(Keywords: 500bar high-pressure direct injection, 1.5L self-priming, 10-layer flat wire motor, 1.45-stroke bore ratio)
The 2024 Changan UNI-Z is positioned as a compact SUV, with a price range of 117,900-131,900 yuan, as a plug-in hybrid model, UNI-Z is equipped with Changan's new Blue Whale power, and it is also the first model of the new Blue Whale.
New Blue Whale plug-in hybrid technology
To improve the efficiency of plug-in hybrid, we need to start from three aspects, the core is still to improve the thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine, the new Blue Whale HE 15 engine adopts a 1.5L naturally aspirated four-cylinder design, with a Blue Whale AGILE agile combustion system, compared with the old Blue Whale engine, the new model uses a larger stroke bore ratio, reaching 1.45, although the long stroke is not conducive to the power output of high speed, but can improve the efficiency of the daily driving speed range, increase the compression ratio, the compression ratio reaches 16:1, such data bin is rare.
The new Blue Whale also uses a 500bar high-pressure in-cylinder direct injection system, which is more advanced than the current common 350bar high-pressure direct injection, while most of the domestic cars a few years ago were still 200bar direct injection, which is enough to see the progress of technology, and the thermal efficiency of the 1.5L engine reaches 43.31%. The new Blue Whale has two modes of plug-in hybrid and extended range, a set of hardware can switch between two different power modes at will, and in the extended range mode, 1L of oil can generate 3.63 kWh of electricity.
In terms of motors, Changan uses a 10-layer hairpin flat wire oil-cooled motor, which is not common in hybrid models. Compared with the common 6-layer or 8-layer motor, the material utilization rate is improved, the motor size is compact, the power output is not small, and the efficiency reaches 97.8%.
In addition to the motor and internal combustion engine, the third key point is the hybrid control system, the new Blue Whale is equipped with a full iEM intelligent power control system, with A-ECMS algorithm and power source management technology, combined with adaptive control of a variety of terrain, which can automatically control energy according to navigation information, such as urban congestion or winding mountain roads, the output of the internal combustion engine and motor can be adjusted in real time, not only focusing on fuel saving, but also without compromising on power output. Urban driving adopts the extended range mode drive, bringing a pure electric driving experience, and switching to plug-in hybrid mode for high-speed driving.
The practicality of the 2024 Changan UNI-Z
First drive
The 1.5L naturally aspirated engine has high thermal efficiency, but the power output is not high, the power is only 98 horsepower, focusing on fuel-saving performance, the motor power is 215 horsepower, the acceleration time of 100 kilometers is 7.4 seconds, and the speed can reach 180km/h.
But as an SUV, it is worth affirming in terms of fuel consumption, in the state of power loss, the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is 5.15L, the battery capacity of China Innovation Aviation / Times Changan is 18.4 degrees, the fast charging time is half an hour, and the pure electric range is 125 kilometers. At the same time, the new Blue Whale has a supporting electric drive constant temperature system, which realizes internal and external circulation through intelligent temperature control valves, and accurately controls and adjusts temperature. The cooling oil temperature of the motor is around 60 degrees Celsius, and the performance of the motor is exerted.
Second ride
The length, width and height of Changan UNI-Z are 4730mm, 1890mm, 1680mm, and the wheelbase is 2795mm, for a 5-seater SUV, the second row of legroom is ample, due to the light weight and compact layout of the new Blue Whale dual motors, the entire plug-in hybrid system covers an area that is not large, compressing the space in the front cabin and effectively increasing the cabin space. The entry-level model comes standard with ventilated and electrically adjustable front seats, while the mid-range and high-end variants add seat heating and position memory.
In terms of in-cabin entertainment, it is equipped with a 14.6-inch touch center control screen as standard, and the built-in AI voice assistant can not only intercom in the car, but also have conversations outside the car, turning into a car person. The cockpit has a built-in FaceID 3.0 face recognition system, which can be unlocked by linking the vehicle after recognizing the face, and there is no need to wait after getting into the car, and the face recognition can enter the information of 5 people, making it more convenient for the whole family to drive. Unfortunately, the advertised Sony 8-speaker sound system and 64-color ambient lighting only appear on the top-of-the-line model.
Fourth, intelligent driving
As a new energy model, many consumers value the ability to drive intelligently, Changan for this new car is equipped with L2 level assisted driving as standard, with full-speed integrated adaptive cruise, forward collision warning, LDW lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centering, road traffic sign recognition, sentry mode, etc., the middle and high are equipped with more in-car cameras, fatigue driving reminders.
131,900 of the top model assistance functions are more comprehensive, with voice AI parking assistant, APA automatic parking 6.0 system, you can call the vehicle through voice, summon parking, if you download the mobile phone APP, support remote driving (within 200 meters), so that the vehicle arrives at the designated departure point, just like one more driver, travel is more time-saving and labor-saving.
Car selection detective's point of view: The 2024 Changan UNI-Z is rich in cockpit entertainment and intelligent driving standards, keeping up with the new forces of car manufacturing, the new Blue Whale hybrid system has been optimized from multiple angles, and many rare new technologies have also been used in the engine field, such as 500bar high-pressure direct injection and a large proportion of stroke to bore ratio, small fuel consumption, but no attention is paid to power output in the process of improving thermal efficiency. What do you think of Changan UNI-Z? Welcome to discuss.