Text | Jiangcheng lei less
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Is the Versailles C5 X A+ or B?
The Internet is very hot, but the controversy is also larger, how about the real car? Is it worth recommending?
Undefined, self-illuminating √
Last week we mentioned a "net red car", the Versailles C5 X, for a five-day live test experience.
Why you have to experience Versailles in depth
The reason why I chose to test drive at this time and conduct an in-depth evaluation experience is mainly based on two reasons:
First, pay attention to and covet this car for a long time, as early as the previous year, citroen brand and DPCA have carried out some "blowing" and hints in advance of this global strategic model.
Early webcast E43 renderings (for reference only)
As the latest flagship of Dongfeng Citroen's car after C5 and C6, the new car at that time was more in the newspaper with the internal code name of E43, and the publicity state of "holding the pipa and half covering the face" for a long time also aroused the curiosity of the outside world to some extent.
What kind of subversive and shocking strategic product will it be? The replacement of C5, cross-border wind...
Until April 12 last year, Mao Chuangxin, who was the general manager of the new Dongfeng Citroen brand for less than half a year, officially unveiled the mystery at the global debut ceremony of the new car held in Shanghai - Versailles C5 X, referred to as Versailles.
"The first time I saw the real car, I was immediately fascinated by him, and I wished I could be the first to have it!"
I vaguely remember that Mao Zong, who was not standard in Mandarin, made such a blatant confession on the stage at that time, which made me have a deep enough curiosity about this Versailles.
Later, as we all know, after half a year of full warm-up, the new car was not officially listed until the third quarter of last year.
Dongfeng Citroen General Manager Mao Chuangxin unveiled the versailles red hijab
Considering that there are too many links such as new product technology and quality control, it is generally necessary to have a steady and steady "climbing" process, coupled with the fact that the car market has encountered a big problem of "lack of core" in the past two years, so Versailles C5 X has been tight in production capacity since the beginning of its listing.
Making every effort to ensure production and delivery has become the most difficult task for all the Dongxue people headed by Mao Chuangxin in the past period.
Now that the new car has been on the market for more than half a year, the products, production capacity, etc. have basically become stable and mature, and there are also media test drive resources in the whole factory, and we have long wanted to mention a good try.
Second, a peer and friend recently communicated with me, Versailles and Star Yue L, which one is better?
Honestly, friends and manufacturers are actually quite familiar;
However, due to various reasons, he is inconvenient to engage in Taiwan media test drive actual comparison feelings, and he is usually more industry, test drive products are relatively few, I can provide some reference suggestions if it is naturally good.
The two factors add up, and if you mention it, you can quickly get it and try it.
Glutinous rice dumplings or cover rice?
As we all know, French cars have the uniqueness of French cars, and it can even be said that the personality is extremely distinct.
For example, under the non-independent suspension of the "torsion beam" passed down for thousands of years, the chassis texture of the French car is often better than that of many competitors with "independent suspension" at the same level.
Peugeot's control, Citroën's "magic carpet" chassis, has long been loud inside and outside the industry.
Based on the characteristics of these aspects, Chen Bin, general manager of Shenlong Company, publicly shouted out the classic line, "The French car is glutinous rice dumplings, and some friendly brands are doused rice"!
Chen Bin, the new general manager of Shenlong Company
What do you mean?
On the surface of the glutinous rice dumplings, it may be bland after all, they all look the same, but if you take a bite, you will find that it is full of "soup juice";
Rice bowling is just the opposite, the good soup is poured on the surface, looking at the color and flavor, but inside are plain rice.
In other words, Mr. Chen Bin and the Shenlong people intend to emphasize to everyone that French cars are not necessarily attractive to "sell" a lot of times, but the connotation is still good, unlike some friendly brands that look very good but are used to "cutting corners".
It is not difficult to find that the image label of "conscience car and safety car" that French cars have vigorously promoted in the past two years has come from this.
So here's the question:
As a French car since last year, or more accurately, the most potential "game-breaking blade" of the DPCA and Citroën brand - Versailles C5 X is glutinous rice dumplings or rice bowls?
Throw away the conclusion first - on the basis of glutinous rice dumplings, some flavors of "rice bowling" are integrated, but the background color is still "glutinous rice dumplings".
The reason is very simple, Versailles C5 X this product, not only looks "selling" can also be, when you really open it, after a good feeling, you will find that the actual performance is much better than it looks!
For example, the author has seen and static experienced many times at large and small car shows before, but the overall cognition and judgment of versailles C5 X has basically stayed at the level of A+ level.
