Author: Shidi
In a blink of an eye, the 10-day Guangzhou International Auto Show has come to an end. With the participation of thousands of manufacturers and the appearance of 1020 exhibition cars, it has set off the last wave of the year-end in the automotive industry. With the close of the auto show, it also means that there is not much time left in 2021. So, in the remaining time of this year, which new energy vehicles will rush to catch the last bus of the year?
Chery QQ Ice Cream
Launch Date: December 2021
Since its debut in July this year, the Chery QQ Ice Cream has continued to receive high attention. In October, the long-awaited big pre-sale event for the Chery QQ Ice Cream was finally launched. The new car offers three models, with a presale price range of CNY 29,900 to 43,900 and two versions of NEDC range: 120 km and 170 km. It is reported that the new car has received over 10,000 orders within 24 hours of the launch of the pre-sale. During the Double Eleven period, as the highest-priced item in Viva’s live streaming room, the 1,000 Chery QQ Ice Cream vehicles were sold out in 74 seconds.
The new car has been exhibited many times before, including the recent Guangzhou Auto Show, where the Chery QQ Ice Cream brought two models tailored for male users, “Wujie X” and “Wujie”, in addition to the “Taohuanxi version” previously created for female users. The QQ Ice Cream can be said to have accurately grasped the car needs of the new generation of young people based on specific scenes. Of course, these are just models tailored for specific scenarios, and in reality, we still need to look at the original car.
In terms of appearance, the new car still adopts the common enclosed design of new energy vehicles for the front grille, and the charging port is located at the central logo position. The two LED daytime running lights on both sides of the front lights form a U shape, and together with the round halogen front lights, present a cute visual effect.
The whole car body has a square outline on the side, and the small car body is easy to park for daily use. At the same time, the new car also adopts the very popular suspended roof design. In terms of body size, the length, width, and height of the car are 2980/1496/1637 mm, and the wheelbase is 1960 mm. It is worth noting that the new car will only be available in a 4-seat layout instead of a 5-seat one.
On the rear, the new car’s design in many ways shows a strong echo with the front face, such as the polygonal taillight group, which is internally supplemented with U-shaped light cavities details; and the large-size embedded black spray-painted trapezoidal decorative panel, and so on.
On the interior, the overall design of the new car is characterized by a simple and practical style, with many contrasting color stitching designs. The steering wheel adopts a double-spoke design and is equipped with multifunction buttons. The seats adopt a one-piece design, officially called the “gamer esports seat”. The rear seats can also be folded down in the same proportion, further releasing the space inside the car.
In terms of power, the QQ ice cream motor has a maximum power of 20 kW and a maximum torque of 85 N・m, which is the same as the Hongguang MINIEV. In terms of range, the new car is equipped with a lithium iron phosphate battery pack, with battery capacities of 9.6 kW・h and 13.9 kW・h, slow charging times of 6 hours and 8 hours, respectively, corresponding to NEDC ranges of 120 km and 170 km.
BYD Song Pro DM-i
Pre-sale time: November 30, 2021
At the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show, the BYD Song Pro DM-i officially debuted. The biggest change of the new car is the adoption of the DM-i plug-in hybrid system and the optimization of the exterior and interior details. Recently, the detailed configuration of the car has also been exposed in advance. The new car will launch five models, offering two options for pure electric range of 51 km and 110 km, respectively.
In terms of exterior design, the new car basically retains the design style of the current model of Song Pro, only upgrading the details. The front face still adopts the “dragon mouth” style design of the air intake grille, but the official says that the front grille area of the new car has expanded from 60% of the current model to 75%, and has added a large number of high-gloss materials and chrome-plated parts. At the same time, the fog light area is also optimized with more chrome trim strips to show a delicate side.
On the side of the body, the new car will continue to use the concave and convex waistline design, allowing the vehicle to present outstanding light and shadow effects. At the same time, the new car is equipped with a silver decorative panel with a complex texture design at the D-pillar to enhance the vehicle’s recognition. In addition, the top-of-the-line model will also be equipped with 19-inch wheels.
The design of the new car’s tail is not much different from the current model, but black decorative panels have been added to the details. The rear bumper adopts a silver-black two-tone design, which is more tough and atmospheric. The taillights are still a through-design, with the addition of “dragon claws” style and fluid turning effects, making them highly recognizable.
Compared with the exterior, there are more changes in the interior of the new car, which highlight its youthful and sporty characteristics. It uses BYD’s latest design language as a whole, and the size of the central control screen has further increased. According to the configuration list, the new car’s central control screen will provide three sizes of 10.1/12.8/15.6 inches depending on the vehicle model. In addition, except for the low-end models, the new car is equipped with DiLink 4.0 (4G) intelligent networking system, and the whole series is equipped with OTA remote upgrade of the entire vehicle.
