- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He Fr Ar
DongFeng Voyah Free. Maglev vehicle
The DongFeng Voyah Free is a full-size electric or hybrid SUV that belongs to the luxury segment. Introduced in December 2020, the vehicle went on sale in June 2021. Moreover, the SUV is already being exported to Norway. The cost starts from 50,000 dollars, and the manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty for its model. At the same time, the Voyah Free is not a simple electric vehicle, but the world’s most powerful electric SUV with a gasoline generator on board. The Chinese market can already offer similar models: Nio ES8 and Li One. But there are no such as the Voyah Free yet, it is practically a maglev vehicle. Keep on reading to discover why it has such a nickname and what makes it special.
Maglev is a train on a magnetic cushion, which is held above the roadbed, moves and is controlled by the force of the electromagnetic field. Unlike traditional trains, the maglev train does not touch the rail surface during the movement.
The Shanghai maglev train connects one of the subway stations with the international airport. The train covers a distance of 30 km in about 7 minutes 20 seconds, accelerates to a speed of 431 km/h, maintaining it for about 1.5-2 minutes. A significant part of the route is laid through swampy terrains, so each support of the overpass is located on a concrete pad (the thickness of this pad reaches 85 meters in some places).
The Voyah Free SUV has two things in common with this magical train: an adjustable air suspension, which is designed to ensure a smooth ride, and monumentality, which is inherent in the automotive giant, DongFeng. DFM even opened an engineering center and recruited a special development team for its subsidiary brand, Voyah.
Exterior
The SUV owes its beautiful, expensive and solid exterior design to Italdesign. The 2022 DongFeng Voyah Free features noble proportions and sweeping lines, with a drag coefficient of 0.28. All Voyah models (so far there are two of them, along with the Dreamer minivan) are built on their own ESSA (Electric Smart Secure Architecture) modular platform, featuring a battery pack under the floor, two motors, aluminum subframes, a double-link front suspension, and a multi-link rear suspension.
The new Voyah Free has received retractable door handles and matrix headlights with a thermal imager. Overall dimensions make it possible to attribute the vehicle to the same league as the Volvo XC90 and Audi Q7: body length – 4,905 mm, width – 1,950 mm, height – 1,690 mm. Its wheelbase reaches 2,955 mm. The ground clearance is adjustable from 13 to 21 cm (13-18 in ‘Sport’ mode, 18-21 in ‘Comfort’ mode).
Interior and equipment
The stylish interior is not just richly equipped. It is finished with Nappa and Alcantara and is equipped with an unusual retractable front panel. It consists of three displays: the dashboard, vehicle settings control or navigation and a multimedia screen, which is located in front of the front passenger. Of course, there is a projection screen and an over-the-air media system update function.
The four-zone climate control is controlled by voice or buttons on the front panel below the center screen. The front seats received ventilation and massage functions. Near the gear lever there is a platform for wireless charging. The interior has turned out to be very spacious, providing enough knee room and headroom both at the front and back. The back row offers an armrest with cup holders, which are complemented by containers in the doors. The trunk is roomy and deep. Moreover, the vehicle offers excellent soundproofing.
The transparency of the panoramic roof is instantly adjusted by moving your finger across the central touch screen. The adaptive cruise control will be replaced by a third-level autopilot in the future. The list of equipment includes an automatic parking system, a voice assistant, as well as massage and ventilation functions for the front seats. There are 6 airbags. Plus, the vehicle received 5 stars during the crash tests.
Powertrains
The 2022/2023 DongFeng Voyah Free comes in two all-wheel drive versions:
- An electric vehicle with a pair of motors, producing in total 680 hp and 1,000 Nm. The driving range is 500 km. The SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, while developing the maximum speed of around 200 km/h.
- A plug-in sequential hybrid, featuring a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine along with the same electric motors. The system produces 109 hp. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. The internal combustion engine works as a generator, powering the batteries. The driving range of 860 km provides 50 liters of gasoline. The consumption reaches 6 liters per 100 km. The SUV can run 140 km using only the battery. It takes 25 minutes to charge the battery to 80% using a fast charger.
