Text/Pressure Boy
Speaking of Santana, many people should know its legend, and even today some people drive this car because of their feelings, and even spend several times more expensive than the original car to modify it. It was not only the first German model to enter the mainland automobile market, but also a symbol of wealth at that time, and it was also a "god car" that people once had in their hearts.
The first-generation Santana, with its classic boxy shape, became the representative model of the 1990s, with a high degree of recognition. The front and rear square light group shape, the lamp cavity inside the use of halogen headlights. The classic middle net shape, there are still many Volkswagen models using similar horizontal net shape. Its body size is 4546mm/1427mm/2548mm, the wheelbase is 2548mm, at that time this body data Santana was designated as a medium-sized sedan, used in business, business and taxi and other undertakings, since then Santana's legendary "life" began.
The first Santana Classic at the time was powered by a 1.6-litre in-line 4-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with a maximum horsepower of 87 hp and a maximum torque of 128 Nm. Looking at this data, you may find that its power is small and pitiful, but for the time, it was very good to have such a car and this power. Matched with this is a 5-speed manual transmission, which gives the car a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour and a combined fuel consumption of 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers. The chassis suspension structure is a combination of front McPherson independent suspension + rear longitudinal arm twist beam non-independent suspension, which occupies relatively little body space, is low in manufacturing cost, and does not cause the body to change its camber during movement. However, the car has poor bearing performance, weak anti-roll ability, and weak shock absorption performance, and cannot filter the bumps generated on the way well when passing through some potholes, thus bringing a poor riding environment to the passengers in the car.
With the great success of the first generation of Santana after entering the country, Shanghai Volkswagen attaches great importance to Santana's achievements. SAIC Volkswagen launched the Santana Zhijun model, which abandons the classic Santana's boxy shape, the overall shape is sleek, and the overall look is more atmospheric and businesslike.
The car is equipped with a 1.8-liter displacement naturally aspirated engine with a maximum horsepower of 101 hp and a maximum torque of 155 Nm, which is matched by a 4-speed automatic transmission, which makes the car perform more smoothly and efficiently when changing gears, and has a better driving experience than the previous classic Santana. In addition, the car also adopts the suspension structure of the front McPherson independent suspension + rear longitudinal arm twisting beam non-independent suspension, which is less comfortable. In addition, the car is equipped with a mechanical hydraulically powered steering type in the subsequent models, which is more laborious and the steering wheel is heavy, bringing a poor driving experience to the driver.
Nowadays, after 39 years of development, although Santana does not have the glorious status of that year, it has a relatively good level of comfort and driving experience, and the price of the people is atmospheric. The new Santana features a classic family-style grille design with transverse chrome trims as a decoration to create a nice sense of luxury. The headlights on both sides are more regular in shape, the interior of the lamp cavity is made of halogen headlights, and the high-end model adds a front fog light group on both sides of the front bumper, and the inverted trapezoidal air intake design is integrated in the middle of the fog light group on both sides. With the design of multiple rib lines on the upper hood, it outlines a relatively good sense of hierarchy.
The side of the new Santana is designed with ribs running through the front and rear, and the bottom of the door is designed with a concave design, which makes the side shape of the car appear more positive. Black trim strips were used around the windows and a turn signal set was added to the exterior mirror housing. The new car has a body size of 4475mm/ 1706mm/ 1469mm and a wheelbase of 2603mm. It is worth mentioning that the new Santana is defined in a compact car, no longer the Poussin that was positioned as a medium-sized car.
The new Santana is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine with a maximum horsepower of 112 hp. The maximum torque is 145 Nm, matched by a 5-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic transmission, which allows the car to reach a maximum speed of 180 km/h. This set of powertrains is enough for daily transportation, and daily overtaking can be easily completed, but it can feel a more obvious sense of frustration when lifting and lowering gears.
The new car also adopts the suspension structure of the front McPherson independent suspension + rear longitudinal arm twisting beam non-independent suspension in the chassis suspension, which is less comfortable and cannot effectively filter out the bumps generated during the driving when facing some pothole sections, thus affecting the riding comfort of the passengers in the car. But fortunately, the steering type with electric power is adopted, which is much easier than the previous mechanical hydraulic assistance, and will steer calmly at high speed and steer lightly at low speed, bringing a better driving experience to the driver.
Conclusion
In general, with more and more brand models entering the Chinese market, Volkswagen's Passat, Maiten, Golf, Bora and other models have also seized Santana's market space and market position. Over time, Santana has become today's entry-level sedan with its ordinary attractive appearance, low-cost configuration, general ride space and comfort.
But even so, Santana still has a relatively good reputation, the skin is durable, very suitable for ordinary families to use for daily transportation.