Tianlai (middle)/Passat (bottom)
What is the core of the B-Class?
Once upon a time, the B-class car was the "banner" of the joint venture car company, which to a certain extent represented the technical strength of the joint venture car company and also represented the identity and status of the owner. With the passage of time and the continuous development of China's economy, the car has changed from an unattainable status symbol to a means of transportation for daily travel, and the B-class car has also completed the transfer from "identity attribute" to "family attribute", and "fun + comfort" has gradually become the core of the demand of B-class car consumers.
Putting aside the increasingly valued pleasures, we found that comfort was and is the core of everyone's purchase of B-Class cars. In the mainstream B-class car, Dongfeng Nissan Tianlai, SAIC Volkswagen Passat and GAC Toyota Camry's understanding and focus on comfort are not exactly the same, today we will start from these three cars, and talk to you about the comfort essentials of B-class cars.
▲ Old Passat / Tianlai / Camry
Comfortable appearance Design and space
In recent years, passats (including Magotan) has changed its business style from design to color, which also reflects the changes in users in the mid-level car market.
▲2022 Passat 330TSI flagship
▲The front face of the 2022 Passat Starry Sky Edition model
In addition to the relatively stable banner style, through the release of the starry sky version model, the new dot-shaped chinese net design, the 113 "stars" on its front face have become a strong evidence of Passat's embrace of the younger generation, this change almost made my fans tear up.
The IQ.Light intelligent all-LED matrix headlights, which were previously unveiled on the ID series models, also appeared on the new Passat. In addition to looking good, this configuration can also improve the safety of driving at night with high brightness, and give everyone a more humanized experience through intelligent control, such as when the two-way car is met, the brightness of the light can be automatically adjusted, and the car will not be blinded.
Compared with the stunning front face, the new Passat tail is slightly conservative, but the through-line taillights will have better visual performance in the dark night.
From a serious book to a youthful vitality. This shift in passats is definitely a surprise for Ashkenazi fans, but non-mass fans may feel that the style can be more radical, which also shows that the pace of the public chasing the new generation may be a little slower.
At the beginning of the eighth generation of Camry, the exterior interior was controversial on the Internet, including me, many people think that this exterior design is too young to meet the B-class car tonality. However, combined with the subsequent sales performance, it is not difficult to see that the manufacturer is still ahead of the user.
Whether it is a deluxe version or a sharp version, the front face elements of camry are more abundant, and the stitching of different styles of material trim panels greatly enhances the sharp feeling of the visual level.
In addition, even if it is an entry-level model, its light groups, including fog lights, are LED light sources, and although the headlight shape is not out of line, it is rich in detail, and the fierce design that was felt at that time now seems to be just right.
The Camry's rear design is similar to that of the Passat, which is less stunning than the front face and returns to mediocrity. But to say that it is ugly is absolutely nonsense, it can only be said that it is still a little bit away from our ardent expectations. Moreover, for the B-Class, it is more important to be safe than to be innovative.
Nissan always seems to have the ability to lead the times at the design level, and the seventh generation of Tianlai has adopted a more dynamic style from the beginning of the listing, cutting into the aesthetics of the new era earlier, and its appearance is still online today.
Based on the V-motion 2.0 concept, the family-style front face is outlined with simple lines through the chrome decoration of the big V, the middle net composed of a hexagonal hive, the nissan circular LOGO and the headlights flying to the side of the body, but the details of the front face are greatly preserved.
The body lines are stretched, the details are capable, and looking at the competitors of the same level, Tianlai is still the one that looks more sparse. The tail is similar to the Passat and Camry, the design is relatively simple, but with the condensed and powerful front face line, the overall feeling is more unified and coordinated.
Speaking of which, you may ask, this has nothing to do with comfort? I would say that comfort on the visual level is the primary factor that moves people's hearts. Every day before going out, the car waiting downstairs is not looking at it and likes it, which still greatly affects the comfort of the mood.
Of course, the design should consider the functionality, as far as the interior space that most affects the comfort is concerned, these three models are not much to say, the length is more than 4 meters 9, the wheelbase is more than 2 meters 8, and it is difficult to do well in terms of space comfort.
▲Tianlai seat
The three cars are not much different in internal space, and the key to opening the gap is on the seat.
Inheriting the Nissan "big sofa" gene, the 2021 tianlai has full confidence in the comfort of the Multi-Layer ergonomic seat, and even specially shows the spinal three-point support structure, the three-point support structure of the seat cushion, the three-layer cushioning material of the seat and the 3D support design of the side wings on the official website, which is enough to see the brand's dedication to comfort. Of course, the actual experience of this set of seats is also excellent enough, whether it is supportive or wrapped, it is at a high level in the same level.
