The low-speed beep simulation sound is really nice! Test drive Passat PHEV

The Passat, which has been selling well in a low-key manner, became very popular at the end of 2019. After a bump in the China Insurance Research Institute, it ranked at the bottom. However, this does not affect Passat's perfect ending with annual sales of more than 200,000 units. ?If you ask me whether you can buy a Passat, my answer is "buy with caution".

Consumers who choose European and American models will never look at Japanese and Korean models. Besides Passat, what other choices are there? Ford Mondeo, the quality and service are too poor; Buick "Double King", the price drop is too drastic; Peugeot 508L, too non-mainstream. So, there is no choice.

At this time, I will give you another choice, which is Passat PHEV. Why? Please listen to me one by one.

PHEV technology still depends on international big names

When it comes to new energy vehicles, everyone’s first reaction will be to think of independent brands. After all, independent brand new energy vehicles currently have a larger market share. , the taxis and special cars running on the streets are basically self-owned brands. ?The next thing that comes to mind may be the new car-making forces. After all, various jokes make the people who eat melons happy. It seems that joint venture brands do not have much presence in the new energy vehicle market because there are few products and it is difficult to achieve economies of scale.

Independent brands and new car manufacturers are "concentrating" on pure electric vehicles because they are simple and have low technical content. The joint venture brand pursues plug-in hybrid technology that is in line with today's car usage environment, so that it can experience the technical level.

In fact, PHEV can simply be regarded as an upgraded version of HEV. Only manufacturers that are good at HEV can make PHEV well. Therefore, when it comes to PHEV technology, we have to look at international brands.

Ford Mondeo PHEV is the first of these existing plug-in hybrid models, but the price is too high. Then there are Hyundai Sonata PHEV and Kia K5 PHEV, but Korean cars are too low. Let’s look at the public for now!

The driving texture is more delicate than the fuel version

Let’s talk about the power system first. The Passat PHEV uses a combination of a 1.4TSI gasoline engine and an electric motor. The maximum engine power is 110 kilowatts (150 horsepower). The torque is 250 N·m, the maximum power of the motor is 85 kW (115 hp), the maximum torque is 330 N·m, the comprehensive maximum power of the system is 155 kW (210 hp), and the maximum torque is 400 N·m. Equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 12.1kWh, the battery supplier is from CATL.

The Passat PHEV has a pure electric range of 63 kilometers and only supports slow charging. It takes 3-3.5 hours to fully charge. If there is no fixed parking space at home to install a charging pile, and the private charging pile cannot be used (most of them are fast charging piles), it can only be used as an ordinary HEV model. Of course, it is impossible to achieve 1.4L/100km fuel consumption in this case, but it is still a little more economical than the traditional fuel version.

Thanks to the assistance of the motor, there is no need to worry about insufficient power. Its comprehensive power level has exceeded the self-made 2.0T power system. And the entire acceleration process will not make you feel any discomfort at all, and the power output is smooth and stable. Even if the engine intervenes in the work, it is silent and colorless. Therefore, it is easy to forget the existence of the engine when driving the Passat PHEV.

The important thing is that, perhaps because of the additional battery in the rear half of the vehicle, the front and rear weight distribution of the vehicle is more balanced. Of course, the heavy feeling of driving is indispensable, and there is also a bit of agility and jumping. The driving experience seems to be better than the gasoline version, and it is more in line with Passat's model positioning: efficient and comfortable.

Are PHEVs really expensive?

First of all, many consumers will be scared away by the seemingly high price of PHEV models. In reality? The above-mentioned Volkswagen Passat PHEV? 1.4T hybrid elite version is priced at 243,900 yuan. It meets the conditions for the car to be directly approved for green license (except in Beijing area). It is exempt from purchase tax and vehicle and ship tax. You can directly purchase insurance by adding about 10,000 yuan. You can hit the road with the license fee, which totals about 253,900 yuan.

Compared with the Passat gasoline version, the 330TSI elite version is priced at 217,900 yuan, with a purchase tax of about 19,000 yuan. Also plus 10,000 yuan for insurance and registration fees, the vehicle and ship tax is 480 yuan, and the total price is about At around 250,000 yuan, the hybrid version is no more expensive than the gasoline version. Moreover, the Passat PHEV market terminal has a cash discount of 15,000 yuan, and the total cost is only 240,000 yuan.

Of course, the Passat gasoline version also has a cash discount, which is about 25,000 yuan. You can buy the 330TSI elite version for 192,900 yuan. The landing price is around 220,000 yuan, which is 20,000 yuan cheaper than the hybrid version. PHEV may not have much appeal to ordinary consumers, but for cities with purchase and travel restrictions, this is the "way out."

The bidding price of license plates in Shanghai and Shenzhen is about 80,000 yuan, and the average bidding price in Guangzhou is around 20,000 yuan. After including the license fee, the total price of a traditional fuel vehicle of the same model is about 60,000 yuan higher than the PHEV version, or about the same. In addition, the power system and overall configuration of the PHEV version of the same model are also much higher than the gasoline version.

One final word

Relevant regulations stipulate that pure electric and plug-in hybrid models must be equipped with a low-speed beep function. Because new energy vehicles are too quiet when driving at low speeds and pose certain safety risks to pedestrians, all new energy vehicles need to be equipped with built-in sound capabilities. As someone who has read countless new energy sources, what I want to say is that the low-speed beeps of most new energy sources are either too fake or too silly. However, the simulated sound of SAIC Volkswagen’s engine is really nice!

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.