ArticleManagerDriving Index: 79%
On the slightly sloped road, a foot of floor oil, the tires of the new generation Bora actually came with a neigh, which really lived up to the name of Bora.
A month after the test drive of the complete new generation Lavida, the test drive of the new generation Bora can almost be regarded as a comparative test drive for me. As both models are from the Volkswagen MQB platform, it would be inappropriate to say that the two cars are identical; If it is different, the two cars have a very obvious connection; To borrow an old Chinese saying, it is more appropriate to describe it, “the dragon gives birth to nine sons, all different”.
In the evaluation of the test drive experience of the new generation Bora, this article will incidentally talk about the comparison of the two cars for your reference.
Chassis power: living up to the name of Bora
are all Volkswagen MQB platform, isn’t it funny to say that the power and chassis tuning of the new generation Bora are more sporty? So, when I had the flash of “really sportier” in the car, I began to pass the test and verify it continuously.
Let’s give an example of the theoretical basis of the analysis. For example, the Android system we are familiar with, although the underlying architecture is the same, but each mobile phone factory has made its own system after different optimizations, bringing users similar but different use feelings. The new generation of Bora has also made its own optimizations in visible and invisible details. For example, in a hidden place such as a glove box, the obvious difference between the two cars is more telling.
â–²The bottom of the glove box of the new generation Bora is rounded in shape, and the new generation of Lavida is a regular plane, and the storage ability of the new generation of Bora is better in actual feeling.
It should be noted first of all that the movement of the new generation Bora is relative to the new generation of Lavida. On the two-lane mountain road in Anji, Zhejiang, the new generation of Bora’s medium and low speed bending support is sufficient and the direction is acceptable; Back four or five years ago, the engine and transmission of the new generation Bora (test drive is a 1.4T + DSG model) can be said to have abundant power output; But now, the new generation Bora can only be described as a family car with sufficient power and crisp cornering.
In straight and smooth road conditions, D gear and cruise mode, the new generation Bora can drive at a speed of 40-60km/h in 7th gear with only 1200rpm, and only needs about 1400rpm to accelerate to 60-90km/h. In low-speed creep mode, this combination of 1.4T and 7-speed DSG is tuned to perfection without the slightest frustration. Even when you lose the accelerator at low speeds and then accelerate, or when you lose the accelerator and then accelerate on a hill section, it is very smooth.
Give a quarter throttle, revs will rise to around 1800rpm to accelerate; If you give floor oil, it will instantly jump to about 3000-4000rpm to accelerate, and even have a more obvious push back feeling.
In S mode, the speed jumps from 2000rpm and the response feedback to the oil is more positive. The whole vehicle is ready to go at any time, and accelerating and overtaking becomes easier. Unlike the new generation of Lavida, the new generation of Bora switches S gear backwards and then returns to the original position, while in my memory, the new generation of Lavida is after D gear, there is also an S gear position. The design of the new generation Bora can avoid some misoperation, when I test drive the new generation of Lavida is to block a large section of the road with an S block. This is the first difference between the two car driving experiences.
Regarding the matching part of the 1.4T engine and DSG, the new generation Bora and Lavida are doing just as well, which should be attributed to Volkswagen’s accumulation over the years, especially the loss of DSG. In addition, the all-new Bora also has a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine and a combination of 5-speed manual and 6-speed automatic.
Although the hot-selling model in the future is likely to be a 1.5L model, I sincerely recommend that the conditional partners go to the 1.4T version, even if you have to add No. 95 oil and more expensive maintenance costs, when you drive it, you will feel that everything is worth it.
In addition to the same engine and gearbox, the new generation Bora suspension is different.
Here’s another paragraph. At the test drive briefing of the new generation of Lavida, the organizer devoted more space to the history of Lavida, the exterior design, comfort configuration, connected car system, driving assistance configuration of the new generation of Lavida, and only a small amount of space to talk about power and chassis system. At the test drive briefing of the new generation of Lavida, 70% of the organizer was devoted to explaining the platform, engine, gearbox, chassis optimization, etc., which should be the reason why the new generation of Bora chassis and power system are more sporty – there is a production plant that pays more attention to control.
Technically, the new generation Bora is equipped with shock absorbers with hydraulic cushioning system (HRS) (I don’t know if the new generation Lavida has it, the official information does not express it, presumably there should be), although the official term for chassis tuning is “comfort chassis tuning with Chinese characteristics”.
In my actual driving experience, the all-new Bora rolls are not noticeable when pressing at low speeds up and down hills, the driver is very confident in the control of the whole vehicle, and the occupants do not need to struggle to maintain a sitting position. On bumpy roads, convex joints on the road surface, speed bumps, etc., the suspension support is more resilient, and the bouncing sound of “bouncing” is dull. In contrast, although the suspension support of the new generation Lavida on the paved road surface in the city is comfortable and stable, it is a little thin when encountering bumpy roads and speed bumps, and the “crackling” suspension bouncing sound is somewhat empty. If we have the opportunity, we will do a two-car comparison to give an intuitive feeling.
The new generation of Bora’s automatic start-stop system is somewhat interesting.
