When mentioning high-end SUVs, most consumers in the past may have thought of luxury brand models such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW . However, with the sweeping electrification wave and the weakening of brand sentiment in recent years, independent brands that insist on investment and research and development of new energy technologies have also gained the confidence to challenge "BBA", and their products have also attracted the attention of more and more consumers. and recognized, among which Lantu FREE is a more representative model.
As Lantu Automobile’s first SUV, Lantu FREE will be officially launched in June 2021, with an official guide price of 313,600-373,600 yuan. From the perspective of the product itself, Lantu Automobile has indeed put a lot of effort into Lantu FREE. Not only is it equipped with equipment that is very ceremonial and technological, such as an integrated liftable triple screen, but the car is also equipped with other equipment that is usually used in Air suspension can only be seen in SUVs with a price of over 600,000 yuan. Judging from the selling price, Lantu FREE's competitive target is also directly aimed at the Mercedes-Benz GLC produced by Beijing Benz . Then let's take a look at whether this independent high-end boutique has enough strength to compete with the joint venture luxury model. Competing masterpieces?
First of all, in terms of appearance, the front face of Lantu FREE adopts a vertical grille design, and the interior is decorated with multiple chrome-plated strips with corners. The brand logo like "Kunpeng spreading its wings" is inlaid in the middle, showing a good A sense of power and recognition. In addition, the vehicle's headlights adopt a layout that is integrated with the air intake grille. The LED light strip located at the top of the light cavity combines the functions of daytime running lights and turn signals, and is integrated with the light strip in the grille. Connected with a luminous brand logo, it will look more advanced and stylish when it lights up. As for the front enclosure area, Lantu FREE forms sharp "C" outlines on the left and right sides. This design technique brings a good sense of movement and prevents the front face from appearing too stable.
Mercedes-Benz GLC adopts a family design style. The front face is equipped with the familiar "starry sky" air intake grille. The brand logo located in the center of the grille is connected by thick decorative strips, supplemented by a similar through-type The front surround and round headlights look more refined.
On the side of the car body, Lantu FREE’s design inspiration is reported to come from yachts. The D-pillar adopts a swirling shape, and some areas are blackened to create the effect of a suspended roof. The author believes that this is the design of the entire vehicle. A highlight. In addition, Lantu FREE also adopts a hidden door handle design. This element is common in high-end new energy vehicles, which to a certain extent enhances the intelligent attributes of the vehicle.
Mercedes-Benz GLC adopts a very standard SUV body structure design. At the same time, the body is also outlined with rich lines. With the front and rear fenders that are slightly wider than the body, the overall look is quite stable.
Compared with the front face, the rear shape of Lantu FREE is slightly more conventional, focusing on simplicity and stability. However, the popular through-type taillight set is not absent, and wheat-like ears are incorporated into the left and right light cavities. The light-emitting unit is very recognizable when lit. In addition, in the rear enclosure, Lantu FREE is wrapped with black high-gloss decorative panels.
The rear part of the Mercedes-Benz GLC uses many strong and powerful lines to outline, with two bilateral exhaust outlets at the bottom and thick through-type chrome strips, creating a good sense of power; while the taillight group adopts the double-sided taillights common in traditional fuel vehicles. layout. To sum it up simply, the appearance of Lantu FREE looks elegant and technological, while the styling of Mercedes-Benz GLC is more mature and stable.
In terms of interior, Lantu FREE adopts a yacht-encircling cockpit design, coupled with the gorgeous two-color combination, giving the car a warm and comfortable atmosphere. In addition, its multi-function steering wheel is also relatively exquisite in shape and wrapped in leather material, giving it a comfortable grip. Different from the radical approach of some new car-making forces, the air-conditioning control area on the Lantu FREE center console still retains some physical buttons. This will undoubtedly cater to the usage habits of different consumers. At the same time, these buttons are also chrome-plated. processing, it can be seen that Lantu Automobile is also unambiguous in the processing of details.
Of course, the most eye-catching thing in the Lantu FREE car is the integrated liftable triple screen, which is very technological and ceremonial the moment it is turned on. The all-in-one large screen composed of three 12.3-inch retina ultra-clear screens has reached mainstream levels of clarity and smoothness, and the UI interface design is simple and reasonable, making it easy to use. This is also compared with current new energy brands. A major advantage for traditional fuel vehicle companies.
The current Mercedes-Benz GLC does not use a dual-screen layout. In this era of popular large screens, the Mercedes-Benz GLC with independent layouts for the central control screen and LCD instrument is undoubtedly inferior to Lantu FREE in terms of creating a sense of technology. few. However, the center console, door panels and shift mechanism area of the vehicle are wrapped in a large amount of leather materials, metal chrome plating, and wood grain veneer. The overall materials used are relatively sophisticated, showing an elegant and luxurious side. This is also the consistent strength of Mercedes-Benz. Lantu FREE, which focuses on technological luxury, has a different style.
As for configuration, all Lantu FREE series are equipped with double-layer soundproof glass for the front row, privacy glass for the rear row, an integrated liftable triple screen, multi-color ambient lighting, mobile phone wireless charging, driving recorder, electric induction tailgate, The main driver's seat has 12-way electric adjustment/ventilation/heating/memory, and the passenger seat has ventilation/heating and many other configurations. In terms of driving assistance configuration, the entry version is equipped with 2 front cameras, 2 cab cameras, 3 millimeter wave radar , 4 surround-view cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars, which can achieve full-speed adaptive cruise, 360 Panoramic images, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, rear traffic warning, lane keeping assist, merging assist, road traffic sign recognition, DOW door opening warning and many other functions have reached the L2+ level of intelligent driving assistance, which shows that Lantu FREE The configuration is not only rich but also has a high starting point. In addition, the night vision system also appears on Lantu FREE, with a monitoring distance of up to 150 meters, which can improve the safety of users driving at night, in heavy rain and other environments.
