01, is it still worth pushing a gas cart now?
Now open a variety of information websites, the homepage is basically about new energy vehicles news, about the traditional fuel vehicles very little. This is understandable. As of April 11, only 45 of the 114 models launched in 2024 are traditional fuel vehicles, and many of them are only adding a small version.
It can be said that the entire industry has very few actions in the oil truck, and almost all OEMs have focused on the new energy market. Of course, it is undeniable that the growth momentum of the new energy market is very strong, and it is also the development direction strongly supported by the state, so it should be vigorously developed.
But while looking up at the sky, you must also be down-to-earth.
In the past March, although the market share of new energy has exceeded 40%, a new high, don't forget, even in this new energy market to absorb a lot of traffic, there are still nearly 60% of people choose a traditional fuel vehicle, which does not prevent oil vehicles from still being the market of the automobile market.
If you look at the list of models, the power of fuel vehicles is really not small at all. In March, four of the top 10 models were gasoline cars, 10 of the top 20, 16 of the top 30, and 30 of the top 50. In fact, this proportion has also proved that although the new energy market is very hot, sales are often concentrated in a few models of a few car companies.
The publicity of new energy vehicles is unprecedented, and the price discount has been unprecedented, why are so many people still choosing traditional fuel vehicles? In fact, I also asked those around me who still insist on buying traditional fuel vehicles under the premise that I strongly recommend new energy. They probably also think that there are not many times they drive every year, and there is no need to go on new energy.
Just like one of my buddies who just bought the Trumpchi M8 said: "I bought this car to take the whole family out to play on holidays, and I usually don't drive it when I commute to work, so why spend so much money to buy a new energy? I have to worry that its battery is not durable, and I am worried that it will spontaneously combust." ”
This is probably also the car buying concept of many people in small counties, and it is also the reason why traditional fuel vehicles are worth continuous iteration and update. In fact, the driving quality of oil vehicles is no worse than that of electric vehicles.
Just like the Trumpchi GS4 MAX we tested this time, although it is still a traditional oil car, in terms of driving quality and use cost, it is actually on par with the current tram, and even better than the tram in some aspects.
02. More space doesn't mean more comfort
SAID GS4 MAX, THE SPACE SIZE MUST BE LARGER THAN THE CURRENT GS4, AND IT IS ABOUT THE SAME AS THE GS4 PLUS currently on sale. The length, width and height of the Trumpchi GS4 MAX are 4685×1901×1690mm, and the wheelbase reaches 2750mm, which is 25mm shorter than the GS4 PLUS, but the wheelbase is 40mm longer.
As you can imagine, the GS4 MAX has a slightly larger shaft ratio, going to 58.69%. More than 58% axle ratio is already considered an upper-middle level for a gasoline compact SUV, but compared with pure electric vehicles, it is still a bit far away. Although many electric vehicles are less than 4.5 meters long, the wheelbase has also properly exceeded 2.7 meters, reaching the level of compactness.
But in fact, a longer wheelbase and more longitudinal space in the car does not mean that it is more comfortable.
Although the slogan of "electricity is lower than oil" is shouted very happily now, in fact, in the price range of 100,000 yuan, you still can't buy a serious compact pure electric SUV. Most of the so-called "compact electric SUVs" in this price range are actually just wheelbases, and the length, width and height are far below the level of compact SUVs.
Under the premise that the body height is about the same, or even shorter, there is actually a behemoth of power batteries sandwiched between the seat of the electric car and the ground. Therefore, in order to ensure a certain ground clearance, when the height of the car cannot be changed, many batteries can only lower the hip point of the rear seat, resulting in the thighs of rear passengers not being effectively supported, which is not conducive to ride comfort.
It can be said that the phenomenon of "small benches" in the back of the battery is actually very common.
The Trumpchi GS4 MAX doesn't have this kind of problem at all, and the sitting position in the front and rear rows is actually very much to my taste.
The front seats have a very large range of adjustments, allowing you to sit very low and maintain a low center of gravity. At the same time, the hip point of the rear seats is just right. With my height of 1.8 meters, the cushion is just right to support my entire thigh. What's more, the angle of the backrest supports two-speed adjustment, allowing you to choose the right angle for the half-recline.
