Author: Turbocharged Chubby Boy
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Featuring: Wang Xuan, Edited by: Yin Rui
When it comes to MPV models, it's the one that gives me the biggest headache. Why is that?
Actually, many of us can understand that MPV is a "big enough and comfortable enough" type of car for both family and business uses. But, ironically, this type of car does not have a large market share. However, the MPV market itself is still a blue ocean, with only a few models fighting in it, while most automakers focus their energy on sedans and SUVs, the two main types of cars.
Now, with the continuous change of car usage concepts and even the policy of allowing two or three children, consumers' demand for MPVs is growing stronger. Prior to the Guangzhou Auto Show this year, Landjet introduced their first MPV model, the Dreamer.
Like FREE, Landjet Dreamer is built on the ESSA native intelligent electric platform. "E" stands for Electric, which means native electric; the two "S" respectively represent Smart and Secure, which means intelligence and security; "A" stands for Architecture, which means structure.
The Landjet Dreamer was first unveiled in its four-seater version, which focuses more on luxury business needs. As an MPV model that has enough space to accommodate six or seven people, more and more automakers are starting to offer four-seat versions. Obviously, four seats have become a symbol of whether an MPV model is high-end.
As a new force born of traditional carmakers, Landjet has seized the aesthetic needs of high-end MPV consumers and followed the family-style luxury yacht design concept in Dreamer's design.
Especially the interior design of blue and white color matching with rose gold accessories, think about it carefully, who wouldn't want to appear "wealthy" when sitting in the back of a four-seat MPV?
The Voyah Dreamer is a medium-sized new energy MPV that, like the first Voyah model, the FREE, will offer both pure electric and plug-in hybrid versions. The vehicle dimensions are: length 5315 mm, width 1980 mm, height 1810 mm, and wheelbase 3200 mm.
In terms of vehicle dimensions, it is larger than the GAC Toyota Sienna and SAIC-GM Buick GL8, and similar in size to SAIC Volkswagen Wirvan and the newly launched SAIC Maxus MIFA 9 at the Guangzhou Auto Show.
Compared to gasoline-powered and most hybrid models (HEV, MHEV, PHEV), pure electric and plug-in hybrid models require larger battery packs. Therefore, only with a sufficiently large vehicle body size can the battery layout and passenger space be better.
In terms of the chassis, the Voyah Dreamer uses a front double-wishbone and rear multi-link independent suspension system, equipped with air suspension, CDC electromagnetic damping system, and magic carpet function. Although the Voyah FREE also had air suspension before, it is not really common to see this kind of chassis configuration on MPV models.
At present, Voyah Dreamer has not yet revealed specific power information, but the pure electric version will use a front and rear dual-motor layout, with an acceleration of only 5.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h. With the Voyah Dreamer’s chassis configuration, is it possible to run for the mountains with the boss?If we think about what details MPVs should focus on, comfort, technology, and luxury are the key aspects, with comfort being the most important. In the past, some MPVs had common problems like poor comfort when encountering bumps in the third row, soft suspension, and the feeling of riding a boat while sitting in the car.
Therefore, it is apparent that the chassis system equipped on the Voyah Dreamer is designed to enhance driving and riding experiences and solve the issues inherited by previous MPV models.
The central layout of Voyah Dreamer inherits the design of FREE, using a three-screen design that includes a liquid crystal instrument panel, a central control screen, and an additional entertainment screen. The four-seater version of the car’s backseat is also equipped with a TV and a car control screen.
Besides, Voyah Dreamer is also equipped with a 5G onboard entertainment and office system, L2+ smart driving assistance system, and supports OTA updates for the whole vehicle.
For new energy vehicles, MPVs have too many “pain points,” but the blue ocean market is too tempting…
Whether it is an extended-range or pure electric MPV model, the weight of the whole car will increase significantly after laying the battery pack on the chassis. In addition, it is challenging for MPVs to achieve the “drag coefficient,” the most important factor for new energy vehicle models. As a result, the energy consumption of new energy MPVs will inevitably be high, making it difficult to achieve satisfactory cruising range.
Although Voyah Dreamer has not disclosed specific cruising range information, we can take Voyah FREE as an example:
- Pure electric four-wheel-drive version, battery capacity of 88 kWh, NEDC rating cruising range of 475 km;
- Pure electric rear-wheel-drive version, battery capacity of 88 kWh, NEDC rating cruising range of 505 km;
- Extended-range four-wheel-drive version, fuel tank volume of 56 L, battery capacity of 33 kWh, NEDC comprehensive cruising range of 860 km.## Translation
As a mid-sized SUV, the range performance of the Voyah FREE is not particularly outstanding among its peers. Therefore, as a mid-sized MPV, it is very difficult for the Voyah Dreamer to achieve comparable or even better range performance than the Voyah FREE.
Conclusion
Lu Fang, the CEO of Voyah Motors, said:
There is currently no MPV on the market that truly meets the needs of both family and business travel, and there is no MPV that truly meets the needs of both family economic travel and high-end quality that is in line with the current trend of high-end electric MPVs. Today, the Chinese people finally have their own high-end electric MPV. It comes for the dream, for the user! It is a movable living room, a movable warm home. It can be powered by oil or electricity, suitable for both home and business use, suitable for both urban and distant areas, and it is the third mobile space that everyone wants to own.
The emergence of the Voyah Dreamer not only expands Voyah’s product line but also fills in some market gaps. As the first MPV model of Voyah and the first high-end new energy MPV model in China, the Voyah Dreamer has overturned some industry norms and solved some user pain points, but the pain points of new energy MPV models themselves are indeed difficult to solve.
In today’s new energy MPV market, there are not many luxurious and high-end models available. The Voyah Dreamer has taken the lead to enter this “deep sea,” but how far it can swim in the sea remains to be seen until its official launch.
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.