Dog's joy: in the Russian Federation, they began to assemble a car for animal lovers
The new Jaecoo J6 crossover stands like a Lada Vesta, looks like a Range Rover and is specially designed for pet owners. However, he was tested for other, more interesting qualities. The Izvestia correspondent tested the first Russian-built cars.
Jaecoo J6: for pet lovers
The Jaecoo brand, part of the Chery constellation, has been designated by marketers as a travel vehicle. Naturally, he was provided with a variety of accessories, including for pets. For the new Jaecoo J6 model, a branded bowl, carrier, ladder and a net separating the trunk from the cabin are offered. Eco-leather has an international TUV SÜD certificate, which proves its hypoallergenic and resistant to animal claws.
Dimensions of the Jaecoo J6: 4509×1860×1650 mm, wheelbase — 2610 mm
The approach is logical — a traveler will not leave his pet alone at home. In fact, marketers simply couldn't stay away from the growing popularity of pets in China. According to GF Securities, which is cited by the Zooinform portal, the volume of the market for dog and cat products in China last year grew to a huge amount — about 312.6 billion yuan (about $ 45 billion).
In Russia, the market for pet products grew to 590 billion rubles ($7.1 billion) last year, but due to rising prices, and only slightly due to the emergence of new consumers, the Zooinform portal notes. So, hypoallergenic eco-leather alone, which looks and feels a little different from the upholstery of any other Chinese car, is not enough.
Jaecoo J6: More car for less money
Therefore, marketers hastened to provide the Jaecoo J6 with an attractive starting price tag of 2.3 million rubles. This is slightly more expensive than the Lada Vesta SW in the top version with a CVT. The marketing ploy is well-known, as many do, offering basic versions with "mechanics" and as simple equipment as possible. Jaecoo decided to keep the automatic transmission for corporate fleets, but even the speakers of the audio system were sacrificed for the sake of cheaper prices — there are only two of them. It's good that at least they left the air conditioner. A car with more decent equipment is already worth 2.5 million rubles, and in the top—end it costs 2.65 million rubles. This is comparable to the popular B-class crossovers, but the Jaecoo J6 is noticeably larger than them. The fact is that the Russian version of the J6 differs from the Chinese J5 by massive bumpers, which immediately increased its length by 13 cm. It's a marketing trick again — more car for less money.
The declared ground clearance is 176 mm.
Jaecoo J6: The wonders of layout
You look at the distance between the axles and realize: miracles do not happen, the wheelbase has remained at the level of class B crossovers. However, no, miracles happen. Otherwise, how to explain that a trunk of about the same volume as that of the older J7 model was placed in a small body, and a fairly spacious rear row was also made. The linkers can be applauded.
Thanks to the unusually wide tires and massive bumpers for this class, the car looks "rich". The Chinese version under the J5 index looks more modest. Jaecoo will probably be pleased to say that the J6 is similar to the Range Rover Evoque. Indeed, the style, which was started by the Jaecoo J7 model, was clearly created under the strong influence of "Ewok". The similarity is no coincidence: the Chery concern actively cooperates with Jaguar Land Rover, hires British engineers, and develops a platform for future British models.
The J6 was also "ideologically" reminiscent of the Skoda Karoq, a practical crossover with a turbo engine combined with a "robot". The interior trim is approximately at the level of the Skoda: strict lines, simple plastic and a minimum of soft panels. The steering wheel with an elegant striped insert is also two—spoke. The consonance of bygone brands can be attributed to this crossover as a plus.
There is only one color option for the interior, the central display is smaller in the basic configuration, and the seat upholstery is fabric.
The J6 is the exact opposite of the spectacular but impractical "sister" Omoda C5. The rear passengers sit high and at the same time with a good amount of space in front of their knees and above their heads. The panoramic roof and large windows add "air". The trunk is not only bigger, but also more comfortable. So, in the openings of the side windows and on the walls of the luggage compartment, eyelets are provided for fixing the grid, there is a niche with a charging connector for a removable flashlight.
Jaecoo J6: What's inside
The driver's seat is high, as in other vehicles built on this platform. Sitting as low as possible is also hindered by the upturned steering wheel. At the same time, the chair, despite the minimum adjustments, is comfortable.
Ergonomics are built in a typical Chinese style: the steering wheel selector of the transmission is located on the right, most functions are controlled via the central display, even the heating of the rear seats is turned on. There are only three physical buttons on the center console — the choice of driving modes, "emergency" and central locking. I liked the organization of the menu — tabs with climate control settings and hot buttons expand over navigation from the phone, you do not need to log out of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The operation of the climate system does not require intervention — it quite confidently holds the set temperature and independently fights fogging of the windows.
Even fuel consumption readings and tire pressure sensors are displayed on the central display. The fact is that instead of a digital dashboard, like most modern cars, the J6 uses a more primitive LCD screen that displays a limited amount of data. It was used to reduce the price, but it looks frankly cheap — like a painted fireplace in Papa Carlo's closet. Moreover, it is strangely combined with the good equipment of the car in the top configuration. In addition, the information content of the coolant temperature and fuel reserve scales leaves much to be desired.
Another non—standard move is the placement of the rear wiper at the top under the spoiler. This way it doesn't bother the eyes and, in theory, should rub the glass less. But in the conditions of the Russian spring, streaks from the brush remain on the glass.
Jaecoo J6: Russian adaptation
The Jaecoo J6 is assembled in Russia, so we tried to adapt the car to our conditions and tastes. So, he has a full winter package, including heating the windshield and washer nozzles. The exterior body panels, including the roof, are fully galvanized, the thickness of the paint layer has been increased, and chromium, which usually suffers from reagents, is minimal.
The 1.5-liter turbo engine can run on 92 gasoline, warms up quickly and produces a tax-efficient power of 147 hp. Instead of a CVT, which is treated with skepticism in Russia, a six-speed robotic transmission with two clutches is used. It is designed for a torque of 260 Nm, while the motor produces 210 Nm. Later, an all-wheel drive version will appear on our market. But now the front-wheel drive J6 is offered with a multi-link rear suspension and has received a certified tow bar.
Jaecoo J6: How it rides
The J6 is suitable for long trips — the cabin is well insulated from noise, adaptive cruise control works adequately. The average consumption of an on—board computer is 8 liters per 100 km.
The J6 chassis is dense and copes well with the pits that occur in the spring on the roadway. However, due to the wide tires (235 mm), the car reacts to the rut, and "floats up" in puddles. On a dirt track, the shock absorbers do not always have time to dampen the vibrations of the massive 18-inch wheels.
In general, the car is set up well, it should be "conjured" with a viscous uninformative steering wheel and the agility of a robotic transmission. The J6 responds to the accelerator pedal with a delay that only the sport mode can reduce, and the crossover does not have a manual gearshift.
In the meantime, J6 in Russia is waiting for a name change — from Jaecoo to Jeland. The former GM plant in St. Petersburg has been converted to produce cars of the new brand.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
