Dongfeng’s Voyah brand is the first and so far the only Chinese “new wave” brand in Russia under which modern electric vehicles and sequential hybrids are sold. The Free crossover became the first-born at the end of last year, and the Dream minivan debuted in February. The third model will be the Passion sedan – and it has already appeared on the Russian-language website of the brand.
In China, sales of the “four-door” under the unpronounceable name Zhuiguang began quite recently, the price range is from 322.9 to 432.0 thousand yuan (3.8–5.1 million rubles). In terms of dimensions, this is an analogue of the short-wheelbase Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (5088 x 1970 x 1505 mm; wheelbase – 3000 mm): Chinese F-class sedans have not been officially delivered to us before.
And such streamlined ones, apparently, too: the drag coefficient is 0.225. A lift spoiler is installed on the trunk lid, capable of generating downforce of up to 40 kg. The sedan is built on the same ESSA platform with a double-lever suspension in front and a “multi-link” in the rear as a minivan with a crossover, air struts and adaptive dampers are installed as standard.
All versions have a twin-engine power plant with a peak output of 375 kW (510 hp) and 730 Nm. The batteries are the same as the Dream, with the base version having a 82.1 kWh battery (483 km WLTP range), while the Long Range version has a 107.8 kWh (608 km) battery. Acceleration to “hundreds” takes 3.8 s (you understood correctly, it will also be the most dynamic “Chinese” on our market), the maximum speed is limited to 210 km / h.
It is already known that within a year the range will be supplemented by a sequential hybrid with a gasoline turbo engine as a generator for the traction battery.
The front panel has three 12.3-inch screens (a digital instrument cluster, a multimedia system touchscreen and a separate display for the front passenger), but a fourth one is installed under them – it controls the four-zone climate control system. The rear passengers also have their own seven-inch touchscreen. All seats have heating, ventilation and massage, and in China there is also a smart voice control system that recognizes from which seat the command was given. A two-section panoramic roof is provided as standard.
In Russia, adaptive cruise control with a lane keeping function will work: Passion is equipped with a dozen cameras, the same number of ultrasonic radars, as well as five millimeter radars and two navigation units.
Prices have not yet been announced. However, there is hope that Passion will be our most affordable Voyah, because both Dream and Free are more expensive in China. We expect that the version with a small battery will be cheaper than 7 million rubles.
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