At the GAC Vantage Wave Hybrid Day, GAC Group was "on fire" to introduce in detail the group's years of efforts in the development of hybrid technology, and brought the EMPOW, EMKOO, GS8 and M8 family models to offer test drives.
My eyes naturally turned to the EMPOW, because in my opinion, the car's interior and exterior design, chassis, space and other comparisons have certain advantages, but the previous fuel version of the model in terms of power performance is really almost meaningful, and with the support of the Trumpchi Vantage Wave hybrid system, it can make a difference?
EMPOW exterior: body proportion is smooth and dynamic, the most beautiful sliding back in the same class?
I have always liked the design of the EMPOW. As an A-class car, it controls the proportion of the body well, the length of the front and rear overhang is just right, and the side lines of the front and rear of the car reach a coordinated state, the whole car looks very spacious. The rear of the car is designed with a sliding back to emphasize the sense of movement, which is very pleasing to the eye.
The details of the EMPOW' s appearance are relatively more controversial. First of all, the front face is bionic in design as the name suggests, with the face of a leopard as the inspiration, the air intake channels forming the "tear marks" and fangs on the face, and the unique daytime running light arrangement imitating the pupils of the "big cat".
The whole front face has both shape and spirit, with a strong impact and sense of movement. However, the air inlet shape is slightly complicated, but also has the suspicion of over-design. However, the hybrid version has these details hidden in black, reducing the sense of abruptness.
The blue-backed badge and the "H" badge on the center panel, as well as the "HYBRID" lettering on the rear, are the signature elements that identify the hybrid model, in addition to the car's "Super Star Silver" color scheme. In addition, the car's "Super Star Silver" color scheme is also very compatible with the hybrid status, a light aqua blue pearlescent paint will show different saturation when the light changes, vaguely have some gradient effect.
Interior has a great sense of quality, and the practicality is also excellent
The interior of the EMPOW is also excellent. The top model of the hybrid version I test-drove uses blue and white interior trim that matches the Super Star Silver color scheme, while glossy faux carbon fiber trim is used on the door handles and center shift area. Some key physical buttons are retained, more in line with most people's car habits.
Although the EMPOW has been launched for a long time, its interior is always admired every time we see it. A large number of soft packages can be found on the test car model, and the texture of the knobs and buttons is also very good, which is hard to find fault in this price range. It's a shame that the storage compartment underneath the air conditioning control area isn't equipped with a wireless charging pad for cell phones, and the glossy faux carbon fiber trim still has some reflective issues.
The hybrid system performs amazingly well, this car is too good to drive!
Hybrid system is ahead of its class
The biggest highlight of the EMPOW Hybrid is undoubtedly the Trumpchi Vantage Wave hybrid system. This powertrain consists of a 2.0 ATK high thermal efficiency engine and a GMC 2.0 integrated two-motor multi-speed DHT, which balances energy efficiency, power and cost. The hybrid-specific Atkinson cycle engine has a thermal efficiency of 42.1%, and the two-gear DHT is a series-parallel structure that can provide three drive modes: electric drive extended range, parallel first gear and parallel second gear, in order to fully adapt to daily driving scenarios and achieve a good balance between power and fuel consumption.
The driving modes of EMPOW are divided into Eco, Sport and Comfort, which can be quickly switched by the gearshift paddle on the center console. From the perspective of practical experience, Eco mode is the most comfortable. The throttle pedal is very well tuned in this mode, and it can easily control the release of power, and the acceleration process is extremely linear and smooth.
The most important thing is that Eco mode does not sacrifice too much power output, I feel that it only matches the opening of the gas pedal and the establishment of acceleration in a more balanced way; Sport mode is extremely sensitive to the gas pedal, lightly stepping on it will leap out, the power output of the front section is more powerful, you have to keep your mind tense to drive, suitable for intense driving conditions, daily walking will be a bit tired.
When the kinetic energy recovery is in the lightest first gear, the CRBS intervention is not obvious, and the combination with the mechanical brakes is well done, and the "stage feeling" established by the braking force is well blurred out. The downshifting process is completely free of the dragging sensation that is evident in the fuel version.
In addition, the steering feel of the EMPOW Hybrid is moderately light and heavy, with just the right amount of torque feedback, and the body response is also ahead of its class, which is quite surprising.
Trumpchi EMPOW driving performance is satisfactory
The overall style of the chassis is sporty and does not pay special attention to vibration filtering, retaining a fairly rich road feel and correspondingly more vibrations transmitted to the body, but given the positioning of the car, such a calibration is not too much of a problem. The lateral support is worthy of the "sport style" positioning, and the body following is commendable, with crisp lane changes and cornering movements, and no obvious "wobble".
However, the test drive of this car with the Giti tires grip is obviously not enough, low-speed large throttle request for power is easy to make the front wheels break the grip limit caused by slippage. It is recommended to adapt sports tires with stronger grip for the torque burst characteristics of the hybrid model.
The whole test drive lasted 2 hours and 37 minutes, mainly on city roads, with some time idling in place, and the total driving distance was 58 kilometers, with an average fuel consumption of 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers.
I think the sporty positioning of the EMPOW is more perfectly interpreted in the hybrid version. Compared with the less satisfactory power matching calibration of the 1.5T version, the hybrid system perfectly solves the problem of power output and perfects the most important aspect of the car's handling.
Of course, the EMPOW Hybrid is not perfect. Compared to the satisfying driving performance, its mechanical and NVH performance is still a bit less than expected.
Hardware conditions are satisfactory, but the software adaptation degree needs to be improved
The sound insulation performance of the whole car is not very good, road noise and wind noise are relatively large, and the noise and vibration transmitted by the suspension is also relatively rough, which does not match the silky smooth driving experience, but given its A-class positioning and sporty style orientation, it does not seem to be too much of a problem for the target users.
Although the car's engine has been optimized compared to the EMPOW Hybrid when it was first launched, it still tends to lag in the map interface and is rather slow to respond, which can delay things a bit for daily use. In addition, the car map does not display road information, software adaptation and optimization need to be further improved.
The good products deserve more attention.
The company has a long history of research and development in hybridization, and after comparing and analyzing nearly 190,000 DHT variants, it came up with the best solution of P1 motor + P3 motor + 2AT based on a number of factors such as structural arrangement, power, economy, and cost. In fact, the domestic car companies in the development of hybrid products are gradually converging to this program. But in the end, the technology development of manufacturers ultimately depends on the feelings of consumers to determine success or failure.
In terms of driving experience alone, the EMPOW Hybrid is significantly better than its 1.5T fuel version, and the current entry price of the hybrid version overlaps with the 1.5T model. It will be more convincing and live up to the years of R&D efforts.
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