As a proud owner of an LS7 Angel Round vehicle, I was fortunate to be invited to test drive the car as soon as it arrived. I felt honored and headed to the Shanghai North Bund Lujiazui to test drive two LS7s – one with high performance four-wheel drive and the other with low performance two-wheel drive. I test drove the latter, which had a standard steering wheel without a half-width steering wheel. The test driver told me that these were engineering prototype vehicles that will be improved in subsequent deliveries. Yesterday, as the first owner of the Ideall One, I also test drove the Ideall L7, allowing me to compare my experiences with both vehicles. Here are my personal opinions on both cars.
Exterior-wise, I personally prefer the design of the LS7. The vehicle’s shape is more streamlined and looks more luxurious, with elegant lines and stylish features like the world’s first roof glass design. The rear lights of the LS7 complement the look of the Ideall L7 and have high visibility at night. The brown color of the lights makes them look expensive and gives off a Porsche-like vibe. On the other hand, the Ideall L7 is designed with concave lines on the side and has a small sloping roof that makes the whole design look full and stretched, combined with front and rear lights that have excellent recognition. While I like the Ideall L7 design, the luxurious and expensive feel of the LS7 still surpasses it.
Interior-wise, the LS7 has a more luxurious feel. The panoramic sunroof offers an unbeatable view, and as I drove it in the middle of the summer, I experienced the insulating effect of the sunroof and had full confidence in the insulation of the LS7. The interior design of the Ideall L7 is luxurious, cozy, and has a Land Rover-style vibe that I also appreciate. Both cars have comfortable seats, with the LS7’s front seats featuring leg-trailing adjustment and 10-point massage that is far more powerful than the Ideall L7’s lumbar massage. As for the rear seats, the LS7’s zero-gravity seat is undoubtedly superior to the Ideall L7’s queen seat, but the angle adjustment of the LS7’s left rear seat is not electric like the Ideall L7. I recommend that LS7 improve this feature before delivery and provide an angle adjustment of 40 degrees, like the Ideall L7, as there is enough space between the seats and the rear wheel hub for it. The Ideall L7 has slightly more longitudinal space in the back, although the ease of getting in and out of the car is far superior to that of the LS7, with the LS7’s right rear leg dragging, affecting the opening degree of the car and reducing space. The Ideall L7 also placed half of the rear wheel rim protection ring on the rear door, making it easier to get in and out of the car – a detail that LS7 could learn from.“`
Trunk Space
The trunk of the Idealsee Ls7 is noticeably larger than that of the L7, but there is no parcel shelf. Overall, the L7 lacks some details compared to the LS7.
Driving Experience
The Idealsee Ls7 is more agile to drive, with its acceleration being more linear and its handling more stable. Compared to the L7, the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedal transmit less road feedback to the driver. The LS7 has better road filtering thanks to the air suspension, yet in terms of both comfort and sports driving, the road feel is still quite strong. Hopefully, the manufacturer can further filter out the road feel in comfort mode, so that users can feel as comfortable as driving a Mercedes and as sporty as driving a Porsche. The Idealsee L7 inherits the comfort of the Idealsee L9, and its air suspension is just right, resolving and filtering out road bumps nicely. It is easy and comfortable to drive, and I think it should be the daily driving experience desired by most users. The rolls, sways, and tilts during normal driving are well suppressed, and the improvement in ride quality in terms of driving feeling is really significant compared to the original Idealsee One. I have experienced both vehicles from the back seat, and I found them both quite comfortable. However, when going over speed bumps at low speed, the LS7 is very stiff and bounces noticeably, which is hard to believe for an air suspension. The L7, on the other hand, is very comfortable, and I hope that Idealsee can optimize the LS7 further.
NVH
Both cars are great when it comes to NVH, with double-layer soundproof glass all around. However, I must complain about Idealsee’s insulation of the electric motor noise, which is clearly inferior to the Idealsee. On the LS7, the sound of the electric motor is evident when starting, and the noise generated by the electric motor drag of the CRBS during braking and deceleration is very noticeable. These sounds are almost inaudible in the Idealsee, and only a slight electric motor noise can be heard when the accelerator is fully pressed. Here, I hope that Idealsee can strengthen the NVH performance of the LS7.
Four Complaints about the Idealsee LS7
- There is a distinct noise in the back seats of the LS7, mainly from the left rear seat, although the zero-gravity seat is excellent.
- I don’t know if it’s due to poor installation, but the floormats have a long rail in the back seat that doesn’t stick to the Velcro at all. It’s completely loose and can easily cause the seat rails to pinch, which is a safety and quality hazard and drastically reduces the zero-gravity seat experience. This must be improved.
- When the central armrest in the back of the LS7 is lowered, users who rest their hands on it will experience high-frequency vibrations while driving, which is very uncomfortable. While the right side of the rear seat is comfortable leaning against the door panel, the left side is uncomfortable and feels very distracting.
- The low-frequency impact sound transmitted into the cabin when driving over large potholes and seams on the road is very uncomfortable and causes a lot of ear pressure. After test driving the LS7 that day, I drove my own Idealsee L7 on the same road and found that although the impact sound is also present, it is much clearer and less uncomfortable. This is probably due to the test car’s condition, and the delivery version must be improved.
Importantly, none of these four issues are found in the Idealsee L7, which really impresses me.
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Finally, I hope IM can further optimize the LS7.
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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.