Article by Wu Jingtao
Another “best” model is born!
“Our next goal is to become the number one new force in the industry.” “The NETA S has no competitors in the B and C-class sedan market.” “There’s no question that the NETA S has the best handling in its class.” These are statements made by NETA Automobile co-founder and CEO, Zhang Yong at the NETA Summer Launch Event in reference to the NETA S.
It’s not difficult to notice that in today’s new brand launch events, anyone without the phrase “best, strongest, or greatest” seems a little out of the loop.
Compared to previous events, the “most” at the NETA conference is relatively conservative. Does anyone remember which car brand started this “most” trend?
Design is divisive, configuration is comprehensive
Now, let’s return to the new car. The NETA S is positioned as a B+ class new energy sports car, with body dimensions of 498019801450mm and a wheelbase of 2980mm. It offers pure electric and extended range hybrid power with a total of 8 models across three power options, priced at 199,800-3,388,000 yuan.
The exterior design of the new car is based on the previously released Eureka 03 concept car, with a low wind resistance of 0.216cd. The front of the car has a split headlight design, with a 1.36 height-to-width ratio, giving the NETA S a performance car’s low center of gravity feel.
The sides of the car feature double waistlines and a popular hidden door handle and frameless door design. The design before the C-pillar is impressive, giving people a new understanding of NETA’s design level.
The design from the C-pillar to the rear of the car is relatively basic. Although the taillights are integrated, the design is still inferior to the more impressive front end.
Compared to its exterior design, the interior design of the NETA S does not have any outstanding features, and its biggest characteristic is the center console equipped with four screens.
The four screens are: AR-HUD, 13.3-inch hidden instrument panel screen, 17.6-inch 2.5K vertical center control screen, and a 12.3-inch co-pilot entertainment screen. Equipped with the NETA SPACE intelligent cockpit system, the vehicle’s infotainment system will use the Snapdragon 8155 chip, which supports four-audio region voice control.
In terms of entertainment configuration, the new car will be equipped with a 21-speaker audio system with a maximum output power of 1216W, supporting 7.1.4 channel audio. The seat is equipped with headrest-embedded speakers that support independent audio playback, enabling the driver and co-driver to enjoy their respective audio environments without interference.
As for the seats, the front seats are equipped with 12-way and 8-way electric adjustment and support ventilation, heating, thigh rest massage, music headrest, memory welcome functions, among others.
The backrest of the rear seats can also be adjusted electrically by 8°, with adjustments between 27° and 35°. The rear seats also come with a hidden cup holder, armrest screen, storage compartment, and a luxurious large armrest that includes a pick-up access function.
In addition, there is a 1.9 m² double-layer coated panoramic sunroof inside the vehicle. Targeting the issue of poor heat insulation for panoramic sunroofs in previous models during summer, NETA officials claim that the technology can block 85% of heat and 99% of ultraviolet light.
It remains to be seen whether this panoramic sunroof can withstand the scorching summer sun across the country after actual delivery.
In terms of performance, the NETA S is based on the Shanhaimi platform and provides two power options: extended-range and pure electric. Among them, the extended-range version can reach a maximum range of 1160km (pure electric range of 310km), while the pure electric version offers three range versions: 520km, 650km, and 715km (all based on CLTC test conditions).The four-wheel drive version of NETA S adopts a front and rear dual-motor layout, with a maximum power of 340 kW, a maximum torque of 620 N·m, and a hundred-kilometer acceleration performance of 3.9 seconds. The braking distance of 100 kilometers is 33.5 meters.
The extended-range and pure electric rear-wheel drive versions both use a rear single-motor layout, with a maximum power of 170 kW, a maximum torque of 310 N·m, and a hundred-kilometer acceleration of 6.9 seconds.
NETA S is equipped with the Shanhai platform’s Tiangong battery system, with battery capacities of 43.5kWh for the extended-range version, 88kWh for the rear-wheel drive version, and 95kWh for the four-wheel drive version, all of which are ternary lithium batteries with an energy density of up to 185Wh/kg.
It is equipped with the self-developed HOZON EPT4.0 battery constant temperature management system, which can improve the cruising range and charging speed by 20% in winter.
The chassis uses a front double-wishbone suspension and a rear five-link suspension structure, adopts a 1.36-level ultra-large aspect ratio, a low center of gravity design of 470mm, and a 50:50 front and rear axle load ratio. The new car passes the moose test at a speed of up to 80 km/h.
In terms of advanced driving assistance systems, NETA S will provide two sets of solutions, both equipped with Huawei MDC610 computing platform. Among them, the NETA PILOT 3.0 is standard on all models, and this system can realize 19 advanced driving assistance functions.
If there is a higher demand for hardware and functions, the NETA PILOT 4.0 with two lidars can be selected. NETA officially stated that the 4.0 system will launch the NCP urban navigation assistance system in the first half of 2024.
Who are the competitors?
After the release of NETA S, in addition to the model itself, the most discussed topic online is about its competing models. Competing models include BYD Dolphin, BYD Han, Zerun C01, XPeng P7, and Chang’an Shenlan SL03.However, in fact, there is only one model that launches both pure electric and extended-range powertrain vehicles at the same time, which is Changan Shenlan SL03. Therefore, in the current market, NETA S’s most direct and comparable competitor should be Changan Shenlan SL03.
We have also conducted a in-depth test drive of Changan Shenlan SL03 before, and interested friends can watch the previous video. “5.9s break 100 km/h + rear-wheel drive, is it a Tesla Model 3 alternative?“
After determining the direct competitor, the next question is how to choose between the two cars. From the product layout, the first answer can be obtained is the four-wheel drive, performance-oriented models. Changan Shenlan SL03 currently does not have a performance-oriented four-wheel drive model. Therefore, those who have higher requirements for performance can only choose NETA S.
In terms of the extended-range and pure electric long-range models that both models have launched, with the same positioning and configuration, the price of NETA S is about 30,000 yuan higher. There is not much difference in the main performance parameters such as power and range between the two cars. The 30,000 yuan higher price of NETA S mainly results in a larger body size and stronger auxiliary driving hardware and functions.
Therefore, the choice between Changan Shenlan SL03 and NETA S is not difficult. The advantage of Changan Shenlan SL03 lies in the brand value of Changan, lower starting price, and higher cost performance.
Although the price of NETA S is higher, the performance is slightly stronger and the configuration is higher. Excluding the subjective factor of design, the choice between the two mainly depends on whether the 30,000 yuan price difference can bring the large size and high configuration that you need.
“Famous” Server Crashes
After the launch event of NETA S, the official Weibo account of NETA Auto announced that “due to the hot pre-orders of NETA S, the server is currently under urgent repair.”
Obviously, another new force car company has experienced a server crash due to the overwhelming pre-orders. Faced with this situation, many netizens have become accustomed to it and said, “Nowadays, it feels like a new car is not popular if the APP server doesn’t crash.” The server crash seems to have become a “famous” project for some brand new car launches.For NETA Motors, whose previous main selling car price range was between 80,000 and 130,000 RMB, the price and positioning of NETA S have undoubtedly been greatly elevated. However, whether the current brand image and positioning of NETA Motors can support such a price remains to be seen and tested by the market.
What is your opinion on NETA S? Welcome to leave comments and discuss in the comments section.
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.