At last year's Shanghai Auto Show, I ran to Hall 4.1 to be a spectator for BAIC, for no other reason - I was attracted by the "domestic GLS" that had dropped by hundreds of thousands before, even if it was not BAIC's "own son".
Although there are 20, 40, and 80 products starting with "BJ" in service, the position of the king, the industry has never been able to cover the coffin with only 212. To paraphrase the cheesy phrase, "you can never wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep".
Fortunately, Big Brother is a little ashamed, in order not to be defined by the people as "not enterprising", BAIC still drummed up new energy products in a decent way, BJ60 has become a shot with a loaded gun, and so is BJ40.
Coincidentally, when the BJ40 launched the "Rainforest Crossing Edition" before, I counted the slots of this new car, but perhaps it was because I didn't like the words, and the article was later deleted, so that when the "City Hunter Edition" was launched, I learned to be a quiet beautiful man.
That's it, it's all the same words, let's talk about the "City Hunter Edition" later, let's take a look at the upcoming extended-range version.
In fact, I was a little surprised, no matter how big the brain is, it is difficult to imagine that the BJ40 will be related to the extended range power, look at the tank 300 next door, people did not even dare to use their own series-parallel hybrid before.
No wonder, everyone says "tough guys have softened".
For the old gun, the hard-core off-road vehicle is a plaything with a rich inner spirit, and it is by no means comparable to the bewitching tools used to show off to the outside world, and the strength is "hidden", which is the real high-end embodiment of the hard-core off-road vehicle, BJ40 This style is a bit incomprehensible.
It's not that the extended-range power can't cross mountains and seas, it's just that the ability is limited, after all, this thing is a pure series drive, the engine is only responsible for "power generation", the drive motor is independent, and the front and rear axle power are completely decoupled. That said, the four-wheel drive system doesn't work on a range extender, don't believe look at the ideal SUV.
This also means that even if the extended range version of the BJ40 is equipped with front and rear dual motors, it will not be a four-wheel drive car in the traditional sense, at most it is a pseudo-four-wheel drive, once it encounters the situation of extreme escape, this car is easy to "stand by", unless BAIC is equipped with a motor with outstanding power.
But it brings a new problem: it is rumored that the power of the BJ40 extended range version is the same as the BJ60 extended range version, assuming that it is true, then under the premise that the motor power is too high, the 1.5T range extender will inevitably be in short supply, and the final outcome is nothing more than the cost, energy consumption and performance of the BJ40 extended range version.
In the past, some fuel off-road vehicles would use low-speed four-wheel drive + locking differentials to exponentially amplify the torque, so as to achieve the purpose of getting out of trouble at the limit, but they can't do this directly with "electricity".
What to do?
The front and rear axles are equipped with electronic differential locks, plus a low-speed torque amplification gear, and that's what the Leopard 5 does. According to the big V on the Internet, the maximum torque of the wheel end of the Leopard 5 can reach "8000N·m" (this figure is still controversial), which is basically the same as the same level of fuel off-road vehicles.
For the BJ40 extended range version, this is a solution to make amends, and the only downside is that the off-road experience is reduced. Of course, there are benefits, at least BJ40 has become a pioneer of the conventional range extender system in the hard-core off-road vehicle, and in the future, it will meet with the Mengshi 917 and the U8, and everyone will have to say hello to each other.
On paper, no matter how it is arranged and combined, the extended range version of the BJ40 is difficult to achieve "both want and want", at least in the basic outdoor projects of getting out of trouble and climbing, the extended range version has to shout the fuel version of "big brother", at this time to see what "trapezoidal structure frame", "non-load-bearing body", "HT full-featured tires", "750 mm wading depth", "left and right double longitudinal beams plus eight beams", it has become not so meaningful.
In this regard, the tank 300 Hi4-T is much smarter, it is a plug-in hybrid as soon as it comes up, or the same power as the tank 500 Hi4-T, you can "splash outdoors" as much as you want.
The plug-in hybrid version of the tank 300 is expected to be launched in February, and there are still some unknowns, but with reference to the PK results of the fuel market, the BJ40 extended range version is estimated to be more than shouting "big brother".
I have a question: the drawbacks of the range extension are in front of us, why does BAIC still want moths to fight the fire? Is there a possibility, I mean maybe, what people want to build is not a hard-core off-road vehicle at all, otherwise how can the fuel version soften the suspension. "But the city can be wild" how beautiful it is, you look at the tank 300, push the BJ40 off the throne with its own strength, and by the way, it also became the "top brand" of domestic off-road vehicles.
So, what if there is no Wrangler taste, what if you are not tough enough, there is a chance to overtake in a corner, no matter how bad it is, the new BJ40 can also come to the same hall to try your luck, and you will not lose money when you look at it horizontally and vertically.
To understand simply and rudely, BAIC intends to learn from the Great Wall's idea of cutting China's big brother leeks, at least TA wants to establish an image of "hey, Ye doesn't just sell military vehicles" in the hearts of young buyers.
In the first battle represented by the BJ40 extended range version, the winning rate is a little lower, and it can even be said that it was defeated before the battle, and the remaining hope is only the fuel version.
Last time I said, the BJ40 "Rainforest Crossing Edition" will become a crack in BAIC, and now looking back, maybe the "City Hunter Edition" is also (the off-road version will be launched a few months later, so I won't comment here).
I don't know if it's intentional or coincidental, the name "City Hunter Edition" BJ40 has been used a long time ago, compared with the old version, the new version has actually optimized a lot of details, including appearance, size, power, but there are two things I don't understand:
(1) The new version is time-sharing four-wheel drive, front and rear locks are optional, this way of playing is a bit twisted, urban commuting or outdoor off-road play is not thorough enough, at least not enough of the old version thoroughly;
(2) The configuration of the off-road bag is more confusing, AT tires, HT tires and front and rear locks can not be reasonably matched, it is easy to pick up sesame seeds and lose watermelons, and the AT tires of the tank 300 can be optional.
If you want me to say, the price advantage of the new version of the BJ40 is not solid, but if you choose an off-road bag, the price will immediately go up, and the boiled duck may also fly to the Tank 300.
You can vaguely feel that BAIC is urgently seeking change and wants to use differentiation to increase sales, but the result is that it is overpowered, and a horizontal comparison makes a wedding dress for the tank 300, which may be the drawbacks of the main "light off-road".
The drama is that the new version of BJ40 has no advantage in terms of fuel consumption, assuming that consumers are rushing to the "light off-road", which has become the shortcoming of the new car.
Only...... It's embarrassing.
So who does BAIC want to sell the BJ40 to? Nine times out of ten it is an old fan, and it is still the kind of head iron, as for how much it can sell, it depends on the creation.
Write at the back:
Everyone says that 2023 is the first year of the outbreak of China's hard-core off-road vehicles, and most of the car companies you can name are trying to enter this "niche" market, and strive to put China's big brother's money into their own pockets, but "hard to hard" is no longer the version of the answer, the tank family is the evidence, this is actually very easy to understand, in the final analysis, it is really willing to take their own cars to be open-minded, after all, it is a small number of people, obviously, BAIC understands Chinese consumers, but in the way of making cars, TA still has a way to go.