Test drive full-size pickup truck ZTE Weishi 1949, a domestic highway behemoth, fuel consumption is unexpected

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As an automotive media person, the author has participated in more than hundreds of test drives of new cars, large and small, but when it comes to today's protagonists, many people do not often come into contact with this type of model: pickup trucks. It is undeniable that as the earliest tool model, the pickup truck market has been tepid.

However, with the gradual liberalization of national policies in recent years, the pickup truck market has gradually become multi-functional and high-end. Among them, the pickup truck manufacturers represented by Great Wall Motors continue to emerge new, especially the popularity of the Great Wall Cannon in the domestic market, which has also driven the domestic pickup truck market. The pickup truck we mentioned today is not the Great Wall Gun, but the ZTE pickup truck in the same city as the birthplace of the Great Wall Cannon, and the protagonist of today's test drive is the first full-size pickup truck in China launched at the end of 2021, ZTE Weishi 1949.

Test drive ZTE Weishi 1949 again, the feeling has changed completely

In fact, when it comes to the ZTE Weishi 1949 pickup truck, the author is not unfamiliar, and has also test-driven twice, the first time was a hasty attempt at the ZTE Rizhao factory when the car was listed, which was mainly a static experience. After that, I always felt that the test drive time was too hasty, and then there was a deep test drive after the Lunar New Year in 2022, and the vehicle that was tested felt completely different compared with this test drive.

What's changed? Before the author test drove the 6MT model of ZTE Weishi 1949, this time not only test-drove the 2.3T + 6MT power combination model, but also experienced the 2.0T + ZF 8AT model. In addition to the changes in power, there are also great changes in the test drive time, distance and test drive conditions, such as the comprehensive total distance of the test drive is more than 700 kilometers, and the test drive road conditions cover urban roads, urban expressways, highways, rural roads and non-paved roads, undeveloped primitive mountain roads and so on.

Such a multi-road condition, long-distance test drive, the test for a car is much higher than the usual test drive. This car has a lot of surprises in terms of the overall test drive experience and comprehensive fuel consumption, so the author said that compared with the previous test drive, it feels completely different.

The more you go up the mountain, the more you get the wild, this is what a pickup truck should look like

This time mainly based on the road test experience, the details of the appearance and interior of the new car have been said in detail. This time, we mainly tested the 2.3T diesel + 6MT and 2.0T gasoline + ZF 8AT two power versions of the model, and mainly on the 2.3T diesel version of the long-distance fuel consumption test, the test results we will mention later.

The test drive departed from the Rizhao ZTE factory and went to a wild mountain around Rizhao, which is an undeveloped mountain, not even a serious paved road, it is a bare gravel mountain road, and there will be some big pits and sharp turns on the way, which is indeed a big test for a pickup truck with a length of more than 5 meters 6 and a wheelbase of more than 3.5 meters.

Zhongxing Weishi 1949, known as a domestic highway monster, appears to be at ease when facing complex mountain roads, and is not afraid of those undeveloped landscapes. The more you go up the mountain, the more you get the wild, this is what a pickup truck should look like. The author believes that when it comes to outdoor and off-road, pickup trucks may be more suitable than SUVs because they have more modification potential and possibilities. In this test drive, we were accompanied by a pickup truck friend, who converted ZTE Weishi 1949 into his favorite look, and even moved things like tents to this pickup truck.

When we drove the wild mountain test drive, the ZTE Weishi 1949 we were driving, with the help of ZTE's excellent off-road genetic inheritance and strong hardcore configuration, could calmly face the complex road conditions of non-paved roads and calmly face and easily resolve. Bumpy roads facing ditches and bumps and even large pits will not affect their handling. The steering wheel has been very stable when crossing the wild mountains, and when making sharp turns on narrow roads, due to its long wheelbase limitations, it is easy to pass in one more direction.

Compared with paved urban roads and highways, the author believes that this non-paved off-road bumpy section can better play the advantages of the Weishi 1949 pickup truck. For example, the new car adopts a magnesium aluminum alloy double wishbone front suspension, which can maximize the comfort of the vehicle.

