No Mocha, Relaxed.
What the heck is Mocha?
I seem to have selective amnesia regarding WEY’s Mocha. The only vivid memory I have is its spokeswoman, Yale student prodigy Anna Yao, who is also the second daughter of Huawei’s CEO Ren Zhengfei. Beyond that, everything else is completely forgotten. What kind of car is Mocha? All I know is that it’s an SUV, and probably a cute city SUV. So I hopped on a plane to Shenzhen for the WEY Mocha test drive.
When I arrived at the hotel, I found a piece of paper on the table. I was a bit puzzled. Why is a car called “Smart Car Man”? Is this a reference to Transformers or something?
After Drinking Mocha, I’m Clear-Headed.
Turns out, it’s WEY’s flagship SUV.
First of all, let me clarify that I didn’t drink any alcohol the night before and slept pretty well. I was even the first one to the lobby waiting for the car. However, my ignorance about Mocha persisted like a hangover until we arrived at the first driver exchange location.
I only found out after getting off the car that Mocha is a mid-to-large SUV with a wheelbase of 2,915 mm! No wonder it feels a bit big when turning around. Where is Anna Yao? Where is the cute city SUV? Maybe it’s just my own delusion. But that’s okay, because people like me who are unfamiliar with this car can get to know WEY Mocha gradually.
The Mocha we test drove had Level 2 advanced driving assistance features called HWA (Highway Driving Assistance), consisting of 5 millimeter-wave radars and 1 front monocular camera. It’s equipped with the same Mobileye EyeQ4 autonomous driving chips as NIO Pilot and Li ONE, with a computing power of 2.5 TOPS.
Features include:
- Lane centering
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane change assistance
- Automatic lane change and passing
The features are activated in a relatively traditional way, by pulling the cruise control lever under the turn signal lever twice to start it. And if you repeatedly try to start the L2 function in a disallowed condition, a punishment mechanism will be triggered: you need to park and then restart the L2 function, which means you need to shift to P gear before unlocking.
Although the absolute limit is not high, Great Wall still has its own ideas about HWA calibration. Compared with “reckless behavior” of Tesla’s AP, which speeds through individual bends but cannot keep the driving line and stops itself, the way Mo Cha handles it is more humane. It will slow down and brake before the bends. At this time, the control of the brakes is completed by ESP, because Mo Cha’s brake master cylinder is vacuum-assisted. This method is different from electronic power-assisted master cylinders and will generate some working noise. However, the official said that it is still improving the noise caused by the ESP pump when slowing down.
The 2-minute hands-free time is indeed quite spacious, enough to exercise and relieve the pressure of long-distance driving. When overtaking with the blinker on, if the system judges that overtaking is not possible, the sound of the blinker will be replaced by different warning sounds.
After the product is launched in May, NOH (Navigation On Highway pilot) based on high-precision maps will also be gradually opened. Its function is similar to Tesla’s NOA, NIO’s NOP, and XPeng’s NGP, which can achieve basic functions such as selecting lanes according to the navigation path, including entering and leaving highways. Great Wall plans to use Ibeo’s solid-state lidar on the top-of-the-line Mo Cha within this year, making it one of the first vehicles in China to achieve L3 autonomous driving capability.
Mo Cha refill, start to get excited
A pretty well-done lazy feature.
Unfortunately, scene-based autonomous driving is still in its infancy, and other features that are easier to package as selling points are being given greater gimmicks. However, practical experience is the only thing that counts. What is useful is what has been confirmed through real-world experience by humans.
Mo Cha has two parking-related functions, both of which may be one of the best experiences among domestic cars. I even think that remote parking may rank among the top of the 42Mark’s individual scores. If you encounter a place where it is too narrow to park or you don’t feel like operating the car yourself, remote parking can accurately perform the boring parking work. Even in the case of longitudinal and lateral parking conditions of only 70 cm in front and back, it can achieve the same level with the front and back cars.
Trail parking supplements some scenes where driving is not allowed or moving forward in error. Based on the fusion of visual and radar SLAM algorithms, Mocha can trace the driving route of the recent 50 meters and the driver only needs to click the relevant button on the vehicle’s surround view when reversing.Translate the Chinese text below into English Markdown text in a professional way. Keep the HTML tags inside the Markdown and only output the results.
Imagine that you are about to drive into an alley that can only accommodate bicycles, or even an old parking lot that is already full when you drive in. At this point, you can only choose to reverse, and for most people, reversing is always more troublesome than going straight ahead. However, the Mocha is equipped with this set of systems to dispel this concern. The BMW, which has similar functions, not only has a higher price, but also requires the driver to operate the brakes.
