On December 18th, Lantu FREE, the first model of Lantu Automobile (VOYAH), a high-end new energy brand under Dongfeng Motor, was officially launched. The new car is positioned as a 5-seater mid-to-large SUV, offering two power conbinations: extended range and pure electric , NEDC comprehensive cruising range is 860km and 500km respectively to meet the different needs of users. It is reported that Lantu FREE has now opened an appointment, the sales price will not exceed 400,000RMB, and will be delivered in the third quarter of 2021.
LANTU FREE maintains the same style as the previously released iFree concept car. The headlights and the center grid adopt a horizontally through design. The rectangular-like headlights and the center grid decorated with vertical chrome trims give the front of the car a calm and mature expression. At the same time, the headlights and the upper edge of the China grid are designed with LEDs to connect through them, linking the LOGO of the “Kunpeng Spreading Wing” design concept, creating a full horizontal visual effect on the front of the car during the day and night.
The measurements of the new car are 4905/1950/1690mm and the wheelbase is 2955mm. It is positioned as a mid-to-large SUV. The body surface and the surface are all rounded and excessively designed, without abrupt edges and corners. According to the official introduction, the free drag coefficient is 0.28cd.
The interior also adopts yacht-style design, taking into account the sense of luxury and technology; the triple screen is in line with the current mainstream design concept, and the driver and co-pilot can use the triple screen to push navigation, music and other information to each other and share many in-vehicle software.
The screen can be raised and lowered is the main highlight of LANTU FREE smart cockpit. The screen will be raised and lowered as the vehicle starts and stops. At the same time, the triple screens can be linked with each other, and the design is also integrated with the driving mode, in the “Voyah Performance” (High performance), the integrated liftable triple screen will automatically descend, the sports atmosphere lights will light up, the air suspension will adjust the body posture adaptively, and the sports fragrance system will be activated.
Power: 1.5T 4-cylinder range extender + 500kW power motor
The range extender of the extended range model is a 4-cylinder 1.5T engine, which comes from the Dongfeng C15TDR series engine with a thermal efficiency of 41.07%. The rated power is 60kW, and the peak power can reach 80kW under rapid acceleration and other conditions. The NEDC comprehensive cruising range of the extended-range model is 860km; in addition, the NEDC comprehensive cruising range of the pure electric model is 500km.
The power motors of the extended-range and pure electric models are the same. They are arranged for both front and rear motors. The official data shows that the combined maximum power is 500kW and the peak torque is 1000N·m. The 0-100km acceleration can do within 4.8 seconds for the pure EV model and 4.6s for the range-extended model, and the maximum speed is 200km/h.
The new car is built on the ESSA platform. The suspension part is a combination of front double wishbones + rear multi-links, and the chassis parts use all-aluminum subframes and connecting rods. The materials are quite sufficient, which is positive for lightweight and dynamic performance. Significantly, in addition, high-end models will be equipped with air suspension, which will automatically lower when switching to the “high energy mode”.
The new car will provide L2 advanced automatic driving assistance functions, the sensing hardware is 3 millimeter wave radars, there will be total 9 cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars work together to achieve related driving assistance functions, including ACC full speed domain adaptive cruise, LKA lane keeping Assist, AEB automatic braking, 360° panoramic image, BSD blind spot monitoring and other functions; in addition, it also provides an effective active night vision system within 150 meters in front, which can identify pedestrians and animals.
From the perspective of the positioning of mid-to-large SUVs, the Lixiang ONE and NIO ES8 are undoubtedly important targets to be locked, and LANTU FREE’s extended range power solution for users’ high-frequency scene requirements and mileage pain points coincides with Lixiang Auto’s concept.
