Author: Turbocharged Little Chubby
It’s 36 days away from the official debut of the second mass-produced model L9 at the Beijing Auto Show in 2022, and the “Weekly Spoiler Series” of the Ideal L9 is still ongoing. I was looking forward to what’s going to be revealed today, but instead, I saw pictures of the undisguised Ideal L9 circulating in my WeChat moments this morning…
Today, Ideal Auto not only released the second trailer, but also included an “extra episode” about the exterior design.
Having said that, I seem to have understood the script of this “serial drama”: whatever the spy shots reveal, Ideal will release it.
Returning to the main topic, let’s analyze according to the “script” order.
Ideal L9 Episode 2 (Part One): Exterior Design Extra Episode
Although this extra episode of Ideal L9 only provides four pictures, we can still obtain a lot of information.
As for the matter of appearance, the comments under Ideal’s official Weibo post have already sparked a heated debate, with some people liking it and others disliking it. I don’t want to make too many comments after all, because “everyone has their own preferences.”
But at least for my personal taste, I can accept this exterior design of Ideal L9, after all, I haven’t seen the actual car yet, so it’s hard to say whether I will like it or not.
So let’s start with the front face.
In my opinion, the most striking part of the front face is the “lookout tower-style laser radar” on the roof.
This is also the laser radar layout scheme chosen by more and more new players in the industry. For example:
Compared with the previous efforts of most automakers and autonomous driving companies to integrate perception hardware into the body of the car, more and more manufacturers are now choosing to install the lidar above the front windshield.
Although this seems like a more “crude and simple” way of handling it, it is quite a challenge for designers to make the layout of the perception hardware exposed outside the car look more “soft”.
Currently, among the models using the tower-type lidar layout, I still think that the lidar transition from the roof to the body of NIO ET7 and ET5 looks softer.
As for the appearance picture given by the current LI Ideal L9, it looks a bit abrupt.
However, it is still more coordinated than the unicorn design that WM Motor M7 “proudly presents”.
According to previous cooperation information, the LI Ideal L9 is expected to be equipped with the AT128 vehicle-grade semi-solid lidar provided by Hesai.
The specific parameters are as follows:
-
Size: 137mm (L) * 112mm (W) * 47mm (H);
-
Detection distance: 200m @ 10%;
-
Field of view angle: 120° x 25.4°;
-
Angular resolution: 0.1° (H) x 0.2° (V);
-
Power consumption: 17 W.The front face of the vehicle, in addition to the eye-catching LiDAR, also features a continuous “Star Ring Daytime Running Light” without any breakpoints and a semi-closed front face.
Compared to the first ideal model Ideapad ONE, although the Ideapad L9 retains the design of the through-type daytime running lights, it further optimizes the “Star Ring” shape and looks more coherent.
Expectedly, the unlocked and locked lighting effects will be smoother, and nighttime recognition will also be improved.
At the same time, the manufacturing and hardware costs of such design will also be higher. Of course, the cost of replacing the headlight assembly after a collision may also be slightly increased.
This time, the Ideapad L9 did not adopt the large-scale mesh design of the Ideapad ONE, but moved the front air intake down and added new star ring daytime running lights to make the upper part of the front face more coherent.
However, some friends told me: it looks a bit like the XPeng G9… What do you think, everyone?
If you carefully observe this daytime running light, you can see that there is a small yellow light strip at each end.
Many people online provide information that:
The function of the yellow light strip is to indicate the width and ADAS status. When the ADAS function is working, this light strip can turn blue to inform other traffic participants that the vehicle is in the state of ADAS function.
However, this is also information from the Internet, and specific information needs to wait for the official release of Ideapad L9.
