Small displacement, big difference test GAC Chuanqi GS4 Premium Edition

　　　　[XCAR test drive original]

　　　　With the release of Chuanqi GA6, a mid-size car at the end of last year, GAC Chuanqi made a beautiful turnaround in the brand family car market in China. With its excellent appearance design and mainstream power system, GAC Chuanqi seems to have found its own brand design tone in Chuanqi GA6, and at the same time gradually got rid of its "immature" design style. The mature design brush strokes of Chuanqi GS4, a compact SUV, undoubtedly gave consumers a "reassurance", but when many people learned that Chuanqi GS4 was equipped with a 1.3L turbocharged engine, they still had to sweat for its power performance.

　　　　With the increasing prosperity of small-displacement fuel-efficient turbine engines, both international and domestic automobile manufacturers will regard small-displacement fuel-efficient turbine engines as an important vehicle type when developing compact SUV models. However, even if it is developed on the premise of "small displacement", the engine displacement of compact SUV models is hovering around 1.5L On the one hand, it can be stuck on the threshold of displacement tax rate to save a lot of taxes for manufacturers and consumers, and on the other hand, it can ensure enough power output to drive the heavier body of SUV. Chuanqi, on the other hand, didn’t go with the flow. It adopted a turbocharged engine with a displacement of 1.3L, which reduced the displacement by 0.2L compared with other engines. Is it the improvement in fuel consumption or the lack of power? And it will be answered by the field test of Aika Automobile.

　　　　Power system:

　　　　Now that we are talking about the power system, we might as well start with the 1.3L turbocharged engine of GS4. The nominal displacement of the 1.3L turbocharged engine code-named 4A13M1 is 1325mL, and the cylinder diameter and stroke are both 75mm. In terms of structure, we learn from the design of EA211 model of Volkswagen Group, and integrate the engine valve cover and camshaft cover. When this engine was just released last year, its maximum power and peak torque were 93kw and 195Nm, respectively. Although this 4A13M1 mounted on GS4 adopted the same model code, after re-adjustment, it can output the maximum power of 101kw at 5500rpm, and the peak torque can reach 202Nm in the range of 1400-4200rpm, which is slightly higher than last year.

　　　　Matching the 4A13M1 engine is a 7-speed dry dual-clutch gearbox code-named C725, which adopts the core technology from Fiat Group and is manufactured by Iveco Automobile Transmission Co., Ltd.. As the code literally indicates, the maximum input torque that this 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox can bear is 250Nm. The C725 gearbox adopts an electronically controlled hydraulic drive dual clutch control unit.

　　　　GS4 is developed by the modular flexible framework platform of Architecture Framework of Guangzhou Automobile Chuanqi. The biggest feature of this platform is that it can be combined with limited spare parts molds, and the parameters such as wheel track, wheelbase and body can be adjusted, so as to improve the universality of spare parts and reduce the cost of vehicle development. At present, the models developed based on Architecture Framework platform already include GA3, GA5, GS5, GA6, etc.

　　　　As for the suspension system, Chuanqi GS4 adopts the front McPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension structure. In terms of tires, GS4 is equipped with ContiMaxContactTM MC5 series tires with specifications of 215/55 R18.

　　　　Accelerated testing:

　　　　This test model is Chuanqi GS4 200T G-DCT Premium Edition. In the accelerated test, we turned off the electronic auxiliary system and switched to sports mode. However, due to the gearbox protection program, GS4 could not exert all the peak torque at the initial stage, and the starting speed was limited to about 2000rpm. In the acceleration process, the response of the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox is quite timely, but the sense of frustration is obvious. Finally, the acceleration test score of 0-100km/h of GS4 is locked at 12.92s s.

　　　　Brake test:

　　　　ContiMaxContactTM MC5 series tires are a series of continental tires that emphasize noise suppression. In the braking test, the attitude of GS4 is stable, the suspension system controls the center of gravity of the vehicle well, and the final braking distance is 41.23m m..

　　　　Pile winding test:

　　　　In the test around piles, the performance of GS4 is quite satisfactory. Although the directivity of steering wheel is not accurate, smaller steering is more timely than making GS4 respond between piles. The suspension system is relatively calm. When trying to penetrate the pile at a speed of 60km/h, although the body roll is relatively large, thanks to the rigorous adjustment of the suspension system, the wheel’s adhesion to the ground is remarkable, but the curb weight of 1450kg still drags GS4′ s hind legs, leaving room for improvement in the tracking performance of the rear wheels.

　　　　Road test drive: excellent driving quality. There is still room for improvement in the gearbox.

　　　　In our simulated daily driving experience, Chuanqi GS4 has opened a clear gap with its competitors of the same level in terms of driving comfort and quality. Although the 1.3L turbocharged engine did not show obvious performance advantages in the test link of 0-100km/h, it has a broad torque platform during the open road driving under normal traffic flow, thanks to the adoption of the electronically controlled turbine pressure relief valve. The power performance of the GS4 is quite calm because of the rapid pressure building ability of the small fuel-efficient turbine after refueling and upshifting, and the ride comfort performance of the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox in the middle and high speed range is also commendable.

　　　　During driving, linear acceleration and suppression of noise and vibration are the first impressions left by GS4. In addition to strict sound insulation measures, the low cruising speed of the engine has also helped NVH engineers a lot. When cruising at 80km/h, the engine speed is only around 1500rpm. The suspension adjustment, which seems to be "soft-footed" when winding the pile, has become a sharp weapon to isolate annoying vibration on the highway. Most of the fine ups and downs and bumps are isolated from the cockpit, and most of the time only the driver holding the steering wheel can feel the road condition from the slight vibration of the steering wheel.

　　　　The excellent performance under normal road conditions has left us a very good impression, but the GS4 is not perfect. For example, the performance of the C725 7-speed dry dual-clutch gearbox equipped with it is beyond reproach at medium and high speeds, but in the congested road conditions with a speed of about 15-20km/h, its performance is a bit confusing, and the uneasy rush and frustration may come at any time. Every time you switch between 1st gear and 2nd gear, it will be a bit awkward. Although these setbacks have not reached an unpleasant level, compared with the previous performance of GS4, it will make people feel that GS4 can obviously do better.