Electric view
Written by | Chen Hui
With the listing of more and more plug-in models, consumers have begun to suffer from difficulty in choosing. No, some netizens asked the state: BYD Tang DM-i and Changan UNI-K iDD, how to choose?
Before that, he was ready to start with Tang DM-i, after all, BYD is selling very well now, but after Changan UNI-K iDD, he found that the price of this car is much lower than Tang DM-i, and the pure electric mileage is longer than Tang DM-i, and it is also fully equipped with fast charging, so it is entangled.
It just so happens that recently the author has conducted an in-depth experience of these two cars, and in this issue we will compare the two cars from the perspective of experience and technology.
iDD comes standard with a large battery + fast charging, and the electricity is cooler
Compared with the previous plug-in hybrid models, the UNI-K iDD and the Don DM-i both have a longer pure electric range, which also makes it a reality for both to use pure electricity completely when commuting in the city.
If it is to fight pure electric endurance, UNI-K iDD has more advantages, under the condition of NEDC, the pure electric mileage of the entire UNI-K iDD series is 130km, while Tang DM-i only has a pure electric mileage of 112km in the middle and high distribution, and only 52km in the low configuration.
This is because the batteries they carry are different, UNI-K iDD is equipped with a ternary lithium battery pack with a capacity of 30.74kWh, which not only has a large capacity, but also has better low temperature resistance and can adapt to a wider range of regions; the 112km version of Tang DM-i is equipped with a blade battery with a capacity of 21.5kWh, that is, a lithium iron phosphate battery, which is lower cost, but compared to ternary lithium, its low temperature resistance is not good, and the winter performance attenuation will be more obvious, but the advantage is that the thermal stability is higher.
It is worth mentioning that UNI-K iD is equipped with two interfaces of fast charge and slow charge as standard in charging; although the 112km version of Tang DM-i also supports fast charging, it needs to be connected to an external base on the slow charging port to achieve it, which is more troublesome to use daily, and the 52km version does not support fast charging.
In terms of pure electric power, both are equipped with a front-mounted single motor. The maximum power of the motor of UNI-K iDD is 85kW and the maximum torque is 330Nm, and the maximum power of the motor of the Tang DM-i long-endurance version is 160 kW and the maximum torque is 325Nm, the torque of the two is almost the same, but the power difference is nearly half. It can also be seen that the two hybrid systems attach great importance to the electric drive - Tang DM-i's dependence on the motor is obviously higher.
Combined with the actual measurement experience, in pure electric mode, if it is not the big foot throttle, both can break through 120km/h, and even come to 140km/h.
When the speed is less than 90km/h, the pure electric power of the two feels very close, the response is very direct, and the power output can reach the level of 2.0T engine; when the speed exceeds 90km/h, the re-acceleration ability of the UNI-K iDD version will be significantly weaker; relatively speaking, the acceleration of Tang DM-i with greater motor power will be faster in the high-speed stage, although the acceleration force will also weaken at this time.
Of course, the high-speed stage is the low-energy efficiency range of the motor, and it is not recommended that you use pure electric mode at high speed for daily driving.
Are 1.5T plus motor, mixed output who is stronger?
When it comes to hybrid mode, the technical difference between the two is very obvious.
Let's start with the UNI-K iDD, which uses a hybrid system with a P2 structure in which the drive motor is positioned between the engine and the gearbox. Theoretically, in addition to pure electric drive, hybrid drive, it can also achieve a separate fuel mode, however, in order to ensure that it can be more fuel-efficient, the system built-in battery power holding mode, when the battery power is lower than a certain percentage (can be set), the engine will start itself to charge the battery, to ensure that the motor can be called at any time when driving, thereby achieving energy saving.
Measured UNI-K iDD In hybrid mode, the motor is still the protagonist, and the engine appearance rate is also very high. At the start, the first to be activated is the motor, if you keep a slight throttle amplitude, then the pure electric mode can be maintained to a very high speed, but once a slightly strong pressure on the throttle, the engine will be activated.
