Author: Knight of Wanderer

On the eve of National Day, Ideal Motors launched two brand new models, Ideal L8 and Ideal L7. The former is priced between 3.598-3.998 million yuan, and the latter is priced between 3.398-3.798 million yuan. After experiencing multiple public opinion crises, Ideal Motors has finally embarked on a new path with the official launch of L8 and L7.

The two new cars are still very topical. First of all, in terms of exterior design, both can be regarded as replicas of the L9 in terms of its shape, which cannot be summarized as a “family design” by just one sentence. Especially in terms of the front end, it is suggested that everyone should give up struggling to distinguish between L9 and L8/L7. The fastest way is to look at the position of the license plate frame at the tailgate. L9 is located in the center of the tailgate, while the latter two are located on the lower bumper. As for L8 and L7, it depends on the triangular window shape at the C-pillar. Due to the different body sizes, the triangular window shape of L7 will be sharper, while that of L8 will be slightly more rounded.

Both L8 and L7 are positioned as mid- to large-sized SUVs, and they have the same wheelbase, 3005mm, which is 100mm shorter than that of L9, which is positioned as a mid- to large-sized SUV. The most critical point is the layout of the seats of the two models. L8 adopts a 2+2+2 6-seater layout, while L7 is a large 5-seater. Therefore, in another perspective, L8 can be regarded as a scaled-down version of L9, while L7 is a conventional large 5-seater SUV.

Different from L9, L8 and L7 have launched two configuration models, namely Pro and Max. Does it look similar to the naming method of iPhone? To put it more simply, the Pro version is the low-end model, and the Max version is the high-end model. The main difference is mainly reflected in the smart cockpit and intelligent driving.

On the Pro version, you can get the SS Pro system, which includes front double screens, HUD, a single 8155, front four-screen interaction, and other configurations, as well as the AD Pro intelligent driving system, which includes a single horizontal line journey 5, a single 8 million pixel camera, 9 2 million pixel cameras, and a single millimeter wave radar.

In the Max version, it will be equipped with dual 8155 car chips, rear entertainment screens, and a full set of automatic driving safety redundancy systems, including laser radar and dual NVIDIA Orin-X chips. The NOA navigation assisted driving can be unlocked by OTA upgrade in the later stage, while the Pro version only supports high-speed NOA navigation assisted driving.

Compared with the Pro and Max versions, the price difference between them is 40,000 yuan, which may still be relatively large for many people. Moreover, rear entertainment and advanced assisted driving are not just a must for everyone. However, considering the current industry standards and the depreciation of second-hand cars in the future, I personally think it is necessary to upgrade to the Max version.

Of course, after all, it is positioned below L9, so even the L8 Max version cancels the fragrance, leg support, small table board, and refrigerator, and the rear entertainment screen is also changed from OLED material on L9 to LCD.Compared to the same models of L8, L7 is priced 20,000 RMB lower due to differences in size, seating capacity and space. The configurations for both models include 100 ideal functions. Additionally, catering to the needs of a family of three, Ideal L7 has developed the second-row seat with electrically adjustable tilt angle of up to 40 degrees and a right-side electric leg rest, providing greater comfort for rear passengers.

The color choices for the body are also noteworthy. Both L8 and L7 are equipped with four metallic paint color options, white, silver, grey, and black, and three interior styles: black and white, black coffee, and black orange. L8 offers special edition paint colors in purple, green, and blue, while L7 has green and blue special edition paint colors with an extra cost of 10,000 RMB. Additionally, L8 offers the option of an electric pedal system for the same cost.

Both L8 and L7 will be equipped with the new 1.5T four-cylinder turbocharger engine of L9, with an increased fuel tank capacity of 65L, a pure electric WLTC range of 175km, and a comprehensive WLTC range of over 1100km. The two models adopt intelligent four-wheel-drive system + air suspension, with a total power output of 330kW and a comprehensive torque of 620N·m, accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds. They also support a 3.5kW external power output.

One has to admit that Ideal has mastered the art of marketing. Compared to its previous Ideal ONE, Ideal L8 is a cross-dimensional impact, and for Ideal, the product will only get better and better. For the buyers, “the earlier you buy, the earlier you enjoy.” Balancing this scale relies solely on the buyer’s self-decision.

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.