Gradual Metabolism, Calm Review
Solid hardware is the foundation of everything
First of all, the configuration of this car is quite generous in all aspects. In terms of powertrain, it can be said to be a model of self-developed capabilities of domestic brands. The latest E20N 2.0 L turbocharged engine developed by Fengchao Yichuang under Great Wall Motors adopts Miller cycle (with a high compression ratio of 12) and water-cooled intercooling, matched with a 48 V BSG.
It should be noted that water-cooled intercooling was only used on performance cars in Europe until a few years ago because the manufacturing process of this intercooler is more complex and has a higher defect rate. However, because it does not require the wind resistance of air-cooled intercooling, it can shorten the intake pipe and improve the response speed. Moreover, the intake temperature fluctuation of this intercooler is smaller, which helps the engine to work better. As far as I know, this will be the first mass-produced engine with a water-cooled intercooler in domestic self-developed passenger car engines.
The transmission is even more advanced, and it is also the world’s first wet 9-speed dual-clutch transmission with a transverse layout developed by Great Wall Motors itself. However, the combination of “dual-clutch + domestic” has always been a symbol of the “car overturning” of the powertrain, which is why many people still prefer the less efficient but more reliable AT gearbox of low-cost joint ventures and domestic cars. To be frank, like many netizens who have experienced the first generation Haval H6 purchased by their friends several years ago, I have not had any hope for domestic DCT since then.
However, the first-generation H6 of that year not only brought me helplessness in the powertrain but also psychological trauma in the handling sense. The weak frame, strange steering, and suspension system that does not work well in all aspects made me feel that driving such a car is a “physical labor that consumes energy.” It’s a pity that there was no autopilot at that time. Even ACC was a luxury configuration!
Therefore, when I found out that the wheelbase of this car is 2,915 mm after driving it, it is not entirely my fault, but Great Wall has made the Mocha’s frame no longer loose like before, and it has successfully lost more than 100+ kg compared to the smaller VV7.# A car with Aluminum Lower Control Arms and Hydraulic Bushings
If a car with a price tag of 200,000 yuan uses aluminum lower control arms, it’s highly probable that it will boast about it. However, I found out that the car I tested, the Mocha, not only uses aluminum lower control arms, but also has higher comfort hydraulic bushings and even a forged aluminum steering knuckle.
Reducing the weight of springs does not just improve handling, but is also a high priority for the comfort of SUV models with large wheels and long travel. Over the years, the collision and steering responses of Great Wall’s vehicles have gradually improved, making them no longer uncomfortable to drive.
As for the powertrain of this car, it has eliminated my prejudice against domestic dual-clutch transmissions. Although the response of the 9-speed dual-clutch transmission in manual mode is not as fast, who would frequently use paddle shifters for an SUV with such a large tachometer?
The jerkiness of the half-linked crawl of the dual-clutch transmission car has also been greatly compensated for by the excellent response of the water-cooled motor oil and BSG. It is only when you step on the gas pedal that you can truly discover that the power source of this car is a 213 horsepower, 320 N·m four-cylinder engine. For users who pursue power and green-license, Great Wall will also launch a plug-in hybrid version of the Mocha.
An “Intelligent Car Person”?
“Why add the word ‘person’ in ‘intelligent car person – Mocha’?
In this era of electrification and interconnection, the pursuit of intelligence is inevitable, especially for Hot Money. In this regard, the Mocha, equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8155 cabin chip, can even synthetize customized voice packages and direct feedback to Great Wall product managers with voice sarcasm, showing it hasn’t been left behind by the trend. However, as a passenger vehicle with sensory interaction, a car’s dynamic sensations, NVH, and other physical experiences can be used for differentiation.
Fortunately, Great Wall has done a good job in this regard, even with a Japanese-style attentiveness. When I shifted to D and prepared to start vigorously, the tail of the car immediately pressed down. This wasn’t because I was holding the brake with my left foot, ready to bounce; but because I didn’t buckle my seat belt, so the parking brake wasn’t released. After buckling the seat belt and stepping on the gas pedal, the parking brake was automatically released, and the car started moving forward.This small difference can actually be realized on any car with an electronic parking brake. But for me, the one made by Great Wall Motors is the first car that has such a safety consideration. The wireless charging position for mobile phones is different as well, and it is an insert type. This not only ensures that the phone will not have a broken screen due to sudden braking, but also physically prevents you from playing with your phone too often. After all, the center control of the car is driven by Snapdragon 8155 and has the conditions to replace the function of a phone.
