Deep Blue G318 review: A light off-road vehicle that only sells for 180,000 yuan
After the release of the Deep Blue G318, my first reaction was to slap my thigh in amazement:
Changan really knows how to do business!
Starting from the CS35/CS55/CS75, to the later UNI-V, and now the Deep Blue SL03/S7, and the Qiyuan A07, Changan's ability to grasp and follow market trends is so strong that it doesn't feel like a state-owned enterprise. A SUV like the G318 that can use electricity, has low fuel consumption, and has an off-road styling is too obvious a selling point. As soon as the car was launched, the test drive cars were already allocated to nearby stores - an opportunity I certainly wouldn't miss.
Only by examining the car up close can you realize that it appears larger than it does in photos. Although it has very clear sculptural lines, it is not a complete "box" shape overall. The closed front face design is rarely seen on off-road vehicles, and the G318 is the first of its kind in my memory. The rear design even has a slight fastback element.
With a relatively longer L113, the proportion of the cabin occupying the car's length is reduced, making the side proportions more balanced. If you don't see the actual car up close, you might not even realize that it's already a massive vehicle over 5 meters long and nearly 2 meters tall.In terms of detail, its style is not entirely off-road oriented, but rather carries a touch of science fiction, which aligns well with the brand identity of Deep Blue. For instance, the C-shaped headlight assembly.
Advertisement
On both sides of the bumper, there is a very distinctive rectangular nested design, with a small piece of glossy trim in the middle, which initially made me wonder why this vehicle has two such small lidar sensors... I feel that the inspiration for this part of the design might come from a self-locking buckle, giving an illusion that the front bumper has a quick-release feature.
The four interconnected spotlights that run through the roof and luggage rack can be considered the crowning touch of the entire vehicle. According to the sales pitch, the two on the outside are high beam lights, while the two on the inside are spotlights for outdoor scenarios.However, this combination kit of roof racks and spotlights is an optional feature for all configurations except the top-of-the-line model. I personally strongly recommend adding it, as the overall appearance of the vehicle would be significantly compromised without it.
The running boards are an original design that comes with the car, featuring a fixed style that makes getting in and out more convenient. However, one must be cautious, as there is a risk of catching one's pants or even tripping.
Moreover, Changan, which focuses on design, has also learned to incorporate some delightful "Easter eggs," such as the silhouette print on the bottom right corner of the front windshield.
The interior design is far more refined compared to the so-called traditional off-road vehicles. The upper half of the entire dashboard is made of soft plastic, and pressing on the upper and lower parts of the dashboard does not result in any noticeable deformation or unusual sounds, indicating that the assembly craftsmanship is quite good.Moreover, the side of the car door, the inner surface of the cockpit, and both sides of the console are all wrapped in suede material, which seems not to be a choice that a so-called "professional" off-road vehicle would make—
This, in a sense, also indicates that it is not a true off-road vehicle.
The three-spoke steering wheel is not too large in size, belonging to the normal level of a family car, and the grip feels very smooth, at least wrapped in high-quality leather material. The gear lever has a unique shape, with a huge size that spans the entire console, allowing one to comfortably rest their hand on it. Behind it are the hard switches for the P gear, terrain mode, and differential lock. Below the central control screen, the basic air conditioning control area is retained.
The car's system, while maintaining the design style of Deep Blue, has added an independent theme interface on the home page that displays terrain and driving modes, and there are many interactive features: one can view longitude and latitude, altitude, vehicle pitch angle, vehicle roll angle, vehicle heading, differential lock status, etc.Additionally, since this top-of-the-line model comes with CDC damping and air suspension, the adjustment of the vehicle height is also integrated with driving mode, ESP switch, hill descent control, and crawl mode, among other off-road scenario-related features, all placed on the home screen.
Although it is primarily designed for light off-roading, the all-wheel drive system is achieved through dual electric motors, with front and rear torque distribution managed by algorithms. Only the rear axle is equipped with a mechanical inter-axle differential lock, but it still offers plenty of fun in terms of playability.
Thanks to its high ground clearance and ample space, the G318 can provide a large, openable panoramic sunroof, complemented by an electric sunshade. Moreover, the sunroof control is a physical lever, and the illumination lights on both sides can also be opened and closed by directly pressing the surface, featuring actual travel in the physical controls, rather than heat-sensitive touch buttons, which is a positive point. However, the workmanship of the illumination lights is somewhat average; when pressed, there is a slight looseness felt inside the lights.The front row is easy to get into a comfortable sitting position, even when the driver's seat is set to the lowest position, it is still very easy to see the slender front of the car. However, it's a minor downside that the top-spec model still doesn't offer a HUD. The seats are well-cushioned, and the lumbar support isn't too prominent, following a spacious and comfortable "sofa" style.
