Author: Tao Yanyan
The “Zhi Test Drive” section is open again, which is actually the test drive car during the Chinese New Year holiday. The main reason for borrowing this car is that the Chinese New Year holiday happens to be able to take the whole family out for a trip, and the pure electric MPV is still relatively new and not commonly seen before 2022.
Background of this car
Before, I test drove the Voyah FREE extended-range version. Voyah Motors is an independently operated brand released by Dongfeng Group in 2020. They want to build high-end new energy passenger car products (meaning the price will not be cheap). The first product FREE is a large 5-seat SUV, and Dreamer began delivering in the third quarter of last year. In the first month of this year, except for the impact of the Chinese New Year holiday, the weekly delivery volume was stable at around 200 vehicles per week (see the figure below), which is still recognized by the niche long-tail market.
This car is divided into a seven-seat version and a custom version, both of which are pure electric and plug-in hybrid optional. The seven-seater version is priced at 370,000 to 490,000 yuan, mainly due to different battery ranges. The custom version is more advanced, with only four luxury seats and living room-level configurations such as TV in the rear row. The price is 640,000 to 690,000 yuan. Obviously, this price is not for volume sales. I am definitely not the target customer for this car, just watching the fun. We test drove the relatively ordinary (but not cheap) seven-seat version.
Experience highlights
◎ How big is this car
To be honest, when I first saw this car, I felt a little panic. I felt it was difficult to control. How should I put it, this car is just big from the inside out, too unfriendly for urban parking; it is so big that it is obviously a car model for drivers of high-end users.
After getting on the car, you can feel that the interior space is very spacious. Instead of posting specific data, the subjective feeling is that the space is more suitable for a family with old and young members. The picture below shows the second-row seats adjusted to a front and back position. Basically, the legroom of the third row will be smaller if the second row is closer to the back; conversely, if the second row is adjusted forward, the third row will be more comfortable. Therefore, it is necessary to compromise on the comfort of the rear two rows when sitting with adults.
This car also has a huge trunk:
Because of the spacious space, the car is more acceptable to the car-sick child, so the second-row seat becomes a place where the children grab to sit.
Such a large car does require more experienced drivers, especially when turning, the entire turning curve is different from that of ordinary family cars, and it is particularly necessary to ensure that the tail of the car can pass smoothly by turning the head of the car to the extreme.◎ Details of Riding Experience
This car is obviously targeted at the comfort of second-row passengers. In this regard, it is indeed good.
Regarding the comfort of the two seats in the second row, it goes without saying that fixed armrests, heating, ventilation, and massage are all standard features. The leg rest and the small desk for office use, especially the latter, are relatively fresh. The overall experience is very good.
Our eldest daughter even invited her little friend to make it their secret base in the car, which has really become her “dream home.”
◎ Driving Experience
The driving feature of Dream Home is mild – even if you step on the accelerator, there won’t be much of a back-kick feeling. Although the power output is relatively strong, on the one hand, the car is indeed large, and on the other hand, it either carries the whole family or has a dedicated driver. In either case, passengers should not pursue acceleration, so a mild driving experience is suitable.
In addition, this Dream Home is entirely electric. During the trip, apart from the tire noise of the vehicle, there is basically no significant noise.
For the front-row passengers and the driver, although the comfort experienced is not as good as that of the second row, the luxury feeling skyrocketed at once when compared with the same brand’s FREE, partly because of the details like the screen UI design. I sighed at the importance of UI designers.
Who is this car suitable for?
We won’t talk about who the custom version is suitable for here, because it goes without saying that the custom version, which costs about 700,000 RMB, is most suitable for the wealthy. Let’s just talk about the overall experience of the seven-seater version: first of all, it’s suitable for suburban use, as there is enough parking space and it can be a bit difficult to drive on narrow city roads. Secondly, it’s suitable for people who have a dedicated driver, as it makes for a good nanny car. Additionally, responsible dads who drive for their families can also be considered dedicated drivers, haha.
I have a friend who has two children, and the second child is prone to car sickness, just like my child. Usually, the grandparents help out with taking care of the kids, so they always want to bring the elderly with them when they go on vacation. They chose the GL8 for their family and praised it highly after using it. I also took a test drive and felt that, except for testing the driving skills of the dad driver, everyone else was very satisfied. Now, these types of families have a new choice. The name of the car is also very clever and has a pun in Chinese, which I like a lot.
Finally, here’s a little Easter egg: we found an ideal home charging pile in the countryside to charge the dream family. One netizen commented that this is “a dream family with ideals”.
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.