Just yesterday, the HYCAN V09 kicked off its pre-sale, with a price range of 320,000 – 460,000 yuan. This pure electric MPV features 5 models, namely the Luxury 620, Honor 620, Supercharged Honor 620, Honor 762, and Flagship 762, with the figures indicating the respective CLTC pure electric cruising range of each model.
If you’ve already placed a deposit, you won’t have to wait long for delivery, as it will hit the market on October 13 this year.
At the pre-sale price launch event, we got a static experience of the actual car and, combined with the manufacturer’s technical interpretation, gained a deeper understanding of this vehicle. Particularly for those debating whether or not to buy this car, this explaination will provide a more profound insight.
Maximum Range 762 km
The HYCAN V09 has 5 variants, all powered by the same 202 kW, 335 N·m single permanent magnet synchronous motor.
Different configurations involve battery and charging capabilities. The two entry-level models with a 620 km range have a 95.16 kWh battery, the supercharged model with the same range has a 92 kWh battery, while the two models with a 762 km range are equipped with a 114.19 kWh battery.
Charging capabilities differ as well; using supercharging from 0 – 50% or fast charging from 30% – 80%, it requires at least 35 minutes for the basic models, slightly faster for models with longer range, about 30 minutes. The fastest among them is the supercharged model, matching the charging efficiency of the other four models in just 7.5 minutes.
While all HYCAN V09 models come standard with an 800V system, only the supercharged model supports 4C fast charging with a maximum power of 410 kW. How fast is that? A 10-minute charge provides a 400 km range, approximately 1 km per second.
User Feedback Prioritizes MPV Appearance
At the launch event, He Kaixin, Vice President of HYCAN and Dean of the Research Institute, presented a PPT on how to create a high-end business MPV. After interviewing 8,000 users across dozens of cities, the answer was clear—appearance comes first, followed by tranquillity and comfortability. Apparently, safety is not a major concern for the bosses, ranking last among the options.
Hence, the HYCAN V09 features a large amount of chrome trim throughout the car, and the rearview mirror adopts a design distinct from the car body. From the exterior, this MPV is indeed quite ‘imposing’.The second aspect users care about is the comfort and tranquility inside the car. This static experience mainly revolves around comfort, and silence can be expected in the subsequent road tests.
To ensure comfort, the second row of the HYCAN V09 integrates a refrigerator, color TV, and large sofa, offering excellent comfort. The seat is equipped with ventilation, heating, and massage features, as well as a one-touch rest mode. The seat can be adjusted up to a maximum of 170 degrees.
You can hold a meeting via Tencent Meeting on the 17.3-inch screen in the back, let kids watch cartoons, or get the latest series recommendations for you.
The integrated refrigerator is located at the back of the front armrest, fitting eight small drink bottles with no problem.
At the same time, a small table is equipped on the left side of the second row (behind the driver), convenient for office use. Between the two seats in the second row, a folding small table is set up, with a wireless charging coil in the center. However, the table area is much larger than the phone, which may lead to alignment issues affecting charging. Even if aligned properly, the phone may slide on the table when the car is moving. If the future mass-produced models include alignment markings or phone limiters, it might improve charging efficiency.
The front layout is relatively simple, with a 10.25-inch instrument panel, a 14.6-inch control, and a 12.3-inch co-pilot screen. I quite like the multi-screen broadcasting function, where the control, co-pilot, and back screens can display the same content, which will surely produce an impressive effect.
The HYCAN V09 features dual Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chips, boasting excellent performance and scope for OTA upgrades.
An evident shortfall is in the third-row seating experience. For an MPV measuring 5215 mm in length and 3170 mm in wheelbase, the legroom in the third row is ample. However, compared to the front row, the ride experience is significantly different. The seat cushion is thin and short, and the leg support is inadequate. Besides the ample space, the third row is better for emergency use.
The compromise in the third-row experience might be to allow the seats to be stowed into the sunken platform of the trunk.If the third row is normally occupied, it’s no problem to fit four golf bags in the trunk. With the third row folded, the trunk is basically flat, but not completely. For a party of four, the trunk space is more than adequate.
The MPV with a LIDAR
What’s the simplest and most straightforward way to achieve autonomous driving for regular consumers? The answer is simple: hire a driver.
So, what is the use of assistance driving on a business MPV with such a “high” level of autonomous driving? The answer is also simple, to help the driver avoid fatigue as much as possible. This is equally important for full-time drivers and heads of households.
On the HYCAN V09, apart from the base model with only a speed sustainment feature, the other three mid-spec models all have L2 assisted driving capability, including a mono front camera and a 3mm wave radar.
The configuration of assisted driving in the top-spec model differs completely with added sensors, including a Lidar from Detuo Technology – Duetto, with 130 lines, a maximum sensing distance of 300 meters, and ROI resolution of 0.09° x 0.19°. It also comes with 5 mm wave radars. Additionally, the domain controller has been upgraded to an integrated parking and driving domain controller.
In an interview, He Kai Xin mentioned the availability schedule for this car’s freeway navigation feature: “The freeway navigation feature is expected to be launched next year, and the shadow mode will continue to operate in the car until then.”
Conclusion
It’s not uncommon to wonder why the bosses would rather splurge on high-end, million-dollar MPVs. The logic might not be complicated — it could simply be because another boss they know also bought this car.
Even the procurement staff in a company may “deliberately” opt for the MPV “recognized by the boss.”
With changing vehicle demands, an MPV is not only needed for a boss’s transportation but also increasingly satisfies the needs of families. This presents yet another opportunity for domestic brands to break into the high-end market.
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.