Business jet: how the Chinese hybrid minivan behaved on the roads of the Caucasus
With the virtual absence of executive sedans on the Russian market, their place is gradually being filled by premium minivans. The hybrid Wey 80 is one of the brightest examples of such "class substitution". The Izvestia correspondent found out how this car behaves on the roads of the Elbrus region.
"Business class passengers are invited on board"
- No, these are not business cabs! These are cars for the event! - The organizers of the test drive are fighting off the passengers who have arrived at Mineralnye Vody airport. It is impossible not to notice the column of huge minivans, shining with huge chrome grilles, lined up in the parking lot of the air harbor. And some people mistake them for VIP shuttles. The cars stand out from the flow, involuntarily attracting the eyes of others with their size (almost 5.5 meters in length and almost 2 meters in height) and unusual shapes.
The "main" passengers of the Wey 80 are addressed by luxurious separate seats. Thousands of microscopic LEDs are sewn into the ceiling lining of the minivan to create a starry sky effect
In response to pulling the handle, the massive side door slides obligingly to the side under the barely audible whirring of the electric motor, giving passengers "access to the business lounge". This definition most accurately characterizes the Wey 80 passenger cabin.
Separate seats of the second row for the main passengers. There are multi-level heating, ventilation, and several types of massage, and soft "ottomans" extended from the lower part of "thrones", and a lot of all kinds of adjustment options, including Zero Gravity mode, which allows to take the most relaxed position with minimal load on the spine. Of course, all adjustments are electrically driven, and each seat has an individual button block to control them. "The cherry on the cake" is a 12.5-liter box, which can be pulled out of a massive box, located between the driver's and front passenger seats, where you can cool or, conversely, warm drinks. And to give a relaxed atmosphere in the ceiling of the minivan "stitched" thousands of microscopic LEDs, creating the effect of "starry sky", almost like the famous British luxury brand, and even imitating the "comet passage". In all this realm of luxury, the curtains on the side windows, which have to be raised and removed manually, look strange.
The third row of seats at "target" use of Wey 80 is intended for assistants or secretaries of the main passengers. To pass to the "galley" the second row seats are moved forward with the help of an electric drive. However, since these seats are rather massive, the passage turns out to be rather narrow: it will be difficult for people with a figure "a little larger than that of a photo model" to get to the third row.
Certainly, Zero Gravity modes, massages and other attributes of luxurious life on the third row are not supposed by status. However, there are its own conveniences: separate seats "on the galley" are also equipped with electric drives, "ottoman", heating and ventilation. Moreover, there is even one function unavailable to the center passengers: a button that turns off music. On the one hand, it is a strange decision, considering the "status" of the car. On the other hand, it is hard to reach the driver sitting almost five meters away from you.
"We are in a zone of turbulence."
The roads in the Elbrus region can hardly be called exemplary: potholes and bumps of different caliber are regularly encountered on them. However, even taking into account the fact that Wey 80 is equipped with the most usual spring suspension, the chassis copes with "road turbulence" adequately. Minor defects of asphalt minivan does not seem to notice at all. Passengers react to larger potholes only by a slight rocking in their seats.
The wheelbase of the "long" version is almost 3.3 meters. The total length of this vehicle is 5.4 meters
True, if there are sharp transverse irregularities, they give unpleasant itching. But even when the driver did not notice the "lying policeman" merging with a road cloth, the suspension did not "break through", though the car shuddered appreciably, as if it got into an "air hole". But at passing of gentle "waves" shock absorbers successfully extinguish transverse rocking, at the root crossing rhythmic vibrations of a massive car body.
"Take a place at the steering wheel".
Following the logic of the automaker, positioning Wey 80 as an alternative to an executive sedan, it is unlikely that the owner of the car himself will sit behind the wheel. Rather, this place will be taken by a hired driver. But anyone who will take the "pilot" seat will not be disappointed.
The interior of the Wey 80 looks especially winning in the two-color version
The driver's seat, of course, does not imply such level of comfort, as "thrones" on the second row. However, and it provides a very decent level of comfort, implying a wide enough range of electric adjustments, heating, ventilation and massage. It is glad that engineers of the company did not follow the fashion and did not "stitch" in the multimedia-system control of all minor functions of the car. Climate settings and window heating activation are assigned to traditional "physical" keys located in front of the 14.6-inch touch screen.
Hybrid power plant Wey 80 is a symbiosis of one and a half liter gasoline turbo engine with an output of 152 hp and two electric motors: the front one produces 177 hp at the peak, the rear one -184 hp. Such power provides the minivan with a total mass of almost 3.5 tons with quite "airplane-like" acceleration: up to 100 km/h the car with a fully charged battery accelerates in 5.9 seconds.
By default, at a quiet start, the car starts from a place only on the front drive. But if you push the accelerator pedal harder, the rear axle is instantly engaged, and it is activated with increasing speed. On the first gear of two-stage transmission the car accelerates up to 65 km/h. Then the car goes to the second gear and accelerates on it up to the "ceiling" of 170 km/h. If the driver forcibly selects electric traction, the car will not turn on the internal combustion engine at all, until the battery charge drops to 20% (the threshold can be "adjusted" and "to another value"). In this case, fully charged batteries in purely electric driving mode will be enough for 180 km. And the total range of Wey 80 (full tank of fuel in 58 liters and 100% charge of traction batteries) is 800 km.
On long slopes around Elbrus, the "one pedal" driving mode helped a lot, when the accelerator pedal becomes similar in its functionality to a locomotive driver's controller. Roughly speaking, its "zero" position shifts approximately to the middle of the pedal stroke. By pushing it deeper than this position, the driver gives the car acceleration. When released, one of three regeneration modes is activated, and in the most powerful of them the deceleration reaches such a level that allows to stop the car without using conventional brakes at all. At that, even brake lights are lit up.
Despite impressive dimensions, maneuvering on Wey 80 is not a problem. Are saved and larger mirrors, and the system of a circular review, with a rear camera which specially for Russia is equipped with a commoner. But at the same time, parking next to curbs, you have to be especially sharp: there is a real chance to damage the low front bumper.
"The crew says goodbye to you"
Obviously, that will advance hybrid powertrain, a lot of leather, electric drives, ventilation, warming and massages of seats can not be cheap. And therefore the price of the long-wheelbase Wey 80 is corresponding - 8.6 million rubles. However, there is a simpler modification with a half-meter shorter wheelbase and a solid third-row sofa. Such a car will cost a little cheaper - 7.3 million rubles.
With a fully charged battery, the hybrid minivan accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.9 s
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
