I believe that in the past, in the cognition of many traditional Chinese, the impression of medium and large SUVs may only stay in luxury brands such as BMW X5 and Range Rover. Indeed, five years ago or even earlier, large-size luxury off-road vehicles were exclusive to foreign brands.
However, with the rise of domestic brands in recent years, "Chinese faces" have begun to appear in the queue of medium and large SUVs. From the Haval H9, which was popular in the past few years, to the red flag HS7 that came out of the "giant". Although for the market, medium and large SUVs do not occupy the mainstream advantage, but attract a group of users who love outdoor outings and high-end business travel. As Chery's entry into the high-end market, it is also based on this concept.
As a model that focuses on the high-end market, Xingtu Lanyue has also recently ushered in a new one, and the big changes are mainly concentrated in the power part, and the original 390T engine has also been replaced by a more powerful 400T turbocharged engine. Although the displacement has not changed, it is still the familiar 2.0T formula, but the output horsepower is as high as 261 horses, enough to compete with a V6 engine.
So what surprises will the renewed StarWay Moon bring us? How competitive is it at the price of 200,000? The author also recently conducted an in-depth test drive on the new Starway Moon.
Appearance: The appearance value is still attractive
Over the years, we have witnessed the radicalism and movement of BMW, and we are accustomed to Audi's "scientific and technological style" style, so what should a "Chinese-style" luxury car look like? Admittedly, the Star Path Moon has already given the answer.
As the first medium-sized and large-scale SUV model under the one-star M3X Mars architecture, the star-way moon continues the aesthetic concept of Chinese"four flat and eight stable" in the appearance and shape, and the addition of a large number of chrome elements also makes the star-way moon give people a momentum of not being angry and threatening. It is understood that the size of the new car is as high as 4970mm * 1940mm * 1788mm, which also makes the real car more large than the visual experience in the picture, and also creates a unique majestic aura of luxury cars.
The design of the front face can still see some of Chery's shadow, but the new styling style is enough to make people shine. The large grille is standard on most of today's mid-to-high-end models, with three stout chrome trims built in to further enhance the luxury. In addition, the new car uses the popular through-LED daytime running lights, which are somewhat similar to the ideal ONE when lit at night.
However, in my personal opinion, the huge chrome trim above the hood is really a bit "too strong". But there will be a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people, and as to whether this design is good or bad, it has to be up to you.
The shape of the headlights is relatively thick, and the design that integrates with the grille is very harmonious. It is reported that the whole series of Xingtu Lanyue is equipped with LED headlights as standard, and the model driven in this test drive is equipped with an automatic headlight function, and the vehicle can automatically switch the far/low beam lights according to the brightness of the night driving environment, effectively improving the safety of driving at night.
Coming to the side of the car, the first impression of the Starway Moon is that it is stable, and there is not much fancy design except for the chrome elements around the windows and under the door panels. The wheelbase of up to 2900mm has no small advantage compared with mainstream competitors such as Changan CS95 and Ford Lingyu. In addition, in order to fully take care of the privacy of the rear occupants, all models of the StarWay Moon are equipped with privacy glass, only from the appearance, the luxury style of the Star Way Moon is still worth affirming.
The new car comes with 20-inch horse brand MC6 series tires, which is no surprise for a medium-sized SUV that features the 200,000 class. However, according to the tire performance data, the star road will be more suitable for urban travel or paved road driving, and outdoor off-road is probably not its strength.
The design of the rear of the vehicle is relatively conventional, and the through-type taillights have become the standard of many mainstream models at present, and the square shape and the side of the body reflect each other, and the overall style is more mature and stable. And under the rear of the car, two genuine double exhaust pipes are also enough to "scare people".
Interior: High-tech configuration is readily available
In terms of interior, Xingtu Lanyue adopts a more mature and stable design style, the shape is very simple, brown leather with a large number of dark wood grain trim panels, it looks quite a bit of Audi A8L shadow, and the double screen design is also the mainstream of today's automotive industry. However, in the face of a huge young market, the stable cockpit design of Xingtu Lanyue can attract the attention of many middle-aged users.
The three-frame steering wheel follows the iconic design of the Starway family, with a moderate size and high-grade leather materials for a better grip. And in the actual experience, the steering feel of the Star Road Lanyue is very gentle, and it can give people a sense of "four or two strokes" in driving, so that you can completely unaware that this is a medium and large SUV with a net weight of nearly 2 tons.
I don't know when, "platformization" has gradually become a hot word in today's automotive industry, and for many car companies, to get a platform is to get the world. It is in this context that The Star Road Moon also relies on the strength of the strong M3X Mars architecture to go out of the circle, and the new car has made many upgrades in terms of intelligence and technology.
Just from the layout of the center console, it can be seen that the traces of "de-key" of The Star Road Lanyue are very obvious, and a 12.3-inch central control screen integrates multiple functions such as car home interconnection and online entertainment. Built-in Intel 4-core 2.0 GHz super processor for faster computing speed and more sensitive operation. At the same time, the whole series of Xingtu Lanyue is also equipped with a more intelligent voice assistant, which can control functions such as navigation and air conditioning temperature through voice commands in daily driving, and the recognition ability of commands has also been upgraded, which can accurately identify the author's authentic "broad spectrum" during the test drive.
