Bitauto Original On July 14, Dongfeng Citroen officially announced the new Tianyi C5 AIRCROSS mid-term facelift model, named Tianyi BEYOND. The pre-sale price of the fuel version is 157,700-171,700, and the PHEV version is 231,700.
In fact, two days before the pre-sale conference, we had already conducted the first test drive of Tianyi BEYOND in Chengdu. As the main SUV model of Dongfeng Citroen, what "BEYOND" has Tianyi BEYOND made this time? Through today’s test drive sharing, I believe I can give you some answers.
The appearance of the new car has some completely new designs based on the old model, which has changed the temperament of the entire car to a certain extent.
For example, the LED headlights have been changed from the previous rounded and curved design to more three-dimensional structural lines. The LOGO also adopts a new two-color design. Compared with the previous logo, it looks younger, with a high-gloss black grille and distribution. The uniform chrome highlights also make the design of the entire front part of the car sharper and tougher.
The air intakes on both sides of the old model are also retained, with a certain contrasting color design, which looks more coordinated.
Looking at the side of the car body, it still has the overall round and full lines. The windows are outlined with chrome trim strips. The shape is not much different from the old model. The wheelbase is also 2730mm, which has certain advantages among models of the same level. .
The wheels use five-spoke two-color wheels, and the overall shape is still very eye-catching. The tires use Michelin e.PRIMACY silent tires, the specification is 225/55 R18, and the single price is about 1,100 yuan.
Looking at the rear of the car, the biggest change is in the taillights. The "two one" arranged taillights are said to be inspired by the black and white keys on the piano. Perhaps this can be regarded as a little romance of the French.
The bottom of the tail is designed with dual exhaust outlets on both sides. The large flat exhaust port also embellishes the overall shape of the rear of the car, and also lowers the visual center of gravity, making the tail look more harmonious.
So from the overall appearance design, Tianyi BEYOND has not made much changes compared to the old model. It has made more modern changes on the basis of continuing the previous design direction.
The interior design of the new car has not been changed too much. The overall style still adopts the same surrounding T-shaped central control as the old model. Dongfeng Citroen officially said that T-shaped also means T-shaped platform, which is reminiscent of France. Paris Fashion Week is another embodiment of the French's little romance.
The main change in the interior is that it has been replaced with 10inch central control screen, the position of the air outlet in the middle has been adjusted, while the air outlets on both sides remain the same as the old model.
The steering wheel is also the same as the old model, with a moderate size, but I am still not used to the design of the right wheel for cutting songs and the left button for volume increase and decrease.
This time Tianyi BEYOND adopts Morandi color matching style in the interior color matching. The interior of the car tested this time is navy blue with gray, and many places in the car are also covered with soft materials.
The splicing of leather and ALCANTARA materials on the seats brings a very good texture. In addition, the stitching style on the seats can also reflect the manufacturer's intentions in these aspects.
Both the main and passenger seats are electric seats and support seat memory, seat heating and seat massage. The configuration is quite good. However, during a recent test drive in Chengdu where the temperature was around 40 degrees Celsius, what I actually wanted more was the seat ventilation function.
The rear seats are also color-blocked and have a central armrest and cup holders, which can be folded down in four or six positions.
After folding down the rear seats, the trunk space can be expanded from 516KL to a maximum of 1310L. After the shelf is moved up, a more complete plane can be formed.
There are also handles on both sides of the trunk to lower the rear seats at the corresponding position with one click, and the trunk also supports electric opening and closing and kick sensing, which is quite practical.
In addition, what impressed me most about the entire interior was not romance, but practicality. For example, the internal storage space after the central armrest box is opened is quite deep, which is suitable for storing relatively large objects in daily life. It is not recommended to store small objects that are too small. After all, it is still a bit troublesome to find this depth.
In addition to the central armrest box, the storage spaces on both sides of the front and rear doors are also equally practical. In addition, the glasses case with handles on the driver's seat is still retained.
So whether it is the interior configuration and functions or the design of the internal storage space, Tianyi BEYOND is very consistent with its home positioning, combining design and practicality in a coordinated manner.
Of course, the "BEYOND" aspect of this new car also enhances the overall sense of technology. After adding a 10-inch central control screen, it also adds a C-CONNCET 3.0 BEYOND intelligent network connection system, which can realize AI virtual human-machine Interaction, AR real-scene navigation and experience in multiple scene modes.
Among them, I am personally more interested in AR real-life navigation. Dongfeng Citroen has done in-depth cooperation with Amap this time, and can display AR real-life maps on the central control screen or LCD instrument panel.In terms of physical experience, it can judge the distance to the car in front and guide the lane, but currently there is still some room for optimization. I personally feel that it may be more practical if there is a HUD paired with real-life navigation.