It should be mentioned that when we went up the hill, we test drove a two-wheel drive model, the maximum gradient of the author when visually measuring the climbing section should be around 45 degrees, sufficient power reserves and output, with the grip of one side of the tire, it can be said that it is easy to face the climb, which makes the author not have a little hesitation when driving, even in the face of strange environments have great confidence. Just imagine, if you are driving a four-wheel drive version of the model uphill, I believe it will be easier, the chassis is more solid, the passability and off-road are stronger, even if the difficulty coefficient is increased by a few grades.

Arriving at the top of the mountain, all the scenery is in full view, the surrounding scenery is at the foot, and the small mountain village of the mountain pass looks more regular and square, very artistic. There are many huge windmills around the mountain, with a clear blue sky, which reminds people of poetry and far away from us, while the dream is still there, take advantage of the opportunity to allow, drive a car to chase the dream.

The golden power combination, fuel consumption is surprising

Next, let's talk about the fuel consumption that everyone is most concerned about, this test drive conducted a long test of fuel consumption, from Rizhao to Baoding, the total distance is more than 600 kilometers, we have carried out nearly more than 400 kilometers of fuel consumption statistics, the test vehicle is the ZTE Weishi 1949 2.3T diesel version matching 6MT power combination model.

The test vehicle was powered by a 2.3T diesel engine developed by Renault/Nissan, with a maximum power of 120 KW, a peak torque of 380 N·m and a maximum horsepower of 163 Ps. In terms of transmission, it is matched by a 6-speed manual transmission.

Before the entire test, we filled the fuel tanks of the two cars at the starting point and drove all the way forward, covering a variety of road conditions such as urban roads, expressways, and rural roads and highways. The final measured fuel consumption is about 8.3L per 100 kilometers. This is already very good for a 2.3T diesel version.

Whether it is a fuel consumption test or a wild mountain test drive, the author can clearly feel the biggest feature of the diesel pickup truck of ZTE Weishi 1949: full of power when low torque, very strong. It is understood that this 2.3T diesel turbine engine is developed by Renault-Nissan, and Zhengzhou Nissan Ruiqi 6 and others are also equipped with this set of power, which will remind people of the feeling of the Japanese large-displacement 3.5L naturally aspirated engine, which is reassuring.

When we drive a vehicle facing a large starting ramp, there is a significant power output at the starting stage, and the machine responds quickly and the power is smooth. Even people who do not normally drive a manual car when changing gears can easily cope with it, and the shift is smooth and not jerky. Thanks to the long clutch stroke, the car is basically not possible to start and turn off.

The chassis is consistently outstanding and the four-wheel drive is reliable

During this long-distance test, there is one more point to say is the chassis of ZTE Weishi 1949. Excellent driving texture with 240mm ground clearance, so that you do not have to worry about the bottom of the car in a variety of environments. Non-load-bearing body, two vertical and seven horizontal full welded frames, are the most favorable guarantees for improving the anti-twisting of the vehicle.

In addition, the 1949 commercial version of ZTE Weishi uses the front suspension of the double cross-arm structure of magnesium aluminum alloy, and the rear suspension adopts a five-link integral bridge non-independent suspension, which is the biggest feature of this suspension is to ensure the comfort of the driver and occupants to the greatest extent.

During the test drive, we also experienced the four-wheel drive version of ZTE Weishi 1949, and the four-wheel drive system of Weishi 1949 came from BorgWarner. For BorgWarner four-wheel drive, friends who like off-road are not strangers, and the four-wheel drive systems of major automobile manufacturers around the world are mostly from BorgWarner, and its biggest advantage is that it is mature and reliable. Whether wading, snow, sand or muddy road environments, the power is distributed in a timely manner, so that you can easily cope. The four-wheel drive system can be switched by simply passing the knob next to the gear lever in the car, which is very convenient.