Similar to Ideal ONE, the air conditioning system of the Mocha is adjusted through the touch screen below the main screen, which also supports two-finger gesture adjustment of temperature and air volume. However, the experience with Mocha is better than Ideal ONE because I can use the crystal glass gear lever as a fulcrum to operate the screen manually. And the operating force of this gear lever is deliberately increased, so it is not easy to shift gears mistakenly when operating the screen.
Mocha did not give up on physical humanization due to the intelligence on the electronic side, and perhaps this is why Great Wall Motors called Mocha the world’s first “smart car-human”. Anyway, I think it is smooth to understand it this way: intelligence should assist people, and people should come first.
Great Wall Motors’ Degreasing?
Speaking of Mocha, it reminded me of Luo Yonghao, who slapped himself in order to choose between a medium or large cup.
Not long ago, I saw Luo Yonghao endorsing L’Oreal’s press conference, titled “Hardcore and Gentle”. I was really shocked by this collaboration. It’s fine for Luo to brag about digital products and cars, but I have doubts about him entering the field of cosmetics and beauty. Luo Yonghao, as the first generation of Chinese internet celebrity, is not getting any younger: his obese figure, glasses and mustache, and the Mediterranean that can be seen through his apology after live streaming accidents. It has to be said that Luo looks a bit greasy.
Of course, Luo disagrees with this evaluation. “But greasiness can be divided into spiritual and material aspects.” He, who is dubbed as the “a dim light in the industry,” has experienced various successes and failures in entrepreneurship, and has been selected as the annual fashion leader twice. Luo’s appearance is indeed greasy, but as he said, he is “a particularly ungreasy middle-aged man” like Li Jian, Da Zhangwei and others, and he “has a very valuable youthful feeling.” Constantly exploring and striving, he finally found his calling in live streaming e-commerce and had a true “Zheng Hao Chuan” deal that was worth hundreds of millions of yuan.Why does L’Oreal cooperate with Luo Zhixiang? Why does Great Wall Motor sell the Mocha? I reckon the core business opportunity is to help oily people “de-oilify”. Medium to large SUVs are aimed at middle-aged men for the most part, and the WEY VV products of Great Wall Motors are clearly bought mostly by middle-aged men. However, as can be seen from the previous text, the Mocha, whether in terms of naming, design or actual product capabilities, is striving for de-oilification. Although the greasiness caused by burning gasoline and the need to change engine oil is inevitable at the material level, where is this car still oily?
In terms of price, it can also be said to be oily but not greasy. Oops, it should be fatty but not greasy. In addition to the entry-level model priced at RMB 179,800, both the Special Version and the Pure Version priced at RMB 189,800 and RMB 205,800, respectively, are equipped with Mobileye EyeQ4 L2 assisted driving systems. On top of the prices of these two models, an additional RMB 5,000 can get you the fifth-generation electronic control four-wheel drive system from Haldex (which Volkswagen and Volvo use, among others). The Pure Version, which is equipped with a laser radar, will also be delivered in November this year. This will be another wave of impact on products of the same level or even at the same price.
Haval, which used to have no bright spots except for price and space, is becoming more and more cost-effective. WEY, which has no decisive difference other than design, has also embarked on the path of advancement. As a product targeting the female market, Euler now has a taste of breaking through the boundaries and has gradually become a trendy electric vehicle brand for all genders.
Development is the only way
Strength is confidence
Great Wall’s product strategy layout is becoming larger and denser at a visible speed. And various self-developed power units from Funeng Easysight, such as the DHT and the power combination of the 6Z30 3.0T V6 engine + P2 motorized 9-speed automatic transmission that can compete with European car models, made their appearance in the supplier exhibition hall at the Shanghai Auto Show, which also made me feel the ambition of Great Wall in the supply chain.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, whose orders have been decreasing year by year, used to be a supplier of Great Wall. If it continues to not make progress in product updates, it will sooner or later be overtaken by this little brother who used to beg him for goods. And I believe that Great Wall will not be satisfied with providing power for individual models of BAIC and Changan.
The wave of electrification has arrived, indicating that both domestic and international R&D of internal combustion engines is gradually shrinking. Due to regional limitations, scenario constraints, and interests, it is clear that ICEs cannot be quickly eliminated. This environment, however, is advantageous to Great Wall Motors with its independent powertrain development capabilities. Capital is profit-oriented, as long as Great Wall Motors continues to strive to offer sufficient cost-effectiveness, it is not impossible for it to secure a place as a Tier 1 supplier in the domestic ICE market and even exporting overseas.
Source: Great Wall Motors
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.