In terms of intelligent driving, the new car is also equipped with the DiPilot intelligent driving assistance system. Except for the lowest-end model, other models are equipped with multiple functions such as ACC adaptive cruise control system, predictive emergency braking system, and BSD blind spot monitoring.
In terms of power, the new car is equipped with the SAIC Roewe group’s 1.5L Atkinson cycle engine specially designed for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which has a maximum thermal efficiency of 43%. The maximum power of the engine is 81 kW, and the peak torque is 135 N·m, with an acceleration time of 0-100 km/h of only 7.9 seconds. In terms of pure electric endurance, the new car still offers two versions of 51 km and 110 km. Official data shows that the new car’s electricity consumption per 100 kilometers is 4.4 L, and the maximum endurance under full fuel and electricity is 1090 km.
New Guangqi Trumpchi GS8
Launch Date: December 2, 2021
The all-new generation of GAC Motor GS8 has also attracted much attention since its debut. The new car has opened pre-sales for both fuel and hybrid power, with a total of 7 versions available, and the pre-sale price range is between 188,800 and 246,800 yuan. At the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show, the interior of the hybrid version was unveiled for the first time.
In terms of appearance, the hybrid version is basically the same as the fuel version. The sharp front-end styling, large-sized grille, and boomerang-shaped front headlights are all present, and both versions have a particularly outstanding visual effect.
On the side of the car, the new model is somewhat similar to the previous generation model, and the use of a through-type waistline further increases the vehicle’s visual length. In terms of dimensions, its length, width, and height are 4980/1950/1780 mm, and the wheelbase is 2920 mm. Compared with the previous generation model, its length, width, and wheelbase have all increased significantly, with the wheelbase increasing by 120 mm.
The overall design of the car’s rear is slightly flattened, but the design of a large-sized rear window makes the tail look more stable and atmospheric. In addition, the vertical taillights, coupled with the through-type chrome decoration, further highlight its delicacy.
In terms of interior, both versions remain consistent with a simplified design style, while the use of high-gloss paint adds an element of luxury to the overall feel. The instrument panel and central LCD display are both fully liquid crystal designed, with the 14.6-inch central control screen adopting a suspended style, covering 99% of the vehicle’s control functions, and built-in with the ADIGO4.0 system.
Regarding power, the hybrid version is equipped with a 2.0TM + Toyota’s fourth-generation THS hybrid power system. The maximum power of the engine is 190 horsepower, and the maximum torque is 320 Nm. The maximum power of the front-wheel drive motor is 134 kW, and the maximum torque is 270 Nm. As for the four-wheel drive version, the maximum power of the rear motor is 40 kW, and the maximum torque is 121 Nm.
WEY Latte DHTLaunch time: December 2021
The Delan DHT is a compact SUV under the Wei brand, positioned slightly higher than the previously launched Machito DHT. The new car officially started pre-sale at the recent Guangzhou Auto Show, offering three models of small, medium and large cups, with a pre-sale price range of 162,800-182,800 yuan.
In terms of appearance, the new car also uses the WEY family-style front face, with a brand-new lock armor style on the super-large hexagonal air intake grille, a family-style large headlight design on both sides, and a chrome-plated decorative front bumper, presenting an exaggerated visual effect.
On the side, the new car is extremely similar to the Mocha and Machito models, except that the new car’s lines are more tough, and it uses a multi-spoke-style wheel hub. In terms of size, the new car is 4668/1890/1730 mm in length, width and height respectively, with a wheelbase of 2745 mm; all parameters are increased compared to the Machito model.
At the rear, the new car also maintains the WEY family-style taillight design, and the chrome-plated decorative strip on the rear bumper echoes with the bumper, improving the texture.
In terms of interior, the new car is also consistent with the design of the previous two models. In front of the driver’s seat is a 9.2-inch instrument panel + HUD head-up display, with a unique two-spoke steering wheel. In the center is a 14.6-inch central control LCD screen + 9-inch touch screen design, with a technology feeling that is not inferior to today’s common intelligent cockpit.
In terms of power, the new car will become the first model equipped with the 1.5T Intelligent DHT system, with a total power of 181 kW and peak torque of 532 Nm. It will be matched with the DHT130 hybrid transmission, enabling it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.5 seconds and a fuel consumption of only 4.9 L/100 km. The full fuel and electric endurance will exceed 1,000 km.
ConclusionAt the end of 2021, the four models mentioned above can be said to have made a perfect ending to this year’s new energy vehicle list. The manufacturers have high expectations for them as well. For example, the maximum potential of the QQ ice cream can be compared to the micro-car overlord Hong Guang MINI EV, while the BYD Song pro DM-i will be the “subverter” of the 150,000-yuan SUVs. As for the amazing performance they will bring to the market and the impact they will have on the same-level market after their launch, we will have to wait and see.
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.