The high axle ratio of the tram is not entirely a good thing. True, the larger the wheelbase, the greater the longitudinal space of the passenger compartment, but the length of the car is fixed, so this is bound to encroach on the volume of the trunk.
A very typical example is the AION Y, although the length of the car is only 4.53 meters, but the wheelbase has reached 2.75 meters, the passenger compartment space is larger, but the trunk space is less, only 405L, 233L smaller than the Trumpchi GS4 MAX, a very huge number.
Therefore, if you have 100,000 yuan in your hand and want to buy a car with more practical space, in fact, a traditional fuel car like the Trumpchi GS4 MAX seems to be a better choice.
03, 5 cents for 1 km, the cost of using fuel vehicles is not as expensive as we imagined
Compared with electric vehicles, the most criticized thing about pure fuel vehicles is the relatively high cost of use. It is true that at this stage, electricity is cheaper than oil, but it is not much cheaper.
For example, the Volkswagen ID.4, which is also a compact SUV, consumes 14kWh of electricity per 100 kilometers, and if the charging fee of 1.5 yuan per kilowatt-hour at a third-party charging station is calculated, it will cost about 0.21 yuan per kilometer. The comprehensive fuel consumption of Trumpchi GS4 MAX per 100 kilometers is 6.8L, and if it is calculated at 8.1 yuan per liter of No. 92 gasoline, it is actually only 0.55 yuan per kilometer.
In this test drive, I also specially tested the real fuel consumption of the Trumpchi GS4 MAX. The day is the second working day after the Qingming holiday, I was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, from Guangfo Zhicheng to Foshan Jiujiang, the whole journey is about 36 kilometers, it takes about 49 minutes, the road is not particularly congested, but the traffic flow is still quite large, belongs to the more typical Guangzhou-Foshan traffic conditions.
Measured down, the fuel consumption of Trumpchi GS4 MAX per 100km is 6.5L/100km, which is slightly lower than the official result, proving that its official data is still relatively real.
From 0.21 yuan to 0.55 yuan, this has more than doubled, so it seems that the cost of using a fuel truck will really be relatively high. But don't forget, although the price of electric cars has dropped a lot, they are still slightly more expensive than gasoline cars in general. For example, the official starting price of a compact electric SUV is generally more than 150,000 yuan. Although the Trumpchi GS4 MAX has not yet been officially launched, it is officially declared to be a 100,000-level SUV, and the price is far less than 150,000.
In fact, in this fuel consumption test, the most surprising thing about the Trumpchi GS4 MAX is not only its fuel consumption, but also its driving quality.
The power output of electric vehicles is, without a doubt, smooth and responsive, so it is very handy to drive in the city. In contrast, traditional fuel vehicles do not have this enjoyment, the power response is not so fast, and there may even be a bit of a setback, so many people say that they don't want to drive a fuel car anymore after driving a tram.
But the power of the Trumpchi GS4 MAX is still very good overall.
To be honest, the power output of the Trumpchi GS4 MAX that is not in sport mode is indeed a bit dull - but it doesn't make you uncomfortable, it just needs to get used to it a little——, but as long as you switch to sport mode, the power response of the Trumpchi GS4 MAX is already comparable to that of many electric vehicles, allowing you to enjoy the most incisive acceleration experience.
This is also because the Trumpchi GS4 MAX is specially tuned for power response. According to the official statement, the creep response of the light oil pedal feeling is 0.2 seconds, and the start-up without pause is 0.2 m/s². This kind of delicate tuning actually requires a high technical threshold, because it requires a very high degree of self-development of the gearbox and engine to do this kind of matching.
From the point of view of power response, including the set of shadow drivers who can help you find a more correct trajectory in corners, you probably also know that the Trumpchi GS4 MAX is not a family car that only pursues book data, but will care more about your driving experience and driving experience.
Therefore, if you don't use the car frequently, like my buddy, you only drive out on weekends or holidays, there is really no need to buy a new energy vehicle in order to save so much fuel money, and it may be a better choice to buy a traditional fuel vehicle with a simpler structure and more mature. (Text: Nobita)