▲Dongfeng Nissan's official website technical description of the Tianlai Multi-Layer ergonomic seat
Passat's seat comfort is also excellent, the anti-fur material of the starry sky version of the model makes people love and hate, I especially like this kind of fur-like texture, the winter is not cold and the summer is not hot, but the problem is that it is more troublesome to take care of. Officially known as the "Wrap-Around Aviation Sleeping Headrest", the design enhances comfort and enhances the sense of luxury on the visual level.
▲ Passat seat
In contrast, the Camry's seats are more decent, and the benchmark B-class car will definitely not do badly, but it is impossible to talk about surprises.
▲Camry seat
In addition, the middle of the rear floor of the three models is raised, there is no rigorous measurement, and the visual perception is slightly smaller. The impact on the middle passengers in the back row is similar.
▲Three cars rear floor raised contrast
Look at the details of the comfort configuration from the NVH
"Headphones are a refuge for humanity, and music is a lifesaver for the heart." This message in NetEase Cloud Music also applies to cars, and for most people, the "isolated" car space is simply a luxurious enhanced version of the "headphone haven". If you want to have a high-quality "haven", vehicle tranquility is only the end result, systematic NVH engineering is the key, after all, compared to simply isolating noise, suppressing vibration transmission to the car is more testing of brand strength.
In this regard, the effort of nature is more sufficient. The first is the use of double suction sound insulation materials and double-layer sound insulation glass, which isolates the hustle and bustle of traffic from the outside of the car. The ANC active noise cancellation system allows the microphone in the car to detect engine and ambient noise in real time, and emits the same frequency reverse sound wave through the speaker, effectively canceling out the noise during the vehicle. The ATR active torque lever system monitors engine vibration through electronic unit control, generating reverse vibration and preventing engine noise and vibration from being transmitted through the subframe to the interior.
This set of operations, whether it is parked on the side of the noisy road or at high speed, external noise and vibration can be effectively isolated and suppressed, providing a more quiet "haven", so that the BOSE customized version of the 9 speakers in the car can play 100% of the power.
▲Tianlai BOSE customized version 9 speaker sound
Camry also uses double-layer acoustic glass, although it is not equipped with active noise reduction, but the JBL 9 speaker advanced surround sound system with Clari-Fi source restoration technology also has good sound performance.
▲ Camry uses JBL sound system and also has 9 speakers
Although the passats of soundproof glass and active noise reduction are not equipped, the HARMAN Kardon premium sound system with bright high pitch, heavy bass and 12 speakers has also allowed it to find a field to a certain extent.
▲ Passat Harman Kardon Advanced Sound System leads the number of 12 speakers
Comfort goes beyond static
Only "static comfort" loses the essence of the car, and the comfort of moving is really comfortable. Therefore, at the driving control level, how do the three models perform?
This round, let's start with the Camry. The 2021 Camry adopts three power combinations of 2.0L+CVT, 2.5L+8-speed hand-integrated, 2.5L hybrid+ECVT. Just like the Lexus ES, many network masters complain about 2.0L and 2.5L engine meat, dual engine models are expensive, but real consumers vote with money.
The Camry uses front McPherson independent suspension and rear E-type multi-link independent suspension, which chassis system works well no matter which powertrain it matches. The big and small bumps on the road can be effectively resolved during the driving process, which is also the level that a medium-sized car with transportation as the main demand should be. When steering, the chassis suspension does not have any floating feeling, and the damping in the steering wheel return is also quite good, with a touch of lightness characteristic of Japanese steering in the thickness. This is not quite in line with the Kemeric we have in mind. Overall, the Camry performed well in driving, even with a little surprise.
Toyota's hybrid system has been quite mature, fuel saving level is also well-known, but with the rise of the tide of electric vehicles, the scientific and technological aura of this power system has gradually dissipated, even if it represents the technical level of Camry, but in some areas the actual sales proportion is higher than the 2.0L model, which also shows that power and fuel saving are not actually the focus of B-class car users.
The 2022 Passat also uses three power combinations, 1.4T, 2.0T low power, 2.0T high power are matched with 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Passat's drivability is as popular as ever, the DSG gearbox is smart, the gas pedals are linear, and the power reserve is more than enough for everyday driving. The damping feedback is smooth, the front of the car is clearly pointed, the driving is very controllable, and the deceleration and downshift are occasionally frustrated. Of course, the 2.0T high-power engine is more powerful, but the 1.4T engine is also enough for daily commuting. This is also why the 330TSI model is the absolute workhorse of Passat sales.
Passat uses front McPherson independent suspension, rear multi-link independent suspension, this set of chassis quality that we are very familiar with is still good, the crushing road surface is damaged to feedback a very neat chassis texture, and the sound of suspension shock absorption stroke to the bottom feedback when encountering a large impact is not timid. Its suspension softness is moderately adjusted, which is a good balance between sport and comfort, no matter what the road conditions, you will feel that this is a Volkswagen B-class car should look like.
