Test drive Chery iCar 03

Chery

iCar 03

What kind of car do young people need?

This seems like an unsolvable problem,

Because young people are a valuable asset to the world.

The diversity of life cognition is richer than that of other age groups.

Therefore, age should never be define the prerequisites for a car.

And some cars do make you younger.

First, let me tell you how I feel about this car.

Likes: All-terrain coverage allows you to go almost anywhere.

Dislike: The large screen in the car is a bit awkward, and the rear seats cannot be completely flattened.

What kind of emotional value can a car bring to people? For example, those old cars that have been on the road for decades may be the witness of all the owner's youth. For instance, those 12-cylinder super cars cost millions just for the roar when starting. Entering the era of electrification, both the three-electric and intelligent network connection technologies have reached a relatively balanced level in the short term. In other words, no one is much worse than anyone else. If manufacturers want to sell cars, they must add some labels to their products, such as youth, technology, and safety, to provide consumers with some unique emotional value. But now, this label has been used almost, so is there any new way to play?

Square Box is a car model that has emerged in the past one or two years. This design appeared a long time ago, but after a cycle, it has returned today with the segmentation of car models. Baojun Yueye, Haval Big Dog, Tank 300, and BAIC BJ40, have become a trend for a while. In February this year, Chery's iCar released its first model, iCar03, which is also a square box-shaped product. The price range of 109,800-169,800 is also very competitive.

Can the square box design make the product younger?

From the success of the Tank 300, it can be seen that this square shape is indeed more attractive to young people. This design was originally from Mercedes-Benz G and Land Rover Defender. The earliest off-road vehicles were born from military vehicles. Military vehicles have their own needs for adopting this design. The first is the strength requirement. Because on the battlefield, to resist various external attacks, the strength of the body is required to be higher. The square shape can make the body structure more stable. It is also a need for loading. In addition to loading people, military vehicles also have to load goods. The square body can accommodate more supplies. As for the impact on wind resistance, it can be ignored because the speed of military vehicles is not fast. At the same time, the square shape can also make it easier for drivers to perceive the specific position of the body, and can more accurately judge the passability when passing through some narrow spaces. In short, this design is to meet functional needs, but today's square box shape is an attempt to pursue personalization.

Back to the point, the iCar03 is a typical box-shaped car, with a straight front, a flat engine cover, and very short front and rear overhangs, which brings a more reasonable proportion between the front and the body. It is somewhat similar to many similar models at present, so the designer has put a lot of effort into the front of the car to make it as different as possible.

For example, the vertically arranged extremely narrow headlights, the design of the headlights and taillights form a strong echo with the brand's logo, with obvious "i"-shaped elements, and the grille and bumper are also very tough, which complements the overall style of the car body.

The "small schoolbag" at the rear is a must-have for most box-shaped cars. It has evolved from the original spare tire cover to an additional storage space. After opening, you can put some on-board tools. Although the space is not large, it looks wild when carried on the back. The exterior dimensions of iCar 03 are 4406×1910×1715mm, and the wheelbase is 2715mm. It can be regarded as a compact hard-core SUV, but the square shape maximizes the longitudinal length and vertical height of the interior. It is said that the space utilization rate of iCar03 is as high as 66%. The short front and rear overhang design makes the approach angle under no load 28 degrees, the departure angle 32 degrees, and the minimum ground clearance 200mm, which has a natural off-road gene.

A true off-road vehicle is not meant to make the passengers suffer, but to be able to drive it leisurely as if walking on flat ground, so the interior design pursues comfort as much as possible, from Toyota Land Cruiser to Land Rover Range Rover. The first impression of the interior of iCar 03 is comfort, which may be somewhat different from its hard-core shape, but who doesn't want to sit in the car and drive comfortably?

The interior of Car 03 adopts a color style of light and dark, without too much color, but only provides a high-end feeling suitable for off-road through the combination of black and white. The dark top and light bottom also make the overall style more stable. Like all classic off-road vehicles, it retains the large-sized steering wheel and wide center console design. The large-sized steering wheel is for steering grip under extreme road conditions, and the large center console is for placing more handy equipment, such as hand radios, first aid kits, etc. The crystal knob on the center console is a driving mode switch knob, which can switch between economy, sports, off-road, wetland, and other road conditions in real-time. It is an indispensable help for off-road novices, so it is designed so eye-catching. The shift mechanism uses a hand-held design, which allows the driver to shift gears without leaving the steering wheel and is a more suitable shifting method for off-road vehicles.

The central control screen is a must-have for all cars now. The iCar03's screen size reaches 15.6 inches, which is comparable to the screen of a mainstream notebook. To be honest, this screen looks a bit abrupt in the entire interior. Perhaps the long strip display is more suitable for this car, but the manufacturer still uses the 8155 chip at all costs. The response speed and smoothness of the entire car machine are worthy of recognition.

Due to the characteristics of the shape, the interior space is expanded to the maximum extent. The rear row does not have the cramped feeling of the same-level of models, and the depth of the seat surface is also sufficient. It is obviously to ensure the real need for long-term sitting, rather than just focusing on the front-row riding experience like some off-road vehicles, and the rear row is used as a space for luggage. Due to the straight side of the body, the head space becomes more abundant.

Traditional off-road vehicles generally use large-displacement naturally aspirated engines, such as Toyota Land Cruiser's 1UR-FE and Mercedes-Benz G's M176, which are classics of the fuel engine era. The roar of the silicone oil fan was once a permanent memory for many off-road veterans. In the new energy era, although it seems that it is not as tough as it was at the time, the results brought by electrification are no worse than fuel engines, and even have irreplaceable advantages in some places.

iCar 03 has two power forms: single motor and dual motor. It is recommended that you choose the dual-motor four-wheel drive version. The dual motor is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a front 70kW + rear 135kW, with a maximum output power of 205kW and a maximum torque of 385Nm. The battery uses Ningde Times' lithium iron phosphate battery, providing three battery pack options of 50.63kWh, 65.69kWh, and 69.77kWh. The corresponding pure electric range is 401km, 472km, and 501km. This endurance is not outstanding in the same class, but considering its own positioning and usage scenarios, it is enough.

In the actual driving process, the throttle responds promptly, but not aggressively. The torque bursts out gradually. This kind of hard-core SUV cannot simply pursue the sense of acceleration. The stable output of torque is more important. The most direct feeling is that it is easy to drive. The response of the direction and the overall dynamic performance of the body have reached the standard of easy driving. We also tried some off-road roads. Due to the support of dual motors, under low-adhesion road conditions, the power did not break due to slipping but maintained a stable output.

iCar 03 is equipped with an iWD intelligent electric control four-wheel drive system, which can realize seamless switching between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. It has a unique dynamic torque distribution in the same class. The distribution ratio is based on the principle of efficiency priority. According to the driver's needs, the torque is distributed to the front and rear motors with the principle of optimal efficiency, and the driving smoothness during the torque fluctuation is guaranteed. It takes into account energy consumption and power requirements. Combined with 8 dynamic driving mode switching, it can achieve a senseless off-road experience. In terms of suspension, iCAR 03 adopts front McPherson, rear H-arm multi-link + hydraulic bushing chassis structure, and an all-aluminum cage body with a torsional rigidity of 31812N·m/deg, which can ensure the stability of the body and suspension under various extreme road conditions. Moreover, the all-aluminum beam and cage body are combined, and the powerful off-road gene is integrated into it from the bones.

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