The “small rumor” currently circulating online, aside from the LIDAR, is that the Ideal One has a total of 11 cameras, which includes 4 panoramic cameras and 7 ADAS cameras. However, upon examining the official images, I could only locate 10 cameras. They include: 4 panoramic cameras located on the front, rear, and side mirrors, 2 side front cameras located on the left and right mirrors, 2 side rear cameras located on the left and right fenders, and 2 front cameras located below the front windshield LIDAR, which should be one telephoto and one wide-angle. As for the last camera, some say that it is the DMS/OMS camera in the cockpit, but I searched through last week’s renderings and couldn’t find that camera inside the vehicle. So, bold assumption, if the Ideal One is equipped with a rear entertainment screen, there must be a streaming rearview mirror, could the last camera be the streaming rearview mirror camera? P.S. This assumption has not been confirmed by today’s official images.Don’t worry, today BMW has released pictures of the all-new BMW 7 Series/i7 with a giant screen installed.
Apart from that, I also noticed the following:
Firstly, echoing the styling of the front headlights mentioned the day before yesterday, the tail lights of the Ideanomics L9 have a design distinct from that of the Ideanomics ONE, featuring a single light bar running through the tail lights. At the same time, the tail light strip has been darkened to give it a more advanced overall texture.
However, when combined with this car paint color in the official image, it reminds me of another car…
Secondly, the Ideanomics L9 provides a brand new semi-enclosed two-tone wheel hub, which looks quite coordinated when paired with the official gray paint color.
Thirdly, in recent years, it seems to be particularly popular to use the “gold” color scheme when designing a luxury car. For example:
The official image of the Ideanomics L9 released this time features car colors similar to champagne gold and desert gold;
The flagship pure electric SUV model BMW iX also uses gold colors to decorate its body details;
The official main color of the brand new generation of Land Rover Range Rover, which has just started pre-sales, is also in the gold color range.
P.S. So, here, Little Fatty wishes all the bosses “rich”!
Ideanomics L9 Episode 2 (Part 2): Still the Cabin
Continuing from last time, this time the Ideanomics L9 spoiler for Episode 2 still focuses on the details of the cabin. Let’s go through them in order:The first is the sound system. The sound system of Ideal L9 supports 7.3.4 Dolby Atmos, consisting of 7 speakers for full car surround sound, 3 subwoofers for bass matrix, and 4 top speakers for sky surround.
The car has 21 speakers in total, with aluminum film for high-frequency unit, Kevlar for mid-frequency unit, and carbon fiber for low-frequency unit.
However, those are not the focus. The focus is:
-
Equipped with 4D immersive audio and video system;
-
The maximum power of the amplifier is up to 2160W.
Why are they the focus?
When I drove the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan earlier, the two things that impressed me the most in the sound system were the “Berlin sound” 4D sound effects and the power of the amplifier.
If the 4D immersive audio and video system of Ideal L9 is consistent with my understanding, when experiencing audio and video, the vibrating unit in the seat will give passengers a certain feedback with the low-frequency sound of the sound system, and the overall effect is excellent.
Then someone might ask, can Ideal be compared with the “Berlin Sound” of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class?
The effect of 4D sound needs to be experienced in person before reaching a conclusion. However, speaking of the current data of the sound system, the maximum power of the “Berlin Sound” audio and amplifier of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is 1590W, while the Ideal L9 directly “hits” to 2160W.
Oh, by the way, there is one more thing. The “Greater Berlin” of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is optional, while the sound system provided by Ideal L9 is standard.
After finishing the sound system, the second thing is the seats.
The key points for Ideal L9’s seats given today’s information are: high configuration and good material. Let’s take a look at the information Ideal Car gave today:
-
All 6 seats of the car are equipped with electric adjustment and seat heating, and the 4 independent seats of the first two rows have seat ventilation and SPA-level ten-point massage. Nappa leather ensures a delicate touch and good breathability, and the 3D comfortable sponge provides flagship-level ride comfort, comfortable enough to want to bring the seats home.
-
The seat frame and restraint system are of the highest standards, with the driver’s seat equipped with electric pre-tensioning seat belts, providing more direct safety warnings and protection for the driver in the process of intelligent driving. We strive to ensure that every family member has a safer, more comfortable, and more convenient riding experience.
There are two key points here:
-
First, the ideal L9 should only offer a 6-seat version, just like the ideal ONE.
-
Second, all 6 seats in the car are equipped with electric adjustment and seat heating, which is not common in many vehicle models.
