If you want to gain a firm foothold in the 200,000-level joint venture brand SUV market, you must not have obvious shortcomings, and you must be like the "three good students", moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic all-round development. The image of Toyota to people has always been practical, easy to open, low fuel consumption, but there is such a model seems to want to make some breakthroughs on this basis, young design, hybrid four-wheel drive system, making this model very different, it is GAC Toyota Willanda.
As a new member of the "Lanta family", Velanda is also based on the TNGA architecture GA-K platform, and the model I test drove this time is the Velanda dual engine, which is also the first hybrid SUV model of GAC Toyota. The Veranda Dual Engine is equipped with the THS-II Dual Engine Hybrid System, which consists of a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle engine, an electric motor, a generator, a power battery pack, an E-CVT transmission and a power control unit. The test drive model is a four-wheel drive deluxe version, which is the only all-wheel drive model in the Willanda dual engine series, and the front and rear axles are equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor, and the E-FOUR electronic four-wheel drive is realized.
Don't look at the THS structure is not complicated, but it gives full play to the respective advantages of the combustion engine and the motor, and achieves an excellent balance between power, smoothness and economy, and the E-CVT gearbox is the key to it. Oil and electric power are coupled through planetary gear sets, rather than simply connected in series, and the internal combustion engine can drive the wheels at the same time and support the operation of the generator.
The primary role of the dual motors is not to provide additional power, but to keep the engine running in the high efficiency range and improve the efficiency of the powertrain. Under low load conditions, the engine remains silent, and the electric motor relies on battery power to drive the vehicle, and the driving experience is no different from that of an electric vehicle. Under high load conditions such as uphill and acceleration, the engine will quickly start, drive the generator to run, and provide power for the motor. In this way, the Veranda dual engine is still very affinity, the power output is smooth and the retraction is measured. If it weren't for the roar and vibration of the engine, you might mistake it for a pure electric SUV.
The electric motor is not barbaric, but it provides excellent instantaneous response, just need to press the accelerator at will, the vehicle will respond immediately. Slowly you will find that using only 50% of the power is the most wonderful state of this car, and the city is extremely comfortable. At this time, the Veranda dual engine not only has sufficient power, but also the fuel consumption performance will make you feel beautiful.
And what surprised me most about this car was the handling! The TNGA architecture provides a solid guarantee for the driving performance of the Willanda dual engine, the suspension can isolate most of the impact from the car, and the rebound rhythm is more appropriate. The handling of the fine bumps was as expected, and the chassis did not appear stiff, but the vibrations transmitted to the steering wheel and seat were slightly fine.
The steering feels just right, and the precision, flexibility, damping and feedback are natural and easy to style. Neither deliberately emphasizing sportiness nor appearing procrastinating, this setting allows me to drive the Veranda twin engine more confidently on the mountain road.
Entering the corners, the low center of gravity design played a great advantage, the suspension lateral support was satisfactory, the grip was very balanced, and if it wasn't for the high sitting position, I wouldn't have realized that this was an SUV. The E-Four electronic four-wheel drive system also delivered an assist at this time, and the rear axle motor can quickly exert power when cornering, relieving the load on the front wheel.
It can be said that the Veranda Dual Engine accurately interprets Toyota's understanding of family cars in terms of dynamics, the power system is comprehensive, and the feeling of getting started is very affinity. The same is true for the static part, the body size is just right, the interior and exterior design is more elegant, the functions are intuitive, and everything is based on plain and easy to use as the primary appeal. The front face tends to be feminine and retains a certain sense of movement, quite like the feeling of Lexus moving closer. The headlights are slender and sharp, while the logo on a blue background in the middle proves its hybrid identity.
In today's "bigger and bigger" car, The Veranda dual engine still maintains a restrained figure, the size is not oversized with the current, and the compact SUV is positioned appropriately. The overall lines on the side of the car are smooth, and the tough waist line creates a sense of sport and strength.
The rear of the car is full of shape, and the application of flat lines depicts a clear sense of layering. A striking chrome trim strip connects the flat taillights to stretch the lateral visual width, while the bottom is also equipped with a bilateral exhaust that accentuates the sporty feel.
The overall design of the interior is simple and generous, which is a combination of American ruggedness and Japanese practicality, all design pays attention to functionality first, the functional partitions are clear, and it is equipped with more physical buttons and knobs.
The ergonomic design of the TNGA model amazes me, the steering wheel is in a reasonable position relative to the seat, which can make the driver's sitting posture more natural. In addition, the Velanda Dual Engine is equipped with a new generation of TSS Smart Mobility Safety System, which realizes quasi-L2 level automatic driving and can be operated through the function buttons of the steering wheel, which is simple and easy to use.
The 10.1-inch central control touch screen supports weLink and CarLife two ways of interconnection, but also integrates navigation, voice control system, clear logic, even if it is the first use is not difficult.
This test drive seat is leather-wrapped, with soft and thick padding, and is very comfortable and supportive. Due to the small size of the vehicle's nickel-metal hydride battery, it is placed under the rear seats, and does not occupy too much chassis space and rear space, and this detail is deeply controlled.
It is not difficult to see that the Veranda dual engine is actually a very standard "Toyota hybrid", the appearance and interior continue Toyota's consistent style, without too much gorgeous decoration, but very practical, but this may be dissatisfied with the discerning young consumer. But in terms of power, the vehicle has a very unique personality, fuel-efficient hybrid system with comfortable orientation of steering, chassis tuning, seems to be very suitable for use in the city, while the E-FOUR four-wheel drive system gives it a certain off-road ability, making The Veranda dual engine a multi-faceted player. Overall, if you want to buy a Toyota hybrid SUV, this model is worth choosing.