If the demotion attack is regarded as bullying, then the leapfrog attack means having enough self-confidence. When it comes to leapfrog, the first thing I think of is the brand Starway. Although Starway is a sub-brand of Chery, the cars it produces have basically achieved leapfrog, just like the previous 7-seat SUV with a class of 200,000, and the configuration is still very rich.
Just some time ago, the appearance of Starway once again verified what is a leapfrog attack. The highest price of Starway Eta Ursae Majoris is 200,000, but its target model is actually an SUV within 400,000. Such confidence is not available to any car company, so where does Starway Eta Ursae Majoris come from?
In fact, it is not difficult to find out if we take a closer look at its configuration. The most 200,000-class model is actually equipped with an intelligent assisted driving system as high as L2.99, and it also has the blessing of CDC electromagnetic suspension system, as well as a brand-new cockpit and design language. Putting these on a car at the same time is really a little bit like dressing up as a pig to eat a tiger.
It’s useless to talk about it. Only after driving the car and really experiencing it can we know how the so-called L2.99-level assisted driving performance is. But before driving, let’s take a brief look at the appearance and interior of Starway Eta Ursae Majoris.
Starway Eta Ursae Majoris adopts the aesthetic design language of Atlantis Light, and the whole front face will look more layered and futuristic. The air intake grille does not use the traditional modeling design, but boldly uses the borderless "Star Window" design, and the looming feeling also makes it more attractive for future technology.
The logo in the middle can be lit, which is a continuation of the previous 400T design. Although it is not a new technology, it is also a family-style continuation and inheritance.
A rose gold color decorative strip symbolizing nobility is added above the penetrating LED headlights, which instantly enhances its temperament. X-shaped daytime running lights are also more exaggerated and fierce. In addition, the car is equipped with three light language configurations for the first time, which is definitely one of the few configurations in the same class or even 300,000-class models.
Starway Eta Ursae Majoris adopts a slip-back design, especially the rear part of the car creates a feeling of tightening with lines, which makes it look more sporty and youthful. The drag coefficient of this car is 0.326cd, which is not comparable to that of new energy vehicles, but it is not high in the same class of fuel vehicles.
In terms of body size, the length, width and height of Xingtu Eta Ursae Majoris are 4781x1920x1671mm and the wheelbase is 2815mm, respectively. Although it is not a new energy model, the hidden door handle still appears on this model. The car will be equipped with 20-inch wheels, and the matching Michelin tires are 245/50 R20 to maximize the comfort and quietness of the vehicle.
The shape of the rear of the car has added more rounded designs. The penetrating taillight group not only plays a layered role, but also has the function of signal language. At present, there are only three signal languages, and if there are any new ones, they can also be directly upgraded through OTA.
The exhaust design of Xingtu Eta Ursae Majoris is a style of two-way four-way, but this is only for decoration. The actual exhaust is two-way double-way, but the exhaust of four-way looks really enough for fighting. Moreover, the unique top spoiler is designed like an airplane tail, which gives you the feeling of flying into the sky and looking for stars in the sky.
The interior adopts the design of the embracing cockpit, and the 24.6-inch high-definition curved screen is also essential, which not only increases the sense of technology, but also minimizes the number of buttons in the car. In terms of materials, Starway Eta Ursae Majoris is not soft at all. It not only uses a lot of soft bag materials, but also adds Nappa leather for embellishment. This material and workmanship can really be used as a benchmark for leapfrog products.
The steering wheel adopts a flat-bottomed sports design, and the two-spoke design is also very scientific and technological. The above multi-function buttons all adopt touch-control design, and the technical attributes have indeed been improved a lot, but relatively speaking, it will also increase the chances of some misoperation, and the panel is really easy to leave fingerprints.
The central control screen adopts Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 car gauge chip, which has a very high operating fluency, and it also integrates many car functions, including mobile phone interconnection, online entertainment, APP download, driver assistance function setting, air conditioning, voice interaction, etc., with a very high degree of integration.
