Bitauto Original General Motors launched a new global electric vehicle platform in 2021 - the Autoneng platform. This platform is no stranger to us Chinese consumers, because the Cadillac LYRIQ will be launched in June 2022 Ruige was born on this platform. The Buick E5 we are going to test drive this time is also a product from the Alterna platform. It is also the first mass-produced model of the Auton platform under the SAIC-GM Buick brand.
●Driving experience
Since we have already had a static experience with the Buick E5 before, today, I will first share with you the driving experience of the Buick E5. The Buick E5s provided for this site test drive are all single-motor front-wheel drive models. Yes, they are front-wheel drive. This surprised us at first. After all, there are not many medium-sized or medium-to-large SUVs with single-motor front drive. Of course, there is no need for one. Too obsessed with this. The permanent magnet synchronous motor equipped with the Buick E5 has a maximum power of 180kW and a maximum torque of 330N·m. Its power level is equivalent to that of the Envision S 652T equipped with a 2.0T engine.
Now that we have mentioned that the Buick E5’s motor output isThe 2.0T engine of the Envision S is comparable, so there is no need to question the power performance of a single motor. Thanks to the output characteristics of the electric motor, the Buick E5 performs well in the mid-to-front section when accelerating at "full throttle", and it is also accompanied by simulated sound from the Bose audio. But if you look at the full acceleration process, the disadvantages of a single motor become apparent in the middle and later stages. So if you are paranoid about power, you can wait for the subsequent four-wheel drive model.
Whether kinetic energy recovery is turned on or off, the braking effect after stepping on the brakes is the same linear, and there is no obvious difference between the two situations. Let’s talk about the Buick E5’s kinetic energy recovery system again. In the non-single pedal mode, the Buick E5 defaults to low kinetic energy recovery. After releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle state is close to the geared coasting of a fuel vehicle; in the single pedal mode, the kinetic energy recovery intensity is in two gears. Adjustable, medium-intensity kinetic energy recovery can bring about a deceleration of about 0.15g, and high-intensity kinetic energy recovery can bring about a deceleration of about 0.3g, which is twice that of medium intensity. Don’t forget that there are also DROD paddles, which can further superimpose the recovery force and reduce the "number of times" the brakes are used.
These driving modes seem to bring you back to the feeling of being in a fuel car. Yes, if you do not enter the single-pedal mode, the driving experience of the Buick E5 is indeed close to that of a fuel car. In sports mode, the response and output of the electric motor will be more active, and the steering force of the steering wheel will also increase. Or you can individually set the steering feel, power output, braking response and simulated sound in "My Mode". In addition to bringing simulated sound waves, the Bose audio also has an active noise reduction function. With high-performance motor acoustic wrapping technology, 5mm double-layer acoustic glass and many high-grade sound insulation materials, the Buick E5's vehicle NVH performance is still remarkable. Ordered.
●Appearance and Interior Review
As mentioned before, the design of the Buick E5 is derived from the Electra-X concept car. The new three-color logo, split headlights and trapezoidal grille shape allow us to see a different Buick , but we cannot ignore the "eaves and wings" design on the front face that is in the same vein as the Buick Century. It has to be said that the new design makes the Buick E5 different from Buick fuel models, but it will take some time for consumers to accept it again.
Through the interior design of the Buick E5, we can still see Buick’s persistence as a traditional car company. Although it is equipped with a 30-inch 6K screen, it does not overly pursue simplicity in design and replace it with a large screen. All car control buttons and the layered suspended instrument panel are supplemented by nano-level skin-friendly and environmentally friendly materials, and texture building techniques are used to achieve a contrasting look and feel of multiple gloss levels. The details are quite exquisite.
The seats of the Buick E5 use a frame platform specially developed for electric vehicles. The wide seat cushion is the most intuitive feeling, and the internal padding is comfortable enough. The suspended headrests on the front seats have lateral ear supports, which comprehensively improves the driving comfort in the front row. At the same time, the front seats also have three-speed heating, ventilation functions and four-way lumbar adjustment. However, the rear seat configuration of this test drive model is average. It would be better if there were heated rear seats.
●Editor’s comments:
In fact, if you test drive the Buick E5, you will find that although there is a single pedal mode, the driving experience of the Buick E5 is still very close to that of a fuel vehicle. This is also the same as another model on the Autoneng platform - The same goes for LYRIQ. It seems that GM wants to seamlessly convert its fuel vehicle users into new energy vehicle users. However, this kind of operation does not seem to be too cold for first-time car buyers. On the basis of no experience or habit of driving fuel vehicles, this type of consumer group is still more willing to embrace new things. Of course, in the Buick E5, we can see the changes Buick has made in embracing new energy, and we can also feel the persistence of a traditional car company. In short, the future sales of the Buick E5 still need to be tested by the market. Let’s look forward to whether the special energy platform can open up the pure electric new energy market for SAIC-GM.
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