You'll be the third: Chinese crossover got a new version
Compact crossover Jaecoo J7 has received a new version equipped with all-wheel drive transmission with intelligent Torque-Vectoring system. It was inherited from its "big brother" - the J8 model. Also, some other options have appeared on the "seven". Izvestia correspondent got acquainted with the novelty on the roads near Moscow.
Unidentified objects
From the outside it is absolutely impossible to identify the car with a new transmission - even the nameplates on the stern are standard. But on the steering wheel there appeared some "chunk", and the trunk of the car as if became more capacious.
The advanced powertrain version only comes with a 14.8-inch multimedia display
- This is an infrared camera, which monitors the driver's condition, assesses how often he blinks and yawns. It's part of the DMS system, monitoring driver fatigue. If the electronics considers that a person has spent a lot of time behind the wheel, the car will remind him to stop and take a break," Jaecoo representatives explained.
DMS, as well as the built-in video recorder (which not only records the picture, but is, in fact, a black box, fixing all the parameters of movement), is a prerogative of the maximum configuration. And the trunk is now available on all J7s. It was possible to increase its volume from 412 to 500 liters at the expense of the changed form of lining of rear wheel arches. Earlier they protruded noticeably, eating useful space of a cargo compartment. Now the design has been noticeably trimmed.
Invisible help
The main difference of the new version of Jaecoo J7 is a smart all-wheel drive transmission Torque-Vectoring with adjustable traction vector, similar to the one installed on the model ranked higher, Jaecoo J8. The rear axle of the crossover is deprived of a traditional differential: instead of it, there are multidisc clutches on the half-axles, which flexibly vary the torque transmitted to the rear left or rear right wheel. In addition, additional cam clutches are placed on the car's driveshaft. When the car is traveling straight ahead at a constant speed, they completely disengage the rear wheel drive, which saves fuel. But if you add gas or turn the steering wheel, these clutches instantly close, and Jaecoo J7 becomes all-wheel drive again.
In normal driving modes to feel the work of all additional clutches is probably possible only for factory testers or professional racers, who literally feel even minimal changes in the behavior of the car with their skin. For an untrained driver it is more important that the car follows the given trajectory and was stable on the road. And here to J7 there are no censures - behavior of the crossover is quite expected and predictable.
Off-road, the benefits of Torque-Vectoring are most pronounced with diagonal suspension
The passenger at this moment can watch a beautiful animation showing redistribution of traction in real time on the 14-inch multimedia display: here the driver pressed the gas pedal, and "energy arrows" came to life, and stationary wheels turned. And here he decided to start sharply on wet asphalt, and again most of the traction went to the rear axle.
The advantages of Torque-Vectoring were felt on a winding road. Advanced all-wheel drive transmission actively helped to pass steep turns at a decent speed, adding traction to the rear inner wheel, which gave the crossover an additional impulse. In fact, in such modes the mechanism works as an antipode of ESP system, which, on the contrary, brakes external wheels in relation to a turn.
Advanced transmission automatically redistributes traction to the wheels depending on road conditions
Moreover, Torque-Vectoring allows the driver certain liberties. Adding traction in a turn it considers as a desire to fool around and allows a skillful motorist to pass a turn in a slight lateral sliding. At the same time, if the angle of skid exceeds permissible values, ESP will unconditionally return the car to the way of truth.
Colonel of a sand pit
To estimate off-road capabilities of the new version of Jaecoo J7 it was possible on one of the former sand pits, where sportsmen on cross motorcycles train. Torque-Vectoring has not failed here.
Where a crossover with a conventional all-wheel drive required from the driver caution and prudence, its advanced version confidently crawled, without forcing to make any additional manipulations: to dosage traction, to conjure with settings, etc. After all, if in a simple J7 with 4×4 transmission the priority of traction still falls on the front wheels, Torque-Vectoring automatically distributes it between the front and rear axle, as well as the left and right rear wheels in such a way as to ensure maximum efficiency in the moment.
With Torque-Vectoring system, Jaecoo J7 crossover will cost 170 thousand rubles more expensive than its counterpart with conventional all-wheel drive system
The benefits with traction were most clearly demonstrated when diagonal-vehicle alignment was utilized. A conventional all-wheel-drive J7 got out of the trap only after several attempts, crunching the brakes in hopes of stopping a wheel spinning helplessly in the air. But its fellow with a smart transmission jumped out of the trap from the first time, simply shifting the traction to the wheel, which had traction with the ground. Of course, Jaecoo J7 with Torque-Vectoring does not reach the rank of "general of sand pit", but it is quite enough to the colonel.
Possibility of choice
Of course, the advanced all-wheel drive system has affected the cost of the car. Jaecoo J7 with Torque-Vectoring, as well as a built-in recorder, driver fatigue monitoring system and some other options will cost 170 thousand rubles more expensive than the model with a conventional 4×4 transmission. However, the appearance of this modification has noticeably expanded the potential buyers' opportunities to choose the version of the crossover that suits them best. Those who do not need all-wheel drive, should pay attention to the basic modification, driven only by front wheels. If the driver prefers stability and reliability, he can choose a car with conventional all-wheel drive. And for those who are interested in excitement and the possibility to dig in the mud without risk, the new version of Jaecoo J7 with intelligent all-wheel drive is now addressed.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