The reason is also not difficult to understand:
Very critical dimensional parameters, especially the wheelbase, are less than two meters and eight (2785mm), what is the concept?
The wheelbase of Versailles is shorter than the more popular A+ class car on the market in the past two years, such as Geely Xingrui and Pentium B70 (all of which have a wheelbase of 2800mm), all of which are shorter!
It is also a little longer than the A-class and A+ class family car products of joint venture brands such as Corolla, Xuanyi, Langyi, 408, and Mingtu.
Some people may think that taking the size parameters, especially the wheelbase, is too simple and rude, but in reality, this is the case, what level should a car be counted, aside from the brand, price and other levels, the most convincing is the size.
The vehicle is large enough and the size level is reached, even if you are a domestic brand priced at less than 100,000 pieces, you will be classified into the B-class car camp, and the size is not enough to cause controversy.
With a wheelbase of less than 2800mm, Versailles still uses a "torsion beam" rear suspension similar to products such as the 408, rather than the five-link rod used in higher-end products such as 508L and C6.
This basically also determines that in terms of product positioning, versailles C5 X is still half a level lower than the 508L.
In fact, from the perspective of the final product pricing and other dimensions, this is also confirmed, compared to the overall 508L that still aims at 200,000 prices, the Versailles C5 X focuses on the 15-180,000 price point market.
Combined with the real car of many previous auto shows, in the workmanship, especially the material level, versailles C5 X does not have a 508L under the base, all of which are determined - it is difficult for you to really agree with the manufacturer's claim, "B-class car new trend car" marketing label.
Based on this, before mentioning this test drive, the author's expectations for it were not high, and I did not think of comparing it with the joint venture B-class cars marked with Accord, Camry, Tianlai, K5 Kaiku and so on.
However, after a few days of actual testing experience, it can be responsibly said that the versatility C5 X's multi-faceted comprehensive driving texture can basically drop the vast majority of the same price joint venture brand A+ class cars on the market, and even in many aspects basically reach the level of the above-mentioned B-class cars.
Obviously, the Versailles C5 X gave me a big surprise, "I didn't expect it, yes, the product power is indeed OK"!
It is in line with the characteristics of the typical French system "glutinous rice dumplings", and there are surprises after opening.
The reason why versailles C5 X also has some "cover rice" flavor is nothing more than the cross-border shape of "car + SUV + station wagon" with distinct personality, and the name of "Versailles", which comes with its own topical Internet celebrity.
Le Tease Observation:
Considering the length of the article and other reasons, more details and feedback on the experience of the Versailles C5 X can pay attention to our follow-up video reports.
Here's the first three questions thrown at the beginning:
Versailles C5 X from the book data, there is no doubt that with the Accord, Camry, Tianlai and other mainstream joint venture brand B-class cars, is to be lower than half a grade, called B-class cars are some far-fetched, causing controversy is inevitable;
But at the same time, once you look at the real car, especially after the comparison, you will greatly understand and agree with the manufacturer's official statement.
Versailles C5 X still occupies a parking space "big"
Because of the integration of multiple characteristics of cars, SUVs, and station wagons, the Versailles C5 X not only looks unique (some people don't like it, aesthetic appreciation can't come), the real car still looks very "prominent", and the aura does not fall behind.
In other words, the Versailles C5 X is still more of a standard "European" B-Class! It's just that now it is made in China and sold globally, and the main battlefield is placed in China.
When the French were developing the project, they were mostly carried out in accordance with the replacement C5, but it was a very "dead brain" old law, and did not know how to follow the local customs, and the B-class car in the Chinese market was not a concept at all with Europe!
4805mm long, 2785mm wheelbase, including PSA's ancestral "torque beam"...
It must be able to be regarded as a B-class car in the European market, but once it is compared with the b-class car after the length and increase (the length of the car is 4.9m, the wheelbase is at least 2850mm, and even the height is running to 2900, mm), it is smaller and shorter.
At least the book parameters give people the feeling that they are not B-grade enough.
You know, for the general public consumers, how your real car looks, how it drives up is a matter of the back, the first impression and judgment, but also depends on your book part. The same applies to size, power, configuration, etc.
That being the case, don't dwell on this A+/B level.
During the filming process, it attracts passers-by to look around the car
Because the real car looks and drives more than expected, the price of the A+ class car is close to or even multi-dimensional to reach the product strength of the B class car, and the cost performance is quite high.
If you don't mind the current Citroen and other French cars, the existence of a relatively niche in the domestic market, more or pay attention to the product itself, then versailles C5 X will undoubtedly be a budget in the 15-18 million price range, one of the few "value for money" choice.