SAIC-GM Chevrolet Menlo

[Battery Life]
When the air conditioner is not turned on, the battery life is 1:1, and it can easily cover 500 kilometers. In winter in Northeast China, when the air conditioner is turned on, the battery life is 65% of the normal level. I can even accept it being cut in half because I don't drive on the highway. A battery life of over 200 kilometers is sufficient for me. Moreover, I have a parking space, so I can charge it every day just like charging a phone.

[Least Satisfied]
I don't really like the appearance. I prefer the appearance of the Velite. It's a pity that Buick has an arrogant attitude and is reluctant to sell cars. Now, even if they give me one for free, I won't take it. It makes me sick just to look at it.
The Chevrolet Menlo doesn't have wireless charging or wireless CarPlay, and there is no electric tailgate. The remote start function doesn't work well. The APP shows that the connection is unsuccessful, but in fact, the car has already started. The rear suspension is very bumpy when going over potholes, and things in the trunk will be jolted up. The good thing compared to the old model is that it can be set for timed charging. The peak electricity price is 0.2 yuan, and the normal price is 0.5 yuan.
The center console screen is too far from the driver and is located in the middle. Normally, it should be inclined towards the driver.

[Driving Experience]
American cars have relatively soft suspensions, which are quite comfortable, completely different from German cars. I was very disappointed with Buick before. Twelve 4S stores were reluctant to sell cars in Northeast China, so I gave up on this brand. It drives better than the Velite 6 and 7. Its tuning is like that of a gasoline - powered car. The accelerator is very responsive and has more momentum than my six - cylinder car.

[Spatial Performance]
The space is sufficient and the layout is reasonable. Except that the height is a bit low, people who are 175 cm tall will feel spacious in the front, back, left, and right. People who are 180 cm tall and weigh 200 jin should not consider it.

¡¾Most Satisfied¡¿As a new energy vehicle, the Menlo doesn't have the large - area grille of traditional fuel - powered vehicles. Instead, it adopts the commonly - used closed front face in the industry. Stretching from the car logo to the headlights on both sides, the flat and slender "eyes and nose" stretch the horizontal visual effect of the front of the car, while exuding an imposing manner as if saying "Don't mess with me".
The Menlo's body shape has a crossover style, different from traditional SUVs, MPVs and hatchback sedans. It's individual, dynamic, avant - garde and fashionable, which might be the "uniqueness" that young consumers need. The rear of the car has a very rich sense of hierarchy. The rear windshield and the taillight group are integrated, creating a strong sense of technology.

¡¾Least Satisfied¡¿When you get into the Menlo, you can see the familiar Chevrolet family - style design. However, there is no leather fabric on the center console, not even any soft materials. To reduce the cheap feeling inside the car, the design combines lines with imitation carbon - fiber textures to make the interior full of a youthful atmosphere.
The 8 - inch LCD instrument panel and the floating center console display with a black background and frame provide a certain sense of technology for the Menlo. In addition to integrating conventional functions such as navigation, air - conditioning, reversing image and mobile phone interconnection on the center console screen, the Menlo offers a preferential policy of free in - car App data for life (100G/year) across all models.

¡¾Endurance¡¿The Menlo claims a NEDC comprehensive cruising range of 410km, but I'm "skeptical" about this data! We previously test - drove the Buick Velite 6 PLUS, a sibling model of the Menlo, which also has a nominal cruising range of 410km. As a result, our actual measurement reached 483km. Compared with the situation where many new energy vehicles' actual cruising range is only 80% of the nominal value, the cruising performance of General Motors' new energy vehicles is much more reliable.
Due to the limited test - drive itinerary this time and the complex driving conditions, we didn't deliberately calculate the cruising range performance. Referring to the power consumption of 13.1kWh per 100 kilometers and combined with the battery capacity of 52.5kWh, I believe there should be no problem for the Menlo to achieve over 90% of the NEDC cruising range in urban driving conditions, and it might even be better.

¡¾Driving Experience¡¿As an inter - city commuting vehicle, how is the driving experience of the Menlo? The throttle response of the Menlo is very linear, without the abruptness of some electric vehicles. The overall driving feeling is also very close to that of traditional fuel - powered vehicles. After turning on the sport mode, the throttle response seems to be more positive. Whether it's starting or mid - range acceleration, it brings a smooth and exhilarating power experience.
The handling performance and driving quality of many new energy vehicles are generally better than those of traditional fuel - powered vehicles. The main reason is that the power battery is laid flat under the chassis, which lowers the overall center of gravity of the vehicle and makes the front - rear weight distribution more balanced. Talking about the driving quality of the Menlo, the chassis and suspension are adjusted to be neither too hard nor too soft, combining firmness with softness. It handles small bumps on the road neatly, and the shock - absorption quality is also excellent.

In my opinion, the Chevrolet Menlo is a vehicle that's very suitable for family use. Considering its power, space, configuration, and cost - effectiveness, I think it's a pretty good car. Especially now, the state offers many subsidies and favorable policies for new - energy vehicles, so buying a car is very cost - efficient. When I first bought the car, I was extremely worried about charging issues, but later I realized I had overthought it. Nowadays, many residential communities have charging facilities, and there are also charging stations on the highways, which is very convenient. Even in rural areas, you can charge the car at home through an adapter, though it takes a bit longer. If you use fast charging, it takes about two or three hours to fully charge the battery. If you charge it at home, you can just start charging before going to sleep at night, and it'll be fully charged by the time you go to work the next day. When I bought the car, I was told that its cruising range is 410 kilometers. From my own driving experience, it's about the same. However, recently, due to the hot weather and the fact that I basically turn on the air - conditioner every day, the cruising range has dropped a bit, to around 380 kilometers. I also really like the car's power. One of the great advantages of new - energy vehicles is that they're extremely quiet when starting. Since it's not a gasoline engine, there's no engine noise like that in gasoline cars when starting or accelerating. I really appreciate this feature. Another point is that the Menlo has very strong starting power. It basically moves as soon as you step on the accelerator. The Menlo also has a fairly large space. The station - wagon styling makes the car look particularly good, and combined with the interior space design, it's more practical for family use. I'm 1.8 meters tall and weigh 86 kilograms. After adjusting the driver's seat to the optimal position, there's still a decent amount of space in the back row. I don't feel cramped in terms of legroom and headroom. I think this kind of space is very good. As for the interior of the Menlo, I personally think it's a bit lacking. Maybe it's also a weakness of American - made cars' interiors. The interior materials of the Menlo are quite ordinary, with more plastic materials. The feel of the central control panel and other areas is relatively poor. The part of the interior that I like the most is the navigation screen. It's large in size, has a clear resolution, and has many functions, which are very practical. I really like the CarPlay function. Now when I drive, as soon as I get in the car, I connect my phone. It's very convenient for making calls, listening to music, and using navigation. There's also a mirroring function that can project the content of my phone onto the screen. When I'm alone and bored, I can even watch a movie on it.