First of all, the logic of this system is that after the engine is turned off, the air conditioning compressor stops working and only blows air – the same is true of the ten-generation Accord we just bought. On the Civic we purchased earlier, turning on the air conditioner either does not activate the start-stop, or the battery works until it runs out of power before starting the engine.
Secondly, the official explanation said that when the speed is lower than 7km/h (or 6km/h, the memory here is biased), the automatic start and stop starts to work, the engine turns off, and the vehicle begins to be in coasting mode. In actual experience, this is actually a very low speed, and you don’t have to worry about the vehicle sliding down without power and affecting the handling. During the test drive, I deliberately left the vehicle in place, at which point the engine was turned off, the vehicle taxied, the brakes were raised, and the engine quickly ignited to provide power.
Regarding the chassis / power of the new generation of Bora, there is a final complaint: why bring your own foot massage? When the horn is honked, the vibration of the horn can be clearly felt by the left foot placed on the rest pedal. It’s amazing, I don’t know which component of the engine compartment did not do a good job of shock absorbing bushings.
Center console, door armrests: details tend to the driver
The seats, rear space, and trunk of the new generation Bora are not much to say, and they are the same as the new generation of Lavida: wide, supportive, and excellent. In the future, in the same class, except for the brothers, there are almost no opponents.
The difference in the details of the interior shows that the new generation Bora is more inclined to the driver’s design ideas.
The center console is obviously inclined to the driver’s seat design, I am going to give a five-star praise, the benefits of which who uses who knows. Although the new generation of Lavida does not have this design, it uses a panel with a brushed pattern, which is visually much more advanced than a large piece of black piano paint with imitation carbon fiber pattern.
The door armrests of the new generation Bora are designed to be suspended, which is different from the integrated design of the new generation Lavida and the door. The advantages of the suspension type are obvious, freeing up a large block of door storage space.
Another aspect of the driver-leaning design is the 1.4T we test drive, with connected navigation, automatic headlights, keyless entry, and the co-pilot’s seat adjustment is still manual. This is also too uncaring for passengers. By the way, after the headlights are turned on, there is not a single icon on the instrument that the lights are turned on, only by visual inspection of the front.
Connected car system and other details
The new generation Bora and the new generation Lavida are completely identical and have no difference. During this test drive, the navigation provided by AutoNavi with technical support was very useful, but because the UI design interface was completely different from AutoNavi, it required a while of familiarity to get started. This is obviously different from the direct use of AutoNavi by independent brands.
The main page provides a small window display with multiple programs, and you need to double-click one of them to choose the full-screen display, or you can operate it directly in the small window. However, there are problems of misoperation and distraction in the operation of the small window, such as the music interface displayed in the small window, and the button to click pause or play the next song is very small, and it is not easy to click. In this regard, self-owned brand models directly use large screens and large buttons to solve problems.
The U disk interface under the touch screen, after plugging in the U disk, looks really a bit dirty. Both the new generation Bora and the new generation Lavida are like this, alas. Then, there is only this one USB port in the front row, and if the user wants to charge the mobile phone, he must either buy his own cigarette lighter charging interface or plug it into the two ports in the back row.
Trunk struts with springs! The feeling of being even and powerful between opening and closing, compared with the empty trunk lid of the 10th generation Accord that we bought with a landing of 215,000 yuan, is simply 10,000 times better.
The keyless entry button is a recessed touch type, which is not very easy to use, and I fumbled four or five times but could not find the right way to switch it. In contrast, the new generation of Lavida’s prominent push-button type is very convenient.
When the touch screen is turned off, the interface displays the clock by default. There are a few dots under the clock, and according to conventional logic, it should be possible to slide left and right to display other pages. But after sliding left and right on the interface of the new generation Bora, only different styles of clocks are displayed, and the design ideas are more humorous.
The voice control adopts the iFLYTEK high-end version, which can recognize Sichuanese, but the public has fewer open vehicle interfaces, and can only realize several functions such as calling, navigation, and playing music. The Changan Auchan A800 we purchased before can even open the sunroof with voice control, please understand it for friends of the public.
Driver’s Summary:
After the launch of the new generation of Bora, there are almost no opponents except for the new generation of Lavida.
Through the test drive, I gave my understanding of the differences between the two cars in the above feelings, just for your reference.
After the new car is launched, interested partners may pay attention to several issues.
First, the configuration of specific models. According to the current test drive situation, the lower configuration model will definitely make consumers have a trade-off process for configuration. You may wish to directly compare the new generation Bora and the new generation of Lavida to see which configuration is more suitable for you.
Second, the new generation of Bora I said is more sporty and not so mysterious, if it is not for detailed evaluation to experience, ordinary urban road driving is difficult to feel the difference.
The third is the design, which depends on personal preference. The new generation of Lavida has indeed put a lot of effort into the front face, and the new grille style is also in line with the current mainstream of Volkswagen. Through our communication with the old drivers of the driving school, there are many friends who prefer the new generation of Bora front grille style.
The fourth is the dealer. Depending on which brand of dealers you are in your city, then the dealers of that brand may fight the price after listing. For example, in the 24 FAW-Volkswagen 4S stores in Chengdu, the price comparison of cars should not be too ruthless.
Text | Wu Lang
Pictured| Wu Lang