Introduction:
Is performance really a shackle for the marketing of the Voyah FREE? It remains to be seen. What is certain now is that performance is a manifestation of Voyah FREE’s technical strength.
Test Drive:
On May 19th, Voyah officially launched the media test drive of its first car FREE. Unlike the usual test drives, it was arranged on the “race track” and named it the “high-energy race track challenge camp.” Obviously, although it has not yet been officially launched, Voyah hopes to set a performance label for FREE in advance.
Competition:
In fact, there are not many new energy vehicle models in China that are focused on performance. The earliest BYD DM dual-mode series, through a series of marketing activities such as “Qin war state,” deeply impressed people with its acceleration performance. Another example is the NIO EP9, which established NIO’s performance and high-end brand image by brushing laps on several well-known tracks around the world.
Performance and Positioning:
On May 28th, the test drive of Voyah FREE came to Shanghai. While taking a short test drive, I asked Voyah’s product manager, Cao Xiangyu, why they launched such a label. He said that Voyah FREE’s performance was outstanding, so it was natural to highlight it in marketing. Compared with its direct competitors, Voyah FREE’s some core performance parameters are indeed outstanding.
Although Dongfeng is more willing to call Voyah a “new force,” it is more attributed to a new force in the new energy industry. Therefore, when looking at Voyah FREE, everyone’s first impression is that its competitor will directly target NIO ES6 and Ideal ONE. The three brands are very similar in terms of brand positioning, product prices, size, etc.
Torque:
In the comparison of these three brands, the most intuitive performance part of Voyah FREE- maximum torque, is indeed outstanding among the three brands. The data shows that Voyah FREE’s maximum torque is as high as 1040 Nm, while NIO ES6 and Ideal ONE’s maximum torque is 725 Nm and 455 Nm, respectively.
In fact, Voyah FREE’s maximum 1040 Nm torque is also the highest among the production cars of new forces. For example, the maximum torque of GAC Aion LX, priced at 800,000 yuan, is only 820 Nm. In the traditional car market, the general supercars have torque exceeding 1,000 Nm.
Conclusion:
Therefore, no matter from which angle, the maximum torque output of up to 1040 Nm is enough to equate Voyah FREE with performance. Some people say that torque is not everything in performance, but the acceleration pleasure directly extended from it is the first touch point for ordinary users to feel Voyah FREE’s performance, which cannot be said to be unimportant. In terms of the entire handling feeling, I experienced it on a paving small track for a while, and it was light and agile, as if driving a NIO but even more intense.
Based on such a performance foundation and performance, taking a look at the pre-sale price of 313,600-363,600 yuan, a high cost performance is evident. This is the sincerity of Voyah FREE as a latecomer.Although the product essence and labels of the Voyah FREE are highly matched, the label of “high-performance” has still caused some confusion within the industry. After all, performance has always been synonymous with niche markets. Does this mean that the Voyah FREE has lost confidence before even being launched? During the test drive event, some media teachers whispered about this.
Regarding the performance setting of the Voyah FREE, Voyah CEO Lu Fang made a clarification. “The Voyah FREE is positioned as a ‘high-performance intelligent electric SUV’. ‘High-performance’ represents comprehensive high performance, not just acceleration, but a comprehensive pursuit of performance, including electric drive performance, driving control performance, and comfort performance. It is a perfect blend and high-level interpretation of excellent electric vehicle performance.”
Although Lu Fang gave a comprehensive explanation of the performance essence of the new generation of intelligent electric vehicles, he still did not answer why the Voyah FREE was created as a performance monster to be pushed into the market. Looking through the Voyah brand’s official interviews, I did not find an explanation of the FREE’s performance positioning.
Perhaps, as Cao Xiangyu said, with regards to the Voyah FREE’s performance, playing the performance card is the way to go. During the event, I told Voyah’s Liu Lu since the Voyah FREE is determined to play the performance card, I suggest finding an internationally renowned racetrack to test it out.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.