Hengchi 5

1. Interior: The overall color of my car's interior is black, which is quite stain-resistant. Haha. The roof fabric is probably grey (this grey roof seems too dark. I'll see if I can reupholster it later). The sunroof is also quite large and has an automatic sunshade. The front seats are integrated sports seats made of leather. They're okay to sit on, but the backrest of the rear seats is very hard, and the angle is a bit too upright. The rear seats seem low and short, so sitting in the back isn't that comfortable. The most eye-catching part of the interior is probably the triple-screen, and its display effect is also great. There's also an ambient light that can flash in a breathing pattern. The drawback is that there are no light strips, which makes it seem less upscale.
2. Driving experience: I usually set the vehicle's energy recovery to the strong mode. It's not like Tesla's heavy braking during energy recovery, so it's easier to get used to. The chassis performs excellently. The car is stable and easy to drive. It has good support when cornering, and the steering is precise, turning exactly as much as the steering wheel is turned. The acceleration is also very fast. The feeling of immediate response when you step on the accelerator is really great. The steering wheel is light at low speeds and stable at high speeds. I installed 21-inch large wheels with wide tires. They have strong support when passing over bumpy roads. I feel that the chassis is better than those of Tesla and Li Auto, but of course, this is just my personal opinion.
3. Noise: The vehicle's sound insulation is okay. Since I've only driven it a few times and for a short period, I think the sound insulation is acceptable. I haven't made a special comparison yet. I'll add more if I have the chance later.
4. Range: It's winter in Shanghai now. If I turn on the air conditioner, the car can probably run about 330 kilometers. If I don't turn on the air conditioner and drive carefully, it should be able to run over 400 kilometers, which is basically within my expectation.
5. Others: The 360-degree panoramic camera is a bit disappointing. There's distortion and a sense of jerk. I think it's better not to have it. The glove box in the front is a bit small, but other storage spaces are okay. The trunk space is also quite large, but there's no storage space in the front of the engine compartment. The assisted driving function hasn't been activated yet, so I can't experience it.
Overall, I'm generally satisfied. However, this car has been controversial because of the Evergrande Group. Just considering the vehicle itself, I think it's worth buying. The main concern might be after-sales service. If you have a spare car, I think it doesn't matter. If the company really goes bankrupt, maintenance might be a bit troublesome, but with a spare car, you can still manage. Haha. Finally, I hope people can be more understanding and tolerant of new car brands and less sarcastic and skeptical. As ordinary people, when choosing a family car, we should make decisions based on our own judgment and budget. I'll keep discovering and updating my experience as I use the car, hoping to better record the driving experience brought by the Hengchi 5.

I've taken delivery of the car for over a month and have now driven 3100 kilometers. I'm most satisfied with the relatively reliable range. I commute 95 kilometers to and from work every day (30 kilometers of which are on the urban expressway at a speed of 90 - 120 km/h). With four people in the car, the power consumption is basically controlled at around 13 kWh, which is equivalent to about 88 kilometers per kWh. When there's only one person in the car, not on the urban expressway, the weather is about 20 degrees Celsius and the air - conditioner is off, the range can basically reach a 1:1 ratio. We'll just have to see how it performs in winter.

In terms of charging, the installation of the home charging pile was also very timely. The State Grid installed the electricity meter within a week, and the manufacturer sent someone to complete the installation the next day after I applied through the APP. Usually, the charging power at home is about 6 - 7 kilowatts, and the fastest fast - charging in the charging station can reach 100 kilowatts.

The handling has been significantly improved compared to the fuel - powered car I used to drive. The acceleration, sound insulation, and handling all meet my expectations. The only drawbacks are that there's sometimes a strange noise when braking, and the suspension seems a bit too stiff. When driving at about 80 km/h, the car bounces quite a lot when passing over the joints between roads and bridges, which may be due to the tire pressure being too high. The assisted driving function needs to be upgraded at the dealership to be activated, and I haven't tried it yet.

