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This is not a test drive article in the true sense. Since Tianmei ET5 is still in the testing stage before SOP production, the model tested this time is also Trial vehicle during the testing phase. Many details of tuning may be different from the final mass-produced model, so I would like to define this article as a test drive report, aiming to present the current performance of Tianmei ET5 to everyone.
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Tianmei Automobile, I believe that when I say this name, not many people know about this brand, and some are even unfamiliar with it. But when you study it carefully, you will find that this brand is still very different from other new car-making forces. It has its own unique characteristics in terms of origin and name. On July 18, just past, Tianmei ET5 officially released a pre-sale price of 150,000-200,000 yuan. The new car has launched *** 4 models with 3 types of battery life configurations, namely the Bright Heart Healthy Edition, the Pure Heart Smart Edition, and the Smart Health Integrated Edition. The top model has a NEDC maximum cruising range of 520km. The model for this test drive is the 2020 Tianmei Automobile ET5 Intelligent Health Integrated Edition (hereinafter referred to as "Tianmei ET5") with a pre-sale price of 200,000 yuan.
What brand is #天美车?
If I only mention Tianmei Automobile to you, you may feel unfamiliar. But if I tell you its origin, you may suddenly understand. I believe you must have heard of the Skyworth brand, right? That’s right, it’s the brand of your TV. Huang Hongsheng, the founder of Skyworth Group, founded Kaiwo Automobile (formerly known as Nanjing Chuangyuan Tiandi Automobile Co., Ltd.) in 2010. With the development of new energy buses, it has become a leader in commercial vehicles. After establishing a foothold in the field, it decided to set foot in the field of passenger cars for the first time with a new brand, and this brand is the Tianmei Automobile we are talking about today.
As for why it is called Tianmei Automobile, I also communicated with the leaders of the manufacturer during this test drive. In fact, the story is quite interesting. We know that the English name of Skyworth Group Co., Ltd. is (Skyworth Group Co., Ltd), and most of its products are prefixed with SKY, such as the well-known Skyworth TV Its English name is SKYWORTH, while SKYWELL is more of a commercial vehicle brand. In order to highlight the characteristics of passenger cars, its English name was translated, which is the Tianmei Automobile we are talking about today.
#About appearance
As the first model of Tianmei Motors, Tianmei ET5 does not adopt too many exaggerated designs. Instead, it gives people a sense of stability. With the support of the grille, this car does not look like a transmission electric model from a distance. The most eye-catching part of the front part of the car is the laser headlights. According to the engineer, when the speed exceeds 80km/h, the vehicle will automatically activate according to the road conditions. You must know that in models of the same level or even one level above, matrix Laser headlights are also a very rare configuration.
Tianmei ET5 is positioned as a medium-sized SUV, with a body size of 4698*1908*1696mm and a wheelbase of 2800mm. As for the entire side design, there is no very exaggerated design. The waistline that runs through the entire body makes the entire side of the body look somewhat powerful.
Perhaps after studying what contemporary consumers like, Tianmei ET5 adopts many popular elements in the design of the entire rear body. The through-type taillights with their own English logo, the tall waistline and the multi-ridge design are all parts that are well received by consumers nowadays.
#About the interior
Similarly, the interior of this car also adopts the current consumer demand for technological cockpits. The 12.8-inch floating central LCD screen is comparable in size to a laptop, making it the most eye-catching feature of the entire interior. In terms of materials, Tianmei ET5 also uses a large area of ??soft materials. The mileage of our test drive that day was only 30 kilometers. It is completely considered a new car, and there is no odor in the car, which is completely suitable. The owners of this car have a healthy attitude. In addition, as a new energy car that focuses on air quality and healthy living, Tianmei ET5 is equipped with PM2.5 high-efficiency air conditioning filter element, negative ion purifier and high-temperature circulation disinfection system to ensure a healthy air environment in the car.
The three-spoke steering wheel inherits the L2 assisted driving adjustment and multimedia adjustment buttons, but one thing to note here is that because the test drive model is a pre-SOP trial vehicle, L2 assistance is not activated. As for the driving function and related performance of this car, we will also test it after we get the finished car.
The 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel is designed by Skyworth itself, and the overall UI design and display effect are also at the same level as the upper reaches. It can display multiple information such as vehicle driving and multimedia.
Most of the configurations of Tianmei ET5 are integrated into this huge central control screen. Here you can not only adjust multimedia, adjust the ventilation/heating of the main and passenger seats, but also adjust the vehicle's assisted driving. and scene modes. The resolution and smoothness of the entire screen are at a high level among models of the same class. The Skylink system has built-in many third-party apps such as Amap, and supports 4G networks. In addition, Tianmei ET5 will also create a relatively sound electronic ecosystem. For example, when you are at home, you can observe the current situation of the vehicle through the TV. Conversely, when you are in the car, you can also control the turning on and off of home appliances, truly achieving a seamless connection between the car and home.
