A few days ago, Foton Pickup further improved the product matrix of Mars pickup, and the Mars 7/Mars 9 gasoline version officially opened for pre-sale. Among them, the Mars 7 gasoline version is divided into the comfort version and the Yuexiang version, with a pre-sale range of 129,800-154,800 yuan, and the Mars 9 gasoline version is divided into the premium type, flagship type and extreme type, with a pre-sale range of 147,800-181,800 yuan.
On January 26, the 2024 Mars Pickup Gasoline Edition Ice and Snow Driving Control Camp with the theme of "Fun Coast Fire Out of the Circle" was held in Harbin, in order to show the characteristics of the Mars Pickup Gasoline Edition, and pass it on to car lovers who like pickup trucks and off-road enthusiasts with the vision of automotive media and Internet celebrities.
In the past few years since the implementation of the pickup truck ban policy, "off-road" is the hottest theme. Like many new-generation pickup truck owners, I'm constantly trying to perceive the charm of off-road through high-end domestic pickup truck models.
Off-road, pay attention to unrestrained, walk into nature to enjoy the vast world, challenge the limit, explore the unknown under the premise of reverence for nature, so as to understand the meaning of life and freedom. In the cross-country circle, it seems that it can be divided into two major scene directions: fire represents high temperature, that is, the desert Gobi, whether it is a professional event such as the Dakar, or the sand sea that cross-country enthusiasts are tired of sand rushing, in my opinion, it belongs to this category, and ice is ice and snow. Compared with desert off-roading, ice and snow vehicles are more difficult and require more professional skills and more experience. At the same time, a car with better performance, better quality, and more complete functions is also essential.
For the Mars pickup gasoline version of the ice and snow driving experience camp, after the whole activity, I would like to share the first experience of driving a pickup truck to play in the snow from two aspects: "extreme drifting" and "safe driving".
Let's start with "Extreme Drift". In the pickup circle, there are not many opportunities to get close to the ice and snow with official activities, and the ice and snow environment itself has a strong fun atmosphere, so the feeling of driving a pickup truck to play ice and snow must start with drifting. In the snow and ice, drifting is also the biggest and only fun. However, to be honest, I don't have the technical skills and experience myself, and the pleasure of feeling it is bound to be greatly reduced. Despite this, Mars 9 made my trip worthwhile for a "rookie".
In Harbin, there is a nearly 1:1 replica of the Catalan circuit in Spain. There is the longest serpentine slope in China, if the driver's skill is excellent, the performance quality of the vehicle is enough to fully enjoy the more exciting speed and passion of drifting corners.
The Gasoline version of the Mars pickup truck is equipped with electric power steering as standard, which can balance the portability of low-speed steering with the stability of high-speed handling. As a result, even if you drift through corners at high speeds continuously, you can maintain a sense of control in terms of body and handling.
It is worth mentioning that the gasoline version of the Mars pickup truck is equipped with BorgWarner's intelligent real-time four-wheel drive system, with two front and rear locks, a central transfer case and seven all-terrain driving modes, which can adapt to the use of all-scene terrain. Among them, there is a mode for facing ice and snow road conditions in 7 driving modes, which is very friendly to novice Xiaobai, and the torque is distributed through the computer, so that the vehicle still maintains excellent driving response on the ice surface with very low adhesion.
In the process of trying to learn drifting, the Mars 9 gasoline version of the chassis has a good torsional toughness characteristics are very obvious, even if the steering wheel is slammed back and forth, the feel of the whole vehicle is still very compact, not loose at all.
Let's talk about "safe driving". Compared with drifting, how to drive in the ice and snow without accidents is a topic that is more related to people's daily life, in addition to replacing snow tires, the characteristics of the vehicle itself play a decisive role.
Harbin has extremely cold weather of -30°C. Low cab temperatures, cold starts, etc., are challenges for the engine. The Mars Pickup Gasoline Edition is equipped with a remote warm-up function and the industry's first active air intake grille, which not only solves the problem of cold inside, but also puts the engine into optimal running condition quickly. In addition, features such as heated rear seats, heated mirrors and defrosting the rear window provide a solid foundation for safe driving in extreme cold weather.
The Mars 9 petrol version is a new car, but if you've ever driven a 48V diesel hybrid, you'll be familiar with it. First of all, the Mars 9 gasoline version is consistent with the diesel version in terms of exterior design, and the front face adopts two high-value front face shapes of mecha hard and phantom fashion, with interstellar edge jumping waistline, full LED matrix lens headlights, L-shaped daytime running lights, through-type rear taillights, etc., the hard-core domineering design style that Foton pickup has always adopted has been integrated into fashion and future elements, and it can better cater to the aesthetic preferences of contemporary people.
And its outstanding toughness and strength aesthetic are inseparable from the wide body size. As the first full-size pickup truck in mainland China, the Mars pickup truck has the largest vehicle size in China: the wheelbase of the standard axle model is 3355mm, the length of the vehicle is over 5.6 meters, and the wheelbase of the long axle model is 3505mm, the length of the vehicle is nearly 5.8 meters, the wheelbase is over 3.5 meters, and the width of the vehicle is nearly 2.1 meters, which is the widest pickup truck among the existing pickup trucks in China.
The wide body of the Mars pickup truck can make the cab space larger, so as to achieve more ample longitudinal and lateral space in the front and rear rows, the increase of riding space directly determines the ride comfort, but also makes other comfort designs and functions in the car have the meaning of existence.
Not only that, the Mars pickup is matched with a double wishbone independent front suspension, and the rear suspension has two forms: multi-link and leaf spring, which can expand the air suspension and ensure stable performance. In addition, the body is wider, which increases the stability of the vehicle in driving, especially in high-speed driving and sharp turns, and the sense of stability is expected to be more prominent. In the ice and snow, the Mars 9 petrol version also shows this characteristic. It is worth mentioning that the Mars 9 is a rear multi-link suspension model, which can greatly filter bumps and avoid bounces, and drive in daily life with the driving experience of an SUV.
In terms of performance, the Mars 9 is equipped with a gasoline engine with a displacement of 2.0T and a net engine power of 180kW, matched with a ZF 8AT gearbox. The powertrain is finely tuned from the driving experience, and like the diesel version, it has the same smoothness and stability, and the gear switching logic and timing not only maximize the engine's performance, but also respond to the driver's intentions in a timely manner.
Although the body of the Mars 9 is large and heavy, it feels light to drive. This feature impressed me very much in this ice and snow driving experience camp!
It is also worth mentioning that the panoramic sunroof, interior atmosphere lighting, etc., which were once regarded as the icing on the cake by many car enthusiasts. If you have the opportunity to drive to the snow world, you will find that these features are a plus value for enjoying the night sky and eliminating loneliness when night falls.
Summary:
In recent years, pickup trucks have developed in the fields of off-road, pan-outdoor, and RV, and Mars pickup trucks are not only at the forefront of development, but also spare no effort to simultaneously promote the level of pickup trucks.
There is also a layer of meaning to hold the ice and snow driving experience camp at the first time of the launch of the gasoline version, which is the embodiment of actively expanding the car circle: skiing, ice skating, ice fishing, and ice and snow extreme drift are all car groups that are extremely compatible with the characteristics of pickup trucks and are seriously underdeveloped.
In addition, Heilongjiang Province and even most of Northeast China, with Harbin as a typical representative, have "recognition" and "yearning" for high-end pickups. However, although it has a unique ice and snow environment, the car culture is not strong. The Mars 9 gasoline version held an event in Harbin, giving a new definition of pickup off-road and free life, and is a new attempt to lead the industry to explore and further release the outdoor passion of the Chinese people.