Voyah Free in Blick test: China’s electric car for the noble league

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During our test with the Voyah Free, passersby asked us “What kind of car is this?” asked. Many people were surprised when we said that Voyah is a Chinese car. Because the electric SUV looks impressive, unlike other Chinese cars. So what does it technically look like and how does an electric car drive?

The company Noyo Mobility, headquartered in Rotkreuz (see box), imports the Chinese brand Voyah from the major group Dongfeng Motor Corporation. With three million vehicles sold every year in China alone, the group has already reached a significant figure. Dongfeng is carefully planning its conquest of Europe, starting only in selected test markets such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Finland.

before trip

Now let’s turn our attention to Voyah Free. China’s electric SUV looks visually elegant and well-proportioned. Inside, three 12.3-inch displays span the full width of the front panel. Beautiful leather adorns the entire interior and gives a Chinese premium feel. Funny detail: There is an interior camera on the dashboard with which the passenger can take a selfie. There is enough space in the rear rows of seats as well as in the front seats. In addition, 560 to 1360 liters fit in the trunk and another 72 liters in the front trunk.

on the street

We roll in whisper-quiet towards Stuttgart in the 2,340-kilogram SUV. Nothing squeaks or shakes inside. During our trip we noticed the comfortable setting of the standard adaptive air suspension. No swaying, even on longer waves the body barely shakes. The steering could be a little more direct, but it works much more harmoniously than in many other Chinese cars. There are six driving modes to choose from: Eco, Comfort, Performance, Off-Road, Snow and Individual. Nice trick: If we switch to performance mode, the dashboard lowers a few centimeters for a better view of the hood and the road.

that was good

China’s electric car delivers 489 hp (360 kW) and a maximum torque of 720 Nm. The accelerator pedal responds directly, but the all-wheel drive system sometimes struggles to transfer power to the road, allowing the wheels to spin briefly. Otherwise Voyah accelerates quickly; Even on the unrestricted highway we were able to overtake quickly at higher speeds without any problems. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 4.4 seconds and the speed officially ends at 200 km/h – there was still 220 km/h on the speedometer. Ventilated and heated front seats with massage function provide the necessary comfort over long distances.

he was bad

In terms of consumption, Voyah is not one of the most economical. We reached an average consumption of 26.3 kWh. To be fair, we must emphasize that we went too far and too fast on the German motorway. Voyah consumed approximately 380 kilometers of power for a 100 kWh (net) battery; That’s pretty little and you’ll quickly find yourself back in a socket. What is not a problem with a strong charging capacity is quite a problem with the Voyah. Because the E-SUV does not draw more than 100 kilowatts. The Chinese charge from ten percent to 80 percent in 45 minutes. Another weak point is the annoying driving assistants, which beep so often that we disabled them. In addition, the navigation system sometimes reacts too late and slowly – but you quickly get used to the slightly confusing layout.

what remains

Voyah Free proves that the Chinese can make good cars now. It is in the premium segment with a starting price of 69,990 Swiss Francs. However, its list of surcharges is not as extensive as that of its European rivals. As with almost all Chinese, there is room for improvement in terms of charging speed and driving assistants. If Dongfeng fixes these weaknesses, Voyah will become serious competition for European premium SUVs.

Source: Blick