It is worth mentioning that the engine of UNI-K iDD is very delicate when it intervenes, there is no setback, and the power output is obviously enhanced. After receiving the fuel, depending on the speed of the car, the engine will freely choose whether to continue working or exit. It can be felt that in order to achieve a more efficient power output, there are many combinations of motor and engine mating modes under different operating conditions. In addition, in addition to the smooth power output, its zero hundred acceleration performance is also good, 8.1 seconds to break the hundred, much faster than the 2.0T fuel version.
In addition, even in the case of low charge of the battery, the UNI-K iDD version of the 100-kilometer comprehensive fuel consumption can achieve 5L. Considering its large body, this performance is really excellent.
The structure of the Tang DM-i is very different from the UNI-K iDD version, although the official information writes that it has an E-CVT gearbox, but in fact, it is not a gearbox in the traditional sense, just a set of reduction gears. Therefore, if you remove the electric drive system, its engine can not start the vehicle, can only enter the direct drive state at high speed - compared to UNI-K iDD, its motor and engine working logic is simpler.
Measured Tang DM-i In hybrid mode, the working share of the motor and the engine is basically equal.
In the initial stage, whether it is gentle driving or violent driving, the motor is the first to be activated, in the gentle driving, the motor can work to a very high speed, about 80km/h, and then enter the working area of the engine, at which time the motor will stop working.
In terms of power experience, because the front section is an electric drive, the power output is consistent with pure electricity; when switching to the engine, there is no setback; after entering the engine working mode, because the parameters of its 1.5T engine are not strong, the acceleration of the middle and rear sections is weak. If the strongest power is required, then you can directly switch to the sport mode, at this time the engine will cooperate with the motor output in a wider range, not only the overall power output will be stronger, but the re-acceleration ability after the high-speed stage will also be stronger.
In addition, Tang DM-i's zero hundred acceleration is 8.5 seconds, the average person can not feel the gap between the two, but at this time, the system is no longer energy-saving, measured sports mode, Tang DM-i fuel consumption soared, almost reached the level of its 2.0T fuel vehicle.
However, in the case of the battery at a low charge, the comprehensive 100 km fuel consumption of the 112km version of Tang DM-i is only 5.5L. So, driving at low speeds in the city or driving gently, it is still very fuel-efficient.
On the whole, in the hybrid mode, although the working logic of UNI-K iDD and Tang DM-i is very different, the actual performance of the two is actually relatively close. First, the power adjustment is smooth, and when driving every day, there is almost no setback, and when strong power is needed, both can reach a high level.
The handling is indistinguishable, with slight gaps in corner performance
After talking about the experience of power, let's talk about how I felt about the handling when I test drove both cars.
The chassis of both models is a combination of front McPherson + rear multi-link, and the steering is also electronic power steering. However, the UNI-K iDD version of the tire specifications are higher, the top model is equipped with tires with a size of 265/45 R21, the brand is the horse brand MC6, which is more sporty, while the Don DM-i top model is a 245/45 R20 tire, and the brand is the Giti Comfort Series.
In terms of actual feelings, Tang DM-i gave me a big surprise, because in my impression, BYD's former model did not talk about any control at all, and the whole car drove very loosely, but Tang DM-i has made great progress. Specifically, the chassis is very neat, the driving texture is strong, the steering is precise, which can give the driver strong confidence, in addition, the foot feeling of the brakes is also good.
The actual handling of the UNI-K iDD is slightly better than that of the Don DM-i, on the one hand because of its higher tire specifications, on the other hand, because its chassis is better integrated and has better trackability in the corners. As for steering and braking, the performance of the two is very close, and there is almost no difference in subjective feelings.
『 Final Remarks 』
After the dynamic test drive of the two cars, I can responsibly say that in terms of power output, both cars are very mature, especially in hybrid mode, the system does a good job of the motor and engine deployment, while ensuring fuel saving, the power experience is also excellent enough.
However, in terms of overall structure, Tang DM-i is simpler, more dependent on the motor, and it uses lithium iron phosphate batteries with strong low temperature performance decline but high thermal stability. In contrast, the structure of UNI-K iDD is more complex and requires careful software algorithms to match. In addition, thanks to the larger and better capacity of the ternary lithium battery, its pure electric mileage is also longer.
In general, the gap between the two is not large, and they belong to the 200,000-level and highly recommended plug-in models. Which one to choose depends on your needs.
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