The Tianlai 2021 model uses two engines with 2.0L naturally aspirated and 2.0T turbocharged, matching the CVT gearbox. It is worth mentioning that the VC-TURBO super variable engine technology equipped with the 2.0T version of the model adopts the crank connecting rod structure that subverts the traditional engine, creates a multi-link system, realizes the intelligent stepless switching between the engine compression ratio from 8:1 (high performance) to 14:1 (high efficiency), and integrates 8 forward-looking manufacturing technologies such as double combustion cycle, double fuel injection, single vortex turbocharging technology, and mirror melt cylinder bore technology, providing surging power under strict emission requirements. Simply put, it is technologically advanced, surging power and fuel saving.
In my impression, Nissan is a very delicate player, many years ago Tianlai through the engine to set up a cigarette without falling down. At the driving level, I was deeply impressed by the brisk feeling of the first stage of nature. I remember that when this generation of Tianlai was listed, I once participated in a comparative test drive with camry and BMW 3 Series, although the dealer chose the opponent's low-power model more chicken, but the power performance of the initial stage of Tianlai was still impressive. Although the performance of continuous winding piles is not as good as that of the BMW 3 Series, it is not much different. Under the premise of maintaining comfort, the efforts of this generation of Tianlai in driving pleasure have also won the hearts of many young users. This is also thanks to the tianlai front McPherson independent suspension, rear trapezoidal control arm multi-link independent suspension system. Aftershocks are small after passing through undulating pavements and do not shake continuously. Even with sharp turns, the natural suspension support responds positively and steadily. In fact, the most lamentable thing is not the excellent performance of the chassis, but the natural sound without losing comfort and strengthening the chassis suspension to enhance the driving pleasure.
Touch the user's heart with comfort and technology
It is necessary to meet the diverse needs of family travel and comfortable riding space, but also to meet the current technology trends and driving pleasures. As benchmark models, Tianlai, Passat and Camry have a good performance in terms of configuration, compared to the Camry, which is slightly behind in terms of configuration richness, but the practicality is not inferior.
First of all, tianlai 2021 model equipped with the ProPILOT super intelligent driving system reaches L2 level, which can achieve full-speed autonomous cruising, lane keeping, steering control and automatic follow-up. With this feature, the fatigue caused by long-distance highways and traffic jams in the city will be reduced.
Although these functions are not the first in the industry, the advantage of Tianlai is that it only takes one key to start these functions, which is very simple and convenient. A similar feature on the Toyota Camry requires multiple key settings. In addition, such as over-the-horizon collision warning, pre-collision intelligent brakes, moving object /pedestrian warning, reversing side warning these popular safety configurations are not absent, many old drivers may feel that experience can solve these problems, but for novices, the more safety protection is better, and even the old drivers inevitably have moments of negligence, these safety features even if the entire life cycle of the car has a role, I think even if it is worth the fare.
In addition, the Tianlai 2021 model is also equipped with the Nissan Connect super intelligent connection system as standard, through the Nissan Zhilian APP can not only complete the flashing lights and horns when looking for the car, but also control the engine, air conditioning, seat heating, steering wheel heating, door locks, driving recorders and other switches and adjustments. Remote real-time monitoring function, you can check and diagnose the vehicle condition, vehicle location query, electronic fence settings and other operations in the mobile APP, and grasp the vehicle status at any time.
In addition to the control navigation, Bluetooth telephone, air conditioning, seat heating, steering wheel heating, AVM panoramic intelligent monitoring, driving recorder and other functions in the car, the voice control function in the car also supports the common command without wake-up. OTA online upgrades are also supported.
As the brand that "likes" research Chinese the most, Passat is not inferior in the intelligent driving assistance level, travel assist full-journey intelligent driver assistance system, lane keeping system, advanced adaptive cruise control system, intelligent parking assistance system can provide safety and convenience for daily use of cars. Although there is no natural remote start and OTA upgrade function, it still uses the wireless charging function to win back a city and give everyone a more convenient experience.
Camry also supports voice control, OTA upgrades, Internet of Vehicles, online navigation maps and other functions. In terms of safety configuration, the 10 airbags are also in the lead of their peers, and the Toyota safety sense implementation safety system dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assistance, and pre-collision safety system with pedestrian identification in front can improve safety in daily life.
Write at the end:
The "looking back" of comfort in B-Class cars can be understood as a small-scale "Renaissance" of the automobile segment, bidding farewell to the face demand of the past a bit of bluff, focusing on the essential need for comfort. At this level, all three models have performed well. Although there are differences in parameter configuration, crowd positioning, etc., these three models are still friends who intend to buy B-class cars. Of course, there are still some models on the market that also perform well for reference, and interested friends still have to go to the store to experience it in person and find the car that suits them.