All along, I have not been particularly fond of "off-road vehicles" (serious off-road vehicles). I have always believed that "off-road vehicles" are prepared for the industry, professional users, or military departments, and are used when it is "necessary to go to places where there are no roads." For civilian vehicles, I encourage the principle of "build roads first, then drive," in order to achieve the goal of "coordinated development of automobiles and society."
Nowadays, the vitality of the SUV category is evident, and the rapid economic development has even driven a new round of (somewhat serious) "off-road vehicles" to emerge. I am naturally pleased with the "hundred flowers blooming, hundred schools of thought contending" scenario, but recently, the off-road style submarket has gradually shown signs of overheating, which makes me somewhat worried about the market prospects of some new products.
Yes, today we will talk about the latest off-road style work of Changan Automobile, the Deep Blue G318.
Looking back at the history of Changan Automobile, Changan's vehicle business (according to publicity) began with military jeeps, and the new "lifestyle vehicle" choosing this direction can also be considered a kind of inheritance.The commercial success of Great Wall Motor's Tank 300 has undoubtedly added fuel to the fire for Shenlan Automobile's decision to launch similar new energy products in the same direction. But does logical coherence mean that practical operation will be feasible? Friends with some experience should be able to easily make a negative judgment. So, what's the catch?
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Firstly, the Shenlan G318 has a significant architectural difference from other products within the group (such as the AITO 11, Changan Qiyuan E07), with a suspension and body developed specifically for better off-road capabilities, which comes at a high cost. Even without considering the price, looking at the market, there are already many PHEV/EREV products with an off-road style, and for the Shenlan G318 to stand out among them is not a simple task.
Further, the Shenlan G318 features a high-end configuration with air springs on both front and rear axles and CDC shock absorbers. It also introduces, for the first time within the group, a range-extending dual-motor four-wheel-drive system (on high-end models, capable of "panther turn", note: unfortunately, BYD's Formula Leopard was the first to introduce and define this feature). If the high-end models can really keep the price within 200,000 yuan, with such hardware on board, profitability should be a headache.Such cost pressures have also made the Deep Blue G318 appear restrained in terms of configuration. The heating, ventilation, and massage functions for the front seats may be among the few high-end features of this vehicle. The previous practice of adding leg rests aggressively by Chang'an (such as in the Deep Blue S7) is not present in this flagship model of the Deep Blue brand, and the level of sophistication and richness in the choice of interior materials is also noticeably restrained. Is this the time to stop talking about "wanting it all"? Is this the time to stop talking about "all-round" capabilities?
Although styling is a matter of personal taste, the Deep Blue G318, as a function-oriented vehicle (which should have good off-road performance) and also a transverse-engine product, has an intentionally elongated L113, is it trying to pay homage to the side posture of the Jeep Wrangler? The longer body length than the Equation Leopard 5 does not translate into more passenger space, which is indeed a pity. Additionally, as an off-road style product, choosing a "faceless" front face also carries some risks.
As for the new requirements for reliability and durability in off-road scenario products with the application of monocoque body, bottom-mounted flat batteries, and electric four-wheel drive, I am willing to believe that Chang'an's engineering team has achieved some success.
Overall, in the current fiercely competitive environment, the strengths, or rather the intentions, of the Deep Blue G318 are very clear. However, the competitive landscape has changed dramatically since the G318 was initiated, and the risks due to technology, or rather cost, are also evident (the above only cites some product aspects, and there are also some issues on the operational level). If Deep Blue Automobile's expectation for the G318 is to sell nearly ten thousand units per month and break through the brand's price ceiling, it is likely to be disappointed.
Of course, we hope that every outstanding engineering practice can achieve commercial success, as it is the result of the efforts of many professionals. However, we must also acknowledge that setbacks are the norm, especially when things are not quite right from the beginning.Please provide the text you would like translated into English.
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