Tianmei ET5 is also equipped with a wireless charging function, but what is different from previous models is that the wireless charging board is designed in the space below the knob shift. In this area, in addition to the USB charging interface In addition, it is also equipped with a 12V cigarette lighter interface.
The biggest special thing about this car is the scene mode configuration. Tianmei ET5*** has three scene modes to choose from, namely health and wellness, happy party and camping mode. The key point to mention is the unique "lunch break mode" of Timei ET5. When you wake up the voice assistant and turn on the lunch break mode, the main driver's seat will automatically adjust the sleeping posture. At this time, the leg rest will automatically rise to give the driver a rest. A very comfortable sleeping posture. At this time, the air conditioner will also switch to external circulation to facilitate the driver to rest in the car. This posture is quite similar to the "queen seat" on NIO models, but NIO's The "queen seat" on the Tianmei ET5 is for the co-pilot, while the Tiami ET5 is for the main driver's passengers.
As mentioned above, after all, it is positioned as a mid-size SUV, so you don’t need to worry too much about the seating space. The height of the experiencer in the picture is 4600px. In terms of actual riding, both the front and back rows have quite ample performance. Due to the special attributes of pure electric vehicles, the center floor of the rear row is close to a flat state, which also makes the entire rear seating space more abundant, and even passengers in the middle will not feel any discomfort.
The rear seats of Tianmei ET5 can be folded down. When the seat cushions are removed, the entire trunk will become flat, and the trunk volume at this time will also be expanded from 467 liters to 1141 liters. After all, it is a model positioned as a mid-sized SUV, so you don't need to worry too much about space.
#How does this car drive?
Tianmei ET5 is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 150kW (204 horsepower) and a maximum torque of 330Nm. In terms of battery, it is equipped with a ternary lithium battery pack with a system energy density of 170Wh/kg. The battery capacity is available in three specifications: 55kWh, 58kWh and 72kWh, corresponding to three NEDC range versions of 404km, 410km and 520km respectively. The battery supplier for mid-to-high-end models is Funeng. In the future, it is not ruled out that the supplier will be replaced by CATL, which has higher market recognition.
At this stage, there is no driving mode option on the Tianmei ET5, but the shift knob only provides two forward gears, D and S. The difference between the two modes comes from the response speed of acceleration. With the blessing of the 150kW motor, the acceleration of this car is not false. In the early stage, it competes with some high-performance small steel cannons. Put it in D gear and step on it deeply. The moment you hit the throttle, peak torque comes immediately. Since the instantaneous response of pure electric vehicles is stronger than that of many fuel vehicles, you don’t have to worry about its power when overtaking and accelerating.
The braking of Tianmei ET5 is a difficult point to control. There is no problem with the overall angle of the brake pedal, the pedaling force, or the position of the accelerator pedal. It is just the difference between the brake pedal and the braking force. Calibration is not that linear. The engineer said that since the vehicle is still in the debugging stage, the vehicle's brakes will be further calibrated based on feedback.
The current steering of Tianmei ET5 does not currently support multiple intensity adjustments through the central control screen. It is reported that the steering wheel intensity will be set to multi-speed adjustment in the future. The steering wheel is made of leather material and has a medium-to-thick grip. The overall grip can still give people a good feeling. Since the model tested this time is not adjustable, the overall steering feeling is still heavy. In addition, during actual driving, I did not feel the obvious virtual position. The damping feedback of the steering wheel's automatic reset when the steering action is complete is very pleasing.
Different from the multi-speed adjustable design of previous models, the kinetic energy recovery of Tianmei ET5 adopts a percentage adjustment design, and its kinetic energy recovery supports 20-100% adjustment. This is still a relatively novel design at present. During driving, even if the kinetic energy recovery is adjusted to 100%, there is no strong drag feeling, so it will not affect the overall ride comfort.
In terms of NVH noise control, Tianmei ET5 has shown its level of performance, because electric models are different from internal combustion engine models in that there is no engine work, and the sound of the electric motor and battery output is far less than the work of the internal combustion engine. The noise produced is noticeable. In addition, the new car also has a very quiet performance in suppressing wind noise.
The independent suspension system with MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link at the rear is considered a relatively common configuration in its class. In actual driving, when facing slight bumpy roads, the suspension of Tianmei ET5 can filter such subtle vibrations well. When facing continuous bumpy roads, the vibrations will still be transmitted to the car, but fortunately, its The seats can further filter this vibration very well, making the actual ride not bad.
#Editor Summary
After a test drive, I can feel that this car is developing in an ideal direction. I also communicated all the advantages and disadvantages I mentioned above with the manufacturer's technical staff. I would like to give a thumbs up to Tianmei Automobile, because this car is still some time away from the final SOP, and this is the period when the problem is exposed. Many manufacturers are not willing to expose the trial vehicle at this stage. After all, it is still in the debugging stage, so problems will inevitably arise. It is indeed extraordinary that Tianmei dares to do this. Therefore, I hope that in the mass-produced cars after it is launched, the improved parts can be optimized so that consumers can see a model that is truly worth buying.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.