All the MPV models currently on sale in the Chinese market, fuel MPV represented by Buick GL8 is common, toyota Alpha as the representative of hybrid MPV models there are also a few, Chrysler Grand Jielong, Geely Jiaji, BYD Song MAX and other plug-in hybrid MPV has also come out, pure electric MPV although few but not nothing. Wait, is there no extender MPV here?
How can an MPV model eat crab? Since the world has the first crab eater, is the first distinctive MPV model that appears for the first time the first time to eat crab? The Lantu Dreamer I test drove today adopted a range extender powertrain, as if it was really the first range extender MPV model, so that this "dreamer" really became the brave person who was the first crab.
As the second model of the Lantu brand, the Dreamer completed its debut as early as last year's Guangzhou Auto Show, and the aura of the front face and the 4-seat design really attracted attention, but the practicality of the 4-seat model was relatively limited, not as rich as the use of the 7-seat model, so at a glance, today's test drive of the 7-seat version of the Dreamer is the main model of the future, and it is also the MPV model that I pay the most attention to.
The Lando Dreamer is positioned as a medium-sized MPV, and this level of models, in addition to the veteran Buick GL8, there are rookie Toyota Senna, and mercedes-Benz V-Class with a three-pronged star on the front, as well as the more expensive Toyota Alpha, Wilfa, lexus LM. The engineers of Landu, giving this "dreamer" ambition, are on par with gl8 and senna in price, closely following the Mercedes-Benz V-Class in size, and matching the luxury to lexus LM.
It seems that since the advent of the MPV model, in order to obtain a more spacious interior space, the square box shape is difficult to change, the dreamer also follows the conventional MPV body form, but in order to be more imposing in the appearance, the front face must be large enough, the exaggerated size of the straight waterfall net and chrome trim is difficult to let people look away, fortunately, the designers did not put the Lantu FREE net on the dreamer, while ensuring the family design language while making the front of the car look domineering enough. The long, narrow headlights are connected to the strip in the upper part of the middle net, and with the addition of illuminated car logos, the visual effect is excellent when unlocked.
Dreamer's body side, in order to avoid a monotonous visual perception, around the side window and the lower part of the door is wrapped in chrome trim, the longer engine compartment is not common in the previous MPV models, but the longer nose is conducive to setting up the energy absorption zone, which can better protect the safety of the people in the car in the event of a collision.
The 3200mm wheelbase and the 5315/1985/1820mm body size are larger than the GL8 and the Senna, and the aura is not lost to the larger Mercedes-Benz V-Class long wheelbase model. The longer wheelbase would definitely drop visually if the hubs were smaller, so the Dreamers paired with four 20-inch wheels and four 255/50 R10 horse brand UC6 tires. The visuals came out, but the 20-inch wheels were really too big, sacrificing some comfort and also increasing the replacement cost of the late tires.
The dreamer's rear also uses more flat straight lines, the interior details of the taillights are rich enough, but the size is slightly smaller, fortunately, the visual effect after lighting is good, and the details of the lower part of the bumper are almost unattainable under the dark paint. In fact, the size and shape of the front face are exaggerated enough, and the design of the rear bumper may wish to be bolder.
If I had to find out the most disliked function on the Landu FREE, it must be a center console that can be lifted and lowered, and there is almost no practical use, but fortunately, the designers have not transferred this function to the Dreamer. A large number of flat lines and 3 screens on the center console create an overall simple and transparent atmosphere for the Dreamer's interior, and a large number of soft leather-wrapped interiors, workmanship and touch are worthy of recognition.
The operation logic of the central control screen is basically the same as that of Lantu FREE, under the blessing of qualcomm 8155 chip, the fluency is remarkable, but a large number of functions are highly concentrated in the touch screen, only the air conditioning button retains a limited area of the touch panel, and there is no vibration or sound feedback. In addition, the dreamer adopts the design of the double-sided sliding door, but the touch button is set in the position of the top reading light, and it takes a long time to adapt to the blind operation, for such a practical frequency of functions, it is still recommended to change the place, and the practical entity button.