As a pickup truck weighing more than 2 tons, its steering system is quite well adjusted, with clear pointing, light grip, moderate positive torque, and easy steering, even for girls. In this regard, the tuning of this pickup truck is more passenger-friendly, which is very convenient for daily driving.

Weishi 1949 competitive version model is also equipped with nitrogen shock absorption, differential lock, off-road large pattern tires and other professional off-road equipment, which is very important for off-road enthusiasts.

Full size is not covered, and the return rate of large pickup trucks is extremely high

Finally, let's talk about the performance of the full-size ZTE Weishi 1949 in terms of space. If you are the first to see this pickup, the feeling and impression you give is big, as long as you stand in front of it, it has its own aura.

The new cars have body dimensions of 5692 (5393) mm /2045 mm/1910 mm respectively, and the wheelbase exceeds 3.5 meters to reach 3513 mm. Looking at this data alone may also have the concept of image, only when you see it and sit in the car and drive it on the road, you will have a "panoramic view of the mountains" feeling. Driving this car on the road, you will see "brother-level models" all over the road, unless you encounter a full-size Ford Raptor, Toyota series, and so on.

The full front of the car is thick and atmospheric, and the height of the hood of more than 1.5 meters will make you think of the muscular tough guy image of the American car. Black bezel-less front grille makes the car more powerful, the headlight group with full LED light source, higher recognition of LED daytime lights, the three orange fog lamp beads above the middle net are quite energetic. Design elements such as red trailer hooks, "shark cheeks" behind the fenders, and blackened aluminum alloy wheels are more wild.

240mm ground clearance, so that the vehicle is stronger through, 1810mm (1530) * 1700mm * 515mm cargo compartment, to provide users with a large capacity loading space, whether it is camping tools or barbecue, fishing and other equipment, can be arranged properly for you, plus the side of the hook (fixed anchor), let you fix skis, tents and other items more convenient.

The interior space of the car is also outstanding, whether it is the head, legs or knees, there is a good space experience, 180cm experiencers, into any space in the car, is quite spacious and comfortable.

Since we have previously described the inside and outside of the vehicle in detail, this article will go through it. The overall interior design of Weishi 1949 is simple and simple, and the center console covered with soft materials is equipped with dark decorative panels, silver trim and other elements, which looks more high-grade. In terms of intelligence, the 10.1-inch central control large screen integrates intelligent AI, and the voice control function makes daily interaction easier.

Four-frame multi-functional leather steering wheel, integrated multimedia, cruise control and other function buttons, the author experienced its cruise control function during long-distance driving, the operation is quite convenient and improves the driving convenience. It is worth mentioning that the new owner's driving seat also provides a number of electric adjustments, which are quite practical.

Car city special evaluation test driving experience:

When driving this full-size large pickup truck on the road, the return rate is absolutely not to say, when the author stopped waiting for the red light, there was always a parallel driver who leaned out and asked what kind of car it was, which showed that its overall design was still very attractive. This off-road-style American pickup truck will not only take you up and down the mountain and down the river in search of poetry and faraway places, but also give you better driving pleasure.

During the test drive, good handling, excellent off-road performance and fuel consumption performance made the author look at this full-size pickup truck with admiration. Another point is that the modification potential of this pickup truck is unlimited, and the author has come into contact with the electric cargo boxes, tents, etc. modified by the riders, which are indeed windy and practical. Most of the people who buy this big pickup truck like to play, and the modification will also make this car more fun.

ZTE pickup trucks have been leading the market, from the development and manufacture of China's first pickup truck with independent intellectual property rights to the first diesel pickup truck in China, the first off-road pickup truck in China, the first high-performance pickup truck in China, the first Chinese pickup truck exported overseas, and so on. From economical pickup trucks to today's full-size high-performance pickups, 73 years of technology accumulation has made ZTE ready to cope with market competition. In terms of new energy, ZTE Also has advanced technical reserves and product layouts. In the second half of this year, ZTE Automobile will also have a number of new cars listed, in the context of the second venture, ZTE Automobile will usher in a new tenghang meeting.