The rear space, for a 5-meter long two-row vehicle, doesn't have a significant advantage, which might be related to the slightly higher length of the L113. Nevertheless, it still ensures more than two-fist legroom, which is absolutely sufficient for daily use. The softness of the rear seats is equally excellent, and the wrapping is good. Although the seat cushion is slightly short, it still provides support for the thighs, and the lumbar support isn't too prominent. The backrest angle supports manual two-position adjustment.
Additionally, the rear charging USB ports have been moved to the armrests on the side door panels, a small detail that is very considerate. However, this means that there is only one Type-C port on each side, without a Type-A port. It should be noted that many people are still using Type-A charging cables, so there is a trade-off.
The performance of the trunk, of course, is not a concern. Not only is the volume large enough, but the interior is also very flat. The only downside is that the rear seat backrest does not have electric adjustment and needs to be manually reclined. The trunk wall has a 220V external power outlet, one three-phase and one two-phase, plus the V2L power discharge function of the external charging port, which is basically sufficient for outdoor camping. The rear of the car also comes with an original tow hook. The tailgate features an electric suction door, and when opened, it also has a convenient loading function with automatic rear suspension descent.Let's talk briefly about the dynamics. Since the test drive cars at the 4S store are always in a state of being fully charged but running low on fuel, the entire test drive process is essentially conducted in pure electric driving mode, making it impossible to measure the performance when the engine intervenes.
Operating solely in EV mode, the power is naturally strong, and there are no issues with the linearity of the output and the quietness. Although the tire width is as high as 255, the Continental PremiumContact C used is primarily focused on comfort and silence, and the effect is quite good.
The steering performance is more focused on being light, even with a thick tire with a 55% aspect ratio. The center dead spot is not too large for an SUV, and the feel is relatively even. However, the damping gain with the steering angle is not very obvious, and the electronic flavor is slightly heavy. Fortunately, it is still relatively light to maneuver at low speeds.
The main weakness lies in the suspension, which can be described in one word: "soft"! Even when set to sport mode and the suspension height is lowered to the minimum, the damping of the shock absorbers is still too light. As a result, it behaves similarly to the previously tested Qiyuan A07, with a "chest out at startup and a bow at braking." If you drive a bit faster, it sways like a boat, and there are many aftershocks when going over bumps in the road. This is not quite appropriate for an SUV that is mainly focused on light off-roading and whose primary battlefield is in the city. It is unknown whether the lower configuration with coil springs would perform better.
However, the adjustable range of the suspension travel is quite large, from 278mm to 348mm, so you generally don't have to worry about the battery pack scraping on the ground in daily use. But if you really take it off-roading, you should still be cautious.In terms of driving assistance, the G318 has clearly made some trade-offs, perhaps due to the main costs being occupied by the dual-motor four-wheel drive and active suspension. First, the sensor still uses a single-purpose camera, so it can only provide basic adaptive cruise control + lane centering functions, without advanced intelligent driving. Secondly, in terms of parking, there is only a 360 panoramic assistance, without automatic parking functionality, which is a bit of a pity for such a large-sized SUV, especially for the top-of-the-line model.
Driving Summary:
It can be said that it is a true "off-road style" family SUV, rather than a serious off-road vehicle—stylish appearance, low fuel consumption, comfortable cabin, suitable for daily use;
With four-wheel drive and air suspension, you can also have some fun outdoors; there is also a large battery and complete external power supply function, suitable for camping.
More importantly: the mid-range models with a 36-degree large battery, whether it is the 18.59 comfortable version, or the version with a choice of four-wheel drive or air suspension for 199,900, all have strong cost-performance ratios.However, the rear row's configuration is not high-end, and the overly soft suspension also affects daily driving to some extent; the large battery under the car and a vehicle weight exceeding 2.6 tons make it difficult to confidently push it to any extreme limits.
For those who are serious about off-roading, a more pure off-road vehicle like the Tank 300 would be more suitable. But for a quick thrill, it's enough.
For ordinary people who are not enthusiasts, why not give it a try?
Comment