1. Interior: The car roof is made of knitted material and comes with sunshades. The edges of the seats, the areas near the door where the seat belts are connected, are the same as in the online pictures (there are directly sewn shallow notches). Overall, it gives a relatively simple impression. It should be said that Changan Deepal appears more high - end. When the door is closed, it feels heavy, indicating good quality.
2. Comfort: The front and rear seats seem to be made of leather. The backrest of the rear seats is very hard and the angle is a bit straight. The rear seats seem a bit low. In short, sitting in the back row is not very comfortable, and the suspension seems quite hard. The front seats are okay, and the suspension doesn't feel very hard either. The temperature today was between 22 - 31 degrees. When the car was parked in place for nearly 20 minutes, it seemed that for a while, the air - conditioning didn't blow out cold air, or the air wasn't cool enough, feeling more like normal - temperature air, similar to the air blown out by a fuel - powered car's air - conditioning when idling in the scorching sun. Additionally, the air outlets seem too narrow, which affects the overall air flow in the car. The sound quality of the speakers is barely acceptable.
3. Driving and riding experience: The vehicle's kinetic energy recovery has three levels: maximum, standard, and none. At the maximum level, the deceleration after releasing the accelerator is not very obvious. The standard level is already close to that of a fuel - powered car. When braking suddenly at a speed of 60 km/h, there is no nose - diving phenomenon. The braking is rapid, the ABS is not triggered, and there is no skidding, which is satisfactory. The contour of the right exterior rear - view mirror is a bit large (but the visible part of the mirror is not large. Personally, I think it should be made oblong). It blocks the view a bit like the Nezha U Pro, but to a lesser extent.
4. Noise: The overall noise control of the vehicle is okay. However, when driving at a speed above 60 km/h, there is a whistling sound, and it's unclear where it comes from. There is a slight motor sound during the acceleration process, and even after releasing the accelerator. Fortunately, although this sound exists, it doesn't irritate the nerves. It's not like the low - frequency noise that some brand owners have complained about, which makes people dizzy.
5. Camera effect: The virtual effect of the 360 - degree image (see Figure 1) is simply exaggerated. It feels that if the front windshield is blocked and one has to drive relying on this 360 - degree image, it's likely to cause a collision. Other images such as the front - facing, reverse, and two front - wheel images are okay, although there are many noise points. So, this part (camera effect) needs to be well optimized in the software.
6. Others: I checked and the average energy consumption of this car is about 23 kWh per 100 kilometers (maybe the test - drive car was driven quite aggressively). There is no storage space under the front hood, and the trunk capacity is okay. There is no obvious chemical odor in the car (it seems to have a smell of cigarettes). In addition, some safety - driving functions still cannot be activated. The official previously said that they would be completed by the end of March 2023.
7. Price: Even though the first 10,000 users now get a discount of 10,000 yuan, the price after the discount doesn't have a big difference compared with other competing products in the area. If we consider the price of similar models, the interior, and the uncertainty of when some functions will be available, the price difference is even smaller. The only thing worth boasting about is the lifetime warranty for the whole car (last year when the C11 was launched at 159,000 yuan, it was already more than 30,000 yuan cheaper than similar models in the area, and there was an additional 20,000 - yuan discount for pre - orders in the first month). Of course, Evergrande is really short of funds now. If they had more money, they could do more.
8. Mistakes: The unfinished interior and some unopened functions are probably emergency measures forced by higher - level requirements. But the only misstep seems to be that the software part that was originally said to be free (as stated at the previous press conference, perhaps people mistakenly thought it was a free gift) is now only available for the first - batch pre - orders and needs to be purchased additionally. I once praised XPeng Motors for giving away their originally paid intelligent - driving functions for free. It seems that this is not only a promotion for the company but also helps to make the intelligent - driving data more complete. After all, intelligent - driving functions are not simulated by programmers in the laboratory but refined from real - world road conditions again and again. Only by expanding the user base can the basic data collection be more extensive.