Lastly, and also the most concerning last week, is the safety driving interaction screen.
Last week we correctly pointed out that the safety driving interaction screen supports driving modes in its functionality, but what I didn’t expect was that it also displays driving information.
In fact, carefully looking at the picture, you can see that the navigation map can occupy the entire central control screen. Last week, I also said that the driving information on the left side of the central control screen and the ADAS visualization couldn’t be occupied, but this week I was proven wrong.
It looks like the Ideal L9 is fully devoted to the HUD and the safety driving interaction screen for driving information.
However, it also confirms two points:
- Last week’s spy photos of the safety driving interaction screen were pretty much accurate;
- The addition of the laser radar confirms the “FSD” function button in the spy photos of the safety driving interaction screen last week.
As for the vehicles that I’ve experienced, I could get used to acquiring driving information and ADAS visualization through the HUD. In my previous experience with the Geely Geometry A, I almost entirely got my information from the HUD, and after getting used to it, the usage experience was pretty good, and not being able to leave the line of sight to obtain information in a driving situation made it safer.
Of course, the biggest challenge of HUD is the white car driving ahead of you during the daytime, which can affect the information visibility on the HUD.
But the safety driving interaction screen of the Ideal L9 can also display driving information, which can make up for the impact of HUD information acquisition. However, when changing direction, driving information on the safety driving interaction screen cannot be obtained.As for whether the safe driving interactive screen is easy to use, I can’t say for sure, as I haven’t experienced it myself. However, without actual vehicle “cloud analysis,” the screen on the steering wheel is relatively close to the eyes, and the imaging of the HUD is usually within 2-4 meters in front of the car in terms of eye focus. Therefore, if you frequently observe the HUD and the safe driving interactive screen during long-distance driving, it is likely to further cause eye fatigue.
At this point, let’s play a small game:
Put your laptop in your usual office position, look straight ahead at an object, and then glance down at the laptop keyboard. If you are careful, you can still feel the process of eye focusing, which becomes more apparent after multiple attempts.
P.S. This game is just an example, please don’t attack me…
But to be honest, relative to the car control screen of the Ideal ONE, the safe driving interactive screen of the Ideal L9 still has a certain improvement in interaction safety and convenience.
Finally
Perhaps it was an “accident” that led Ideal Car to start this “spoiler serial drama” release. It may also be another accident that caused Ideal Car to add another “special episode” today.
However, regardless of the reason, we now have a certain understanding of the intelligent configuration and interior and exterior design of the Ideal L9, so the few episodes that are left for consumers to look forward to are related to power and driving information.
Let’s take a look at the information we currently know:
-
First of all, among the currently available large SUVs in the domestic market (excluding parallel imported cars and second-hand cars), the Ideal L9 with a price range of 450,000 to 500,000 yuan should be the cheapest, except for the still unknown Tank 800 pricing;
-
Let’s take a look at the same-sized models that are currently available: Mercedes-Benz GLS / Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS, BMW X7, Beijing BJ90, First Auto Works Hongqi E-HS9, Lincoln Navigator, Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Among these models, the lowest starting price is First Auto Works Hongqi E-HS9, with a price range of 509,800 to 779,800 yuan, and the other models are all priced over one million yuan;
-
Taking into account the comfort and functionality (family attributes) pursued by the Ideal L9 audience, I believe that the Ideal L9’s cost-effectiveness is still in line with the needs of a part of the segmented market.
But from my personal point of view, the model that Ideal Car will continue to sell vigorously in the future is probably the Ideal ONE. Even if the functions and configurations of the Ideal L9 are indeed very high, and the price is relatively appropriate in the same size models, the body of the large SUV is still too big, which will become a problem when driving and parking in the city.
Therefore, the launch of Ideal L9 may be a choice made by Ideal Auto to improve product competitiveness, expand product portfolio, and enhance brand influence.
P.S. I thought Ideal Auto would release teasers at noon today as they did last time. Unexpectedly, I ended up waiting until evening. So, I “fished around” in the office all day. Don’t tell my boss about this…
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.