In addition, most commonly used apps are available in the car. The bottom layer of the car is Android system. In terms of mobile phone interconnection, it supports Huawei HiCar and Baidu CarLife. It is a pity that there is no CarPlay.
Although there is a large wireless charging position and charging indicator light in the front row, the data cable socket has not been upgraded this time. There is still a USB-A port at the front and rear. If you can put two 1A1C ports at the front and rear The interface may be more practical. After all, it is 2022, and most of my friends probably don’t have an A-port data cable anymore.
In the assisted driving part, it supports ACC adaptive cruise, active braking, active blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, 360 panoramic imaging, transparent chassis and other functions. It is basically the current mainstream configuration and the first-tier user experience.
During the experience, I also found that the 360 panoramic image will brighten the scene behind the car in the screen. It is a very careful little design and is very practical for observing the rear in dark environments such as basements.
In terms of power, Tianyi BEYOND has 1.6T and 1.8T engines and PHEV plug-in hybrid versions to choose from. The 1.8T version has a maximum power of 155kW and a peak torque of 300N·m. The 1.6T version has a maximum power of 129kW and a peak torque of 250N·m. m. The PHEV version uses a P0+P2+P4 three-motor architecture matched with an e-ATN8 eight-speed electric automatic transmission. The system has a maximum power of 221kW and a maximum torque of 520N·m.
In terms of chassis, Tianyi BEYOND still uses a front MacPherson and rear torsion beam suspension structure. However, the torsion beam suspension on Tianyi BEYOND is officially called a deformable beam suspension, which can twist within a certain range. And the official said that when paired with its own PHC variable hydraulic adaptive suspension system, it can not only realize the function of some multi-links, but also not occupy the space in the car.
Although it is not equipped with a four-wheel drive system, the Citroën Grip Control multi-road condition adaptation system can still monitor the driving vehicle in real time and electronically control the vehicle's traction and tire grip according to different road conditions to ensure that the vehicle Can drive safely and smoothly. The driver can rotate the knob to switch between road condition modes. There are five road condition modes: highway, sand, snow, mud, and ESP off.
Of course, you still have to test drive the performance of this set of power and chassis to know. This time we tested the 1.8T powered version.Judging from the actual driving experience, the throttle does not shift in the initial stage and the power output is linear. For an SUV destined for home use, this adjustment can well ensure the comfort of the family when riding. From the initial stage to the first stage, the pedal is slightly deeper and halfway This section is basically sufficient for daily smooth driving in the city.
Of course, its acceleration ability in the middle and rear sections is also good, and it is relatively easy to overtake and merge. The embarrassing situation of just roaring but not moving will not happen.
The 8AT gearbox equipped with it has a slight frustration when frequently switching low-speed gears. Of course, if you don’t notice it carefully, it will not be obvious. The overall smoothness and shifting logic are still very high, and it can be used daily. The transmission is more aggressive in upshifting when driving, and can quickly upshift to reduce engine speed to improve fuel economy.
However, during rapid acceleration, there will be some delay in downshifting of the transmission. When I step on the accelerator deeply, the transmission will have about half a second to respond. After switching to sports mode, the response will be more positive.
When switching to manual mode for upshifting and downshifting, the response time is also faster. In low gears, it can continue to maintain high speeds without forcing upshifts. It still has some playability when paired with paddles. of.
For Tianyi BEYOND, which focuses on "comfort", this 1.8T+8AT combination is completely satisfactory. I believe that many car owners who choose this car also value smoothness and comfort.
Tianyi BEYOND also truly demonstrates Citroën’s chassis tuning skills. The PHC adaptive hydraulic stabilization technology is equivalent to a variable damping suspension, which can cope with various road conditions and handle emergency lane changes in daily life. It can be handled calmly when waiting for operation, giving the driver strong confidence.
Most of the test drive route this time was on urban roads. When faced with some undulations on the road and sunken manhole covers, this chassis provided quite excellent stability.
For example, this time when I collaborated with fellow media editors to shoot this set of dynamic pictures, the stable and comfortable chassis performance of Tianyi BEYOND made the camera more stable when shooting in the car, and the picture yield rate was improved. This can be regarded as the most obvious reflection of the comfort of this chassis in this test drive.
Edit summary:
Tianyi C5 AIRCROSS has always been the main model in the Citroen family that guarantees sales. Citroen has naturally placed high hopes on Tianyi BEYOND, which was launched after the mid-term facelift. Judging from this test drive, Tianyi BEYOND's product performance is good, and it has also "surpassed" a lot on the basis of the old model, especially in terms of practicality and comfort, which has brought many surprises.
It is indeed not easy to stand out among the 200,000-class household SUVs that have gone crazy and be seen by consumers, so how can we give consumers more opportunities to see them?And after test driving this car, what rights and car purchase policies are available to attract consumers. This may be the most important thing for Dongfeng Citroen to consider after Tianyi BEYOND is launched.