Ice and snow test drive is an essential event at the end of the year and the beginning of the year. It is not only a carnival in the automotive industry, but also a year-end summary of various car products after a year of hard work. Almost every brand will bring their flagship models to the ice and snow test drive, and some will even bring their full range of products to showcase their strength.
This time, we were invited by Chery Fengyun brand to visit the ice city Harbin, to experience how the first sedan product Fengyun A8 performs in extreme conditions. To our surprise, the first SUV model Fengyun T6, which has not yet been launched, also appeared on the ice and snow track at this event. Next, let’s see how these two star products of Fengyun brand perform on the ice and snow track.
The ice and snow driving event brought simple projects, with an ice and snow track laid out on the site, and multiple project experiences designed on the track. Due to the significant differences between driving on ice and snow surfaces and regular paved roads, it is difficult to fully experience the performance of these two models. Therefore, this event focuses on experience and explains some driving techniques on ice and snow surfaces.
Chery Fengyun A8 Before we start, let me briefly introduce the two contestants, first is the Fengyun A8. The Fengyun A8 is positioned as a family sedan product, its biggest highlight is the use of Chery’s most advanced Kunpeng super energy hybrid system, the fifth generation ACTECO 1.5TGDI efficient hybrid engine has an industry-leading 44.5% engine thermal efficiency. CLTC pure electric range of 127KM, combined range of 1400+ kilometers, giving it a great advantage in long-distance endurance.
The fifth generation ACTECO 1.5TGDI efficient hybrid engine of Fengyun A8 has a maximum power of 115kW and a maximum torque of 220N.m. It is equipped with a 150kW drive motor, providing excellent power performance for starting, accelerating, and overtaking, especially on low-adhesion ice and snow road surfaces. The powerful output allows the wheels to rotate quickly, providing control over the direction. The abundant power is suitable for all kinds of working conditions.
In terms of appearance, the A8 uses the classic design style of its own sedan, with smooth lines and good looks. The design is similar to the well-tested Aries 8 model, giving the car strong recognition on the streets.
The Fengyun A8 looks stylish from the side, with a high rear and low front, giving it a forward-leaning stance. The car measures 4780/1843/1469mm in length, width, and height, with a wheelbase of 2790mm. Despite being positioned as an A+ level sedan, I believe it can also be considered a “big cup” in this category.
In terms of interior design, the Chery A8 is filled with various family elements of the Chery brand, a simple and thin central instrument panel with a layered design, a large area of leather wrapping and imitation wood trim, highlighting a certain sense of luxury and sophistication. 256-color ambient light strips are arranged in appropriate positions on the center console and door panels, and the effect when lit at night is excellent. What surprised me the most is that the fragrance system also appears in this model.
In terms of in-car smart ecology, the A8’s car system still carries the familiar Lion 5.0 smart interconnection system, which has HMI 5.0 digital interactive interface, making it clearer and more intuitive to use, and with a certain sense of technology. In terms of expansion, this system supports Huawei HiCar and Apple Android phone projection interconnection, maximizing the use of the car system.
Chery Fengyun T6 The appearance of the Fengyun T6 is definitely the highlight of this event. It is the second model of the Chery Fengyun brand and the first model in the SUV series. The Fengyun T6 made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show last year, positioning itself as a family SUV model. It is currently equipped with the most advanced Kunpeng super hybrid system under the Chery brand. The CLTC pure electric range of the Fengyun T6 is 120 kilometers, with a comprehensive range of over 1300 kilometers.
In terms of appearance, the Fengyun T6 adopts a more angular design, and the overall look shows some shadow of the Chery Explore 06, overall it is a successful design. The vehicle grille uses a closed design, which makes the front part look cleaner. The upper part of the front grille is designed with a continuous LED light strip, and the inside of the two side lights is designed with a turn signal. The lower split-type headlights are very recognizable, and Chery’s new brand logo is located in the middle of the front grille.
The vehicle presents a visual effect of high front and low back when viewed from the side, with a straight waistline giving it a rugged look. It features a floating roof design, hidden door handles, and petal-shaped wheels, giving it a stylish appearance. The vehicle measures 4540/1865/1670mm in length, width, and height, with a wheelbase of 2672mm. The roof comes with an aluminum luggage rack.
The rear design of the Fengyun T6 is very full, with angular lines that complement the overall look of the car. The taillights on both sides of the car are designed with a blocky shape, echoing the front turn signals. The taillights extend backwards to form a large wing shape, along with the silver trim on the rear bumper and the diffuser, giving the Fengyun T6 a more sporty stance.