In addition to individual versions, most Lantu FREE models are also equipped with comfort configurations such as fragrance systems, front seat massages, and Dynaudio audio, making the experience more comfortable and high-end.
On the Mercedes-Benz GLC, leather steering wheel, 12.3-inch full LCD instrument, heated front seats, 10.25-inch central control screen, CarPlay mobile phone interconnection, electric tailgate , etc. are all standard configurations. In terms of driving assistance, all Mercedes-Benz GLC series have configurations such as forward collision warning, active braking, and fatigue driving reminders. However, functions such as lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, 360-degree panoramic images, and full-speed adaptive cruise are only available in high-end models. However, the entire series is not equipped with configurations such as road traffic sign recognition, rear traffic warning, and merging assist. It can be said that Lantu FREE has certain advantages over Mercedes-Benz GLC in terms of comfort and smart technology configuration. Of course, this is also a common phenomenon between traditional fuel vehicles and high-end new energy vehicles nowadays.
In terms of space, the entire Lantu FREE series, positioned as a medium to large SUV, adopts a 5-seater layout. The body length, width and height reach 4905/1950/1660 (1645) mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2960mm. For the author who is 175cm tall and weighs 62.5kg, the space in the front and back rows is very spacious. It is not a big problem to cross one's legs in the back row. At the same time, the seats are relatively wide and soft, making it more comfortable to ride. . In addition, although the rear floor of Lantu FREE is slightly raised, you can place your feet completely on it. In addition, the seats have good support for the legs, and it has an adjustable panoramic canopy, which is long and You will not feel obviously depressed or tired during the long ride. Of course, some picky consumers may feel that the rear seats of Lantu FREE are simpler than the front seats, but I think the current status can guarantee the comfort of the ride, unless the price remains the same. Under the premise, the function of the rear seats can be improved, otherwise there is no need.
Mercedes-Benz GLC also adopts a 5-seat layout. The body length, width and height are 4764/1898/1642mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2973mm. It is positioned as a medium-sized SUV.For the author, the interior space of the Mercedes-Benz GLC is relatively ample, but there are still some gaps in the rear part compared with the Lantu FREE. It is worth mentioning that the middle part of the rear platform has a relatively obvious bulge. Starting from now on, this still has a certain impact on long-term rides.
As for power, Lantu FREE provides extended-range hybrid and pure electric versions for consumers to choose from. The extended-range hybrid model is equipped with a power system composed of a 1.5T four-cylinder range extender and dual motors. The maximum power of the converter is 80kW, while the total power of the motor is 510kW, and the total torque of the motor reaches 1040N·m.
Lantu FREE pure electric models are divided into single-motor and dual-motor versions. The single-motor version has a maximum motor power of 255kW and a peak torque of 520N·m, while the dual-motor version has a total motor power of 510kW and a total torque of 1040N. ·m.
All Mercedes-Benz GLC series are equipped with 2.0T turbocharged engine , and adopt two power adjustments. The maximum power is 145kW and 190kW respectively, and the corresponding peak torque is 320N·m and 370N·m. The transmission system is matched with 9 Speed manual automatic transmission.
Judging from the power types of the two, Lantu FREE has extended-range hybrid and pure electric versions to choose from. It is richer than the Mercedes-Benz GLC and can cater to the needs of more consumers. Secondly, the WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption of the Lantu FREE extended-range hybrid version is only 1.3L/100km, and supports the use of 92-octane gasoline, while the WLTC comprehensive fuel consumption of the Mercedes-Benz GLC is between 8.55L/100km-8.7L/100km, and It is recommended to use No. 95 gasoline. At a time when oil prices are high, the daily car cost of Lantu FREE is lower than that of Mercedes-Benz GLC.
In addition, Lantu FREE also has an additional air suspension configuration than the Mercedes-Benz GLC, which allows the body to have an up and down adjustable range of 100mm. In different driving modes, Lantu FREE can use air springs to adjust the body height and suspension softness and hardness to balance control stability; in addition, the air suspension also adjusts stiffness in real time to avoid suspension offset problems. , regardless of whether there are many or few people in the car, the passengers can basically enjoy consistent ride comfort, while models equipped with ordinary suspensions are difficult to possess these qualities.
Conclusion: Taken together, Lantu FREE not only shows elegance and modern technology at the design level, but also does not lose or even surpasses Mercedes-Benz GLC in terms of comfort, intelligent configuration and driving texture.
It is true that Mercedes-Benz GLC has accumulated a good reputation and image in China after many years of development. It is difficult for the young Lantu FREE to reach its height in a short period of time, but in an environment where the brand complex is getting weaker and weaker, Many consumers also pay more attention to the strength of the product itself when making car purchase decisions. Therefore, the author predicts that after the test of time, the Lantu FREE, which sells for more than 300,000 yuan and is equipped with air suspension and many intelligent configurations, will be able to be sold in the market. It has a greater voice in the high-end SUV market.