Three knobs and two toggle buttons are designed at the bottom of the screen, which has the feeling of an airplane cockpit, and the outward protruding design is also a big surprise. Here, the knobs on the left and right sides and the toggle button are used to control the adjustment of air conditioning, and the knob in the middle is the switching knob of driving mode.
Because the arms are used, the central passage becomes a huge storage space, and it is designed with a sliding cover, which can be closed when not in use, which can effectively increase the overall feeling of the vehicle. When it is opened, it will change two cup holders and a storage box in seconds.
The seat adjustment of the car is designed on the door panel, which makes it easier to operate. Moreover, all four doors are designed with electric door opening switches, which directly improves the sense of science and technology to a higher level. However, for the sake of safety, the traditional mechanical handle has also been retained.
The comfort of the front seats is really high. The main driver supports electric adjustment, seat heating, ventilation and memory functions, and has leg adjustment and waist adjustment. The headrest is also integrated with speakers, which can better ensure the driver to hear the prompts and navigation broadcasts.
The function of the co-pilot seat is more comprehensive. In addition to electric adjustment, heating and ventilation, there is also a massage function. At the same time, leg rests and foot rests also appear in the co-pilot seat, so it is no exaggeration to call it "the queen’s co-pilot".
The riding comfort of the rear seats is really high, and the seat cushion and backrest are beyond many models at the same level. The softness is really unknown, and it also has the adjustment of the electric backrest, which is much higher than many manual adjustments.
In terms of driving experience, the car uses a 2.0T engine and 7DCT powershift, with a maximum output of 192kW and a maximum torque of 400 N m.. This power system is actually very strong, but it may take care of the needs of more drivers and passengers, so the engine power output will be a little slow, but it is still completely acceptable.
If you switch to sports mode, the throttle response time will be improved a lot instantly, and the feeling of acceleration is very linear, but the noise will be a bit high, but fortunately it is also within the acceptable range.
The shifting logic of the transmission is actually very clever, but when the vehicle is going downhill, it will occasionally upshift itself, which is still a bit strange. Shifting paddles really add a lot of driving pleasure, especially when driving on mountain roads, and the playability is instantly improved.
There are seven driving modes to choose from, namely, economy, standard, sports, snow, mud, sand and off-road, and when each mode is switched, there will be a corresponding screen on the central control screen, which is quite interesting design.
In addition, this car is equipped with a four-wheel drive system. Although we didn’t have any chance to feel its four-wheel drive capability this time, we have felt the power of its four-wheel drive system in the venue test drive before. If you are interested, you can take a look at our previous test drive.
In addition, the top model of Starway Eta Ursae Majoris is equipped with CDC electromagnetic suspension, which can filter out the vibration of the road surface very well, especially on the gravel road surface, and the effect is very obvious.
However, this suspension also has a small problem, that is, the support for the roll is not as good as expected. Although it can be felt that the chassis is fighting against the roll, the effect is not particularly obvious. I hope it can be adjusted more later, which will bring a better driving experience.
In terms of assisted driving, Xingtu Eta Ursae Majoris has indeed achieved the leading level in its class. It not only has a 540 transparent chassis, but also has lane keeping, lane departure warning, fatigue monitoring, rear car warning, front collision warning, ACC adaptive cruise, lane change assistance, traffic sign recognition and so on. Basically, we can find everything we can think of in Eta Ursae Majoris, which is really worthy of praise and recommendation.
In addition, the car is also equipped with a HUD, which can display the driving information of the vehicle, including speed, speed, road traffic signs, etc., and can also directly display the navigation information, which is convenient for the driver to observe, so as to maximize the driving safety.
Summary:
As a 200,000-class medium-sized SUV, Starway Eta Ursae Majoris did not compare itself with the same-price model, but instead set its goal on the 400,000-class model. This leapfrog comparison is really rare, but Starway Eta Ursae Majoris has proved that it can do it with its own strength and configuration. At present, the car has been delivered to users on a large scale, and we are also expecting that more car companies will set their sights on the longer term and win the market with more practical configurations in the future.