In terms of interior design, the Chery Fengyun T6 continues the design concept of Chery’s main brand models. While maintaining the same level of workmanship and materials as the same class, the interior also has a certain sense of luxury, especially with the addition of marble texture decorative panels, making the interior more textured. Due to the use of a hidden gear setting, the central auxiliary instrument panel of the Chery Fengyun T6 is very clean and tidy. The 50W wireless charging panel for mobile phones, cup holder, and some commonly used function keys are positioned to be convenient to use.
The instrument panel uses a small-sized LCD instrument panel to ensure rich and clear display information without obstructing the driver’s forward vision. The 14.8-inch vertical central control screen displays clearly and is also in line with viewing habits when using navigation. The built-in car-grade Snapdragon 8155 chip ensures the speed and smooth operation of the car’s system. Built-in multiple practical APPs to meet people’s daily entertainment and information query needs in the car.
The seats are made of faux suede material, and they are comfortable to sit on. The high-end models have ventilated and heated front seats, and there is plenty of space for the rear passengers’ heads and legs.
The rear seats can be completely folded down for flexible use of the car’s interior space. The vehicle also supports a 3.3KW external power function, making it convenient to connect household appliances such as projectors, coffee machines, and electric cookware when camping.
On the way to the snow and ice field, I briefly experienced the dynamic performance of the T6 on the road. The vehicle’s fuel and electricity usage strategy is consistent with the A8 when the driving mode is adjusted to HEV mode.
The pure electric driving is quiet and the power is abundant. When driving at high speed and overtaking, the engine intervenes without any obvious feeling of power output. The performance of energy recovery and braking pedal force provides three gears adjustment. When the energy recovery is adjusted to weak, the vehicle’s coasting distance is relatively long, basically without the drag feeling of an electric car. The engine start is a bit loud when charging the battery.
The rear suspension of the Fengyun T6 still has an independent suspension structure, which has a great advantage in comfort. It can also pass through and absorb the impact of common shocks such as potholes and speed bumps with ease, and passengers in both the rear and front seats will not feel too much bumpiness. However, the overall suspension tuning of this car is still on the firmer side, and if driving over small undulating roads or roads with a lot of fine bumps, there will still be a noticeable degree of bouncing inside the car.
The ice and snow experience this time is mainly focused on the comprehensive and stable race track, with various subjects such as small and large hairpin turns and simple slalom around the pylons. Both the A8 and T6 of Fengyun are front-wheel drive models, although they are equipped with snow tires, they still seem inadequate on the ice and snow road surfaces.
When starting, gently press the accelerator pedal to make the power output linear and controllable, avoiding wheel slip caused by heavy acceleration, similar to starting in the desert. You can choose snow mode or sport mode. It is not recommended to turn off the vehicle’s ESP. With ESP enabled, two cars can maintain a higher speed through turns. ESP intervenes very timely when monitoring the vehicle’s loss of control, quickly correcting the vehicle’s posture, ensuring maximum control and preventing loss of control on urban roads.
If you want to drift, you can turn off the ESP of the vehicle. Since it is a front-wheel drive vehicle, in order to make the rear of the vehicle lose control, you must make good use of the transfer of the vehicle’s center of gravity. First, turn the steering wheel to one side, and then quickly return to the other side. At this time, the vehicle’s center of gravity changes, and the rear of the vehicle will become obedient. When the vehicle is sliding, control the steering angle and power output appropriately to make a decent drift. However, compared to rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models, controlling a front-wheel drive vehicle will be more difficult.
In ice and snow driving, correcting the direction of the front of the car often relies not on the steering wheel, but on the friction between the wheels and the ice to correct the position of the front of the car. Strong power output is essential if you want the wheels to turn. The Fengyun A8 and Fengyun T6 use a 1.5T turbocharged engine, which not only ensures ample power for highway driving, but also handles ice driving with ease. Compared to the 1.5L engine configuration used in the same level of hybrid models, it is still quite aggressive.
When driving on icy or snowy roads, remain calm and gently press the gas pedal to prevent wheel slippage. When stopping, gently apply the brakes and anticipate traffic lights in advance, while increasing the following distance. Of course, switching to snow tires will also make your driving safer.
Summary: Through this ice and snow test drive, everyone can understand the advantages of Chery Fengyun A8 and Fengyun T6 in power and handling, especially the calibration of the body stability system ESP, driving in this road condition still feels very safe. In addition, these two cars perform very well in terms of configuration and driving comfort, especially Fengyun T6 in terms of functional expansion and endurance, can realize users’ beautiful longing for poetry and distance. It is reported that Fengyun T6 will be officially launched around March 2024, so everyone can pay attention to it.