Since it is an MPV model, the comfort of the seats, especially the second row of seats, is the most important. The most comfortable of the Dreamers is the second row of seats, equipped with 3-speed massage, heating, ventilation, as well as a small table, electric leg rest and electric backrest adjustment, and there is also a boss button on the side of the passenger seat backrest. However, the front and rear adjustment functions of the second row of seats are manually controlled, and the seats cannot be moved from side to side, which is better if the second row of seats has a lateral adjustment function when transforming into 4 seats.
Thanks to the longer wheelbase, the dreamer's third row of seat comfort has been greatly improved, more comfortable than the third row of seats of Odyssey and Alexand, and the leg space is spacious enough to effectively reduce fatigue during long-distance travel. In addition, the volume of the trunk is considerable, but unfortunately the third row of seats can only be put forward and can not be stored, and after the third row of seats is put down, the interior of the trunk can not form a complete plane, the practicality has been greatly discounted.
After communicating with the manufacturer's engineers, it was learned that this position happened to be the position of the rear axle motor and the lateral reinforcement beam, in order to improve safety and body anti-torsional stiffness, sacrificed the storage of the third row of seats and the volume of the trunk, hoping that the omnipotent engineers could find a way to optimize the size and shape of the third row of seats, optimize the storage function of the third row of seats, and make the Dreamer's trunk look cleaner. After all, for a 7-seater MPV model, most usage scenarios require only 4 seats.
The Dreamer uses a range extender power system that can achieve 100 km/h acceleration in 7 seconds, with a maximum power of 290 kW and a peak torque of 610 Nm. This extended-range power system consists of a 4-cylinder 1.5T engine and two motors in the front and rear axles, while realizing the four-wheel drive function, and even in the central control screen, the steep slope and slow descent function options have been found.
On the chassis, the Dreamer adopts the combination of front double wishbones + rear multi-link, and is equipped with air suspension, which supports convenient boarding and disembarking functions, which can automatically reduce the height of the body and improve stability when cruising at high speed, but the value of air suspension is more about improving the comfort of the vehicle.
Honestly, before the test drive Dreamer, I have not encountered an MPV model that accelerates so fast, the demand for acceleration performance of an MPV is far less than the need for comfort, fortunately, the single-speed transmission can completely make the annoying frustration disappear, so every time you start or speed up, the Dreamer can feel like Dove chocolate to the driver and passengers, but when you really need to accelerate sharply, step on the accelerator pedal deeply. The MPV, which weighs nearly 2.5 tons, can still run briskly, as long as it is not too rude to the accelerator pedal, there is no need to worry about the sudden acceleration that will make the distinguished passengers in the back feel uncomfortable.
To its credit, the Dreamer's range extender, the 1.5T engine, is relatively quiet when working, and the better NVH performance does not let annoying noise enter the car, and most of the time it is difficult to judge whether the range extender is working through sound.
Thanks to the air suspension, the Dreamer's comfort has a good performance, who would like an MPV as tough as a performance car? You know, in the MPV car, the comfort of the other 6 positions is far more important than the driver's demand for driving pleasure in the driver's seat. But at the same time, it cannot be ignored that the larger body size and higher center of gravity will put pressure on the soft suspension in the corner, and the roll is obvious, if you want to let the rear passengers ride with peace of mind, or honestly reduce the speed of the car before entering the corner!
summary:
According to the pre-sale price of 380,000-480,000 yuan currently announced, some people may think that the price of the range extender dreamer is high, and the price of the 4-seat pure electric model may be higher, but before the price is officially announced, it may be expected that there will be surprises. So, what is now being expected is the official price of the Lantu Dreamer.
4 and 7 seats, buy a Dreamer, which one will you choose? The Dreamers have certain advantages in terms of excellent fuel economy and smooth riding experience, but it may take a long time to pull the old pinGL8 off the altar.