If it is too troublesome to reach out to control the screen when driving, then the Starway Moon is also equipped with a quick control panel behind the shift lever, which functions somewhat similar to BMW's I-Drive system. The black area in the middle of the slide can be switched between different screens, while the buttons around the screen mainly control the volume, screen mode, etc.
In the air conditioning control area below, Xingtu Lanyue also uses a liquid crystal screen instead of traditional physical buttons, which can display some real-time data such as the current weather conditions in addition to the regular mode information. And the resolution of the screen is also commendable, even in the daytime with strong light, there is no obvious reflective effect, and the visual effect is very superior.
Thanks to the advantages of the M3X Mars architecture, The StarWay Moon also has a set of advanced biometric functions. The camera above the A-pillar can monitor the driver's status, facial expressions and other data in real time, and can implement reminder strategies for dangerous and fatigue driving behaviors.
For models of this class, the HUD head-up display is not a novel configuration. To this end, all series of Xingtu Lanyue are equipped with a high-resolution 9-inch W-HUD head-up indicator, which can display relevant information such as speed, mileage and ACC adaptive cruise, which can be said to be no less.
Because the author's test drive this time is a top-mounted model, there is still a figure of a paddle shift behind the steering wheel. However, for models of this level, the chance of using paddle shifters can only be said to be few, and more is just a manifestation of a sense of ceremony.
In terms of ride comfort, The Starway Moon also inherits the "Enjoy Space" feature of the M3X Mars architecture. Among them, the front seats adopt a higher sitting posture setting, which makes the driving vision more extensive. And under the wrapping of leather materials, more diamond-shaped patterns have been added for embellishment, and the wide cushions can also provide good wrapping.
Despite the satisfactory performance of the front seats, I still think that the second row is the focus of the star road to the moon. From the configuration point of view, the designer equipped the second row of passengers with the co-pilot boss button, a large angle adjustable backrest and automatic air conditioning in the rear row, which can fully meet the travel needs of the important people in the second row.
And on the two back doors, Xingtu Lanyue also adopts the DOW+DOA door opening early warning system for the first time, which can detect potential risk factors such as pedestrians and bicycles passing behind the vehicle to reduce the occurrence of accidents.
For a 7-seater SUV, the comfort of the third row of seats is also worth paying attention to. However, from the actual experience, although the last row of seats is relatively thin and the sitting posture is slightly stiffer, the author of 172 height can still sit easily, and there is still more than 2 fingers of space left in the legs, and the daily intercity commute between two adults is more than enough.
Power: The overall output adjustment is more sporty
As we all know, Chery was a company that specialized in the production of vehicle engines and gearboxes before making cars, and it can be said that it is a veteran figure in the automotive technology industry chain, so in terms of power, It has inherited Chery's consistent technical advantages. The test drive is equipped with a 2.0TGDI high-power engine known as the "strongest Chinese heart", which effectively improves the combustion efficiency and achieves an 8-second acceleration performance.
According to the book data, the 400T engine has a maximum output of 261 hp, a maximum power of 192 kW, and a peak torque of 400 Nm, which is almost comparable to a V6 engine. Matched to this is the 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, also from the M3X Mars architecture.
In the initial stage of acceleration, the reaction of the star road is still relatively sensitive, especially in the city road, as a driver can clearly feel the "small temper" of this 400T engine, if you step on the accelerator at this time, you can experience a push back feeling similar to a sports SUV. But the positive throttle response also makes the "big man" with a net weight of nearly 2 tons incredibly light, which is also somewhat unexpected by the author.
As the speed increases, the torque output of the engine gradually flattens out, especially in the middle and rear of the acceleration. With the excellent cabin sound insulation, you can feel the tranquility and suppleness that a high-end model should have.
If you need to overtake or speed up at this time, just lightly tap the throttle, the gearbox can immediately understand the driver's intentions, complete the downshift at the fastest speed, and the engine torque will be increased accordingly. It can be said that in terms of overall logical adjustment, the star is still very satisfactory
Of course, some of the fly in the ointment is that the hanging setting of the Star Path Moon is still a little soft. Although softer chassis tuning in urban conditions can bring good comfort to the occupants, for a medium to large SUV, when the vehicle is cornered, there will be obvious roll, and the handling of fine vibrations when driving on potholed roads is not delicate enough. It can be seen that there is still room for improvement in the adjustment of the chassis.
Auto network review: The product strength is excellent, but the advantages are not obvious
As a product of Chery's main high-end market, Xingtu Lanyue has indeed brought me a different experience. Whether it is the new appearance, interior styling, or abundant power output, it has broken the previous many people's views on this domestic brand. At the same time, the official guidance price of 193,900 to 233,900 can also clearly feel the full sincerity of Xingtu Automobile.
But today's auto market is like a jianghu, and fighting and killing is a common thing. In the pricing range of 200,000 levels, Xingtu Lanyue will face strong opponents such as BYD Tang and the second generation of Trumpchi GS8, so after comparison, it will be found that the advantages of Xingtu Lanyue are actually not obvious, and even some conservative. If you want to win the market at this price, in addition to having excellent technical strength, you need to have sustainable output of product heat and reputation.