Automotive engineers comment on the design details of Leapmotor C16: It is not a

tech | 2024-06-12

Actually, the first time I posted online was about the Zero Run C11. That article still receives likes to this day, which has given me a bit of confidence.

However, at that time, I was critical of the Zero Run C11. After all, when I went to see that car, I was quite disappointed. The workmanship was mediocre, not to mention that even the taillights were leaking water, which was a cause for concern regarding the quality. So, I posed the question, "Can Zero Run really take the lead?"

At that time, many people defended Zero Run, saying that it's not easy for them to build their first car. I can understand this perspective, but I disagree. Because earlier, I had seen NIO's first car, which was far superior to Zero Run's at that time. Moreover, although the C11 was the first car for the Zero Run brand, it was not the first for the people behind it; they all had extensive experience.

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Time flies, and things change.

In recent years, Zero Run has successively launched its own Clover architecture platform, was recognized by Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest automotive group, and has cooperated with them. They have also developed many proprietary technologies. Their sales are among the better in the second tier of new forces, and their products, with a low-price strategy, are quite cost-effective. The C16 has been hyped for a long time, and this car, known as the "little Li Auto," has attracted many people to watch since its launch.The Zero Run C16, in terms of design, actually still adheres to a family-style design. The most significant change in the cockpit is the elimination of the triple-screen setup found in the C11, which no longer includes a 10.25-inch screen for the passenger, making the front row's style more simplistic and practical. I have carefully compared the screens of the Zero Run C16 and found that the UI design style is more aesthetically pleasing than that of the eπ008, especially in terms of map font clarity, which is noticeably superior to the eπ008.

In the console area, the C16 shares the same layout as the C10, with the wireless phone charging and cup holders arranged in a parallel vertical layout, which makes the T-shaped layout characteristic of the console and dashboard more pronounced. However, this design sacrifices space for storing a mobile phone.

The sun visor, like the C10, integrates the vanity light with the vanity mirror and uses LED lighting, which appears more upscale. However, similar to the eπ008, the outer edge of the sun visor lacks a handle structure, making it a bit inconvenient to open.The armrest box, like the Zero Run C10, no longer features the butterfly-style open cover of the C11. In terms of length, it is average, and manuals like this can only be placed diagonally.

Unlike the Ideal, the Zero Run C16 does not extend the armrest cover to form a large flat layer with the front of the console. Compared to the eπ008, the convenience of accessing items in the lower storage space is slightly worse, as the space is smaller, and the area blocked by the seat is larger, making it easier to bump your hand when reaching in.

The most peculiar aspect of the Zero Run C16 is the seat, which seems to be forcibly elevated, with two layers of protective panels compared to other seats. Therefore, when you sit on the side wings to get in and out of the car, your head can easily hit the roof. Additionally, the side wings of the C16's cushion are harder, making it more likely to be uncomfortable when getting in and out, while the eπ008 is relatively softer.From the perspective of the door panel style, the door handle and door armrest still feature the characteristics of the C11, while the rest of the positions are more streamlined.

On the three-row side surround, only the right side is equipped with a phone charging port. Additionally, the position of this charging port and the cup holder is too high, making it less convenient to use. It is rare for vehicles to place this position above the windowsill.

However, the purpose of Zero Run C16 in doing so is to maintain the integrity of the entire side surround armrest. Personally, I believe it is unnecessary, as such a long armrest will not be fully relied upon even when one's hand is placed on it. When in use, it is more about utilizing the latter half for support.It's commendable that the three-row side armrest of the Zero Run C16 is fully leather-wrapped, with a relatively hard foam body sensation, providing strong support.

This is Zero Run's first development of a three-row, six-seat SUV. In the three-row space, the entire vehicle has one-touch control, allowing the third row to automatically make room for seating, which is quite convenient. However, when the third row leaves a palm's thickness of knee space, the seating posture is as shown in the following figure.

At this time, the second-row space appears to be relatively cramped. From the picture, it can be seen that when the third-row seats are occupied, the second-row seats need to be moved quite forward, not only is the knee space not very large, but also when getting in and out of the second row, the feet will be interfered with by the B-pillar, which is not very convenient.The trunk is slightly smaller than the eπ008—after all, the body is 87mm shorter, and at this price point, it's not possible to have electric adjustment like the Ideal. It's a bit puzzling that the long strap cannot unlock the folding seats; it can only be pulled up after the seats are folded down, and its unlocking mechanism is located on the shoulder. Technically, it would be entirely feasible to have the strap and shoulder button linked.

Additionally, when you're sitting in the third row and want to adjust the backrest angle, you can only reach back awkwardly to press the shoulder unlock button. In contrast, the eπ008 has an unlock strap at the waist in front of the third row, making it more convenient to adjust from the front.

Although there is a small storage space in the lower layer of the trunk, it is only suitable for holding some tools, and there is no cushioned soft material to wrap around it, which can easily generate noise from hard impacts while driving. Also, it does not feature the kind of magical transformation space that the eπ008 has created.Despite being an electric tailgate, a manual handle has still been designed, and it features a hollow grip, which is more convenient for exerting force. This is unlike many other car models that only provide a very small space, making it easy for the hand to slip and not grip firmly.

When experiencing the C16, it is inevitable to notice several similarities with the Ideal series. In terms of exterior design, the lower grille at the front and the L-shaped air vents on both sides do indeed resemble the Ideal series.

The side lines maintain Zero Run's own style, which can be considered an extended version of the C10.

The taillights resemble the Ideal ONE, with a wraparound structure underneath the continuous taillights on both sides.The tailgate opening design features a separate button, which would be more sensible if it were hidden within the letter O of the LEAPMOTOR logo.

 

 

From the style of this seat, it can be seen that it is almost identical to the ideal seat shape, including the position of the tension lines, and it even comes with the well-received soft pillows, just like the ideal.

 

 

The middle row uses the same independent seats and armrests as the ideal, but lacks the leg rest and zero-gravity functionality.In the second row, there is a large TV similar to the ideal, but it cannot open and close automatically like the ideal, and requires manual operation. According to the official statement of Zero Run, since manual operation can also be achieved, it can save half of the cost, and it can also stop at any angle, why not. I tried it, and the operation force required for this screen is very large, because it needs to ensure that it does not shake during driving, and the damping is set to be very large, so it is not very convenient to operate.

It is a bit worrying whether it will be broken, and it is estimated that many consumers will keep the angle like this for many years, and will not close it, so a very practical one-key screen-off function is set on the screen alone.

C16, like the ideal, only has a small table behind the co-pilot, but unlike the ideal, the area of the button is designed to be very large, which is worth praising, unlike the small table button of many cars that is too narrow and will hurt the fingers. There is a prompt symbol on the table that cannot be used for high-temperature hot drinks.We see a table board mode on the screen, the function of which is to adjust the front row seats to a suitable position for opening the small table board when the front row seats are reclined too much, the space for opening the small table board is insufficient, or the small table board will not be flat when opened. At the same time, the opening and closing of the sunshade of the skylight can also be controlled through the overhead screen.

However, from the actual experience, these two buttons are placed too high on the overhead screen, and it is necessary to stand up on the seat to operate, which is definitely not favored by lazy people. It would be better if they could be operated on the door panel next to the seat.

We see that there is no VIP physical switch on the front row seat to adjust the front and back, in fact, this function is integrated into the small screen at the back end of the Console, and operated by touch. On this, you can also operate the ventilation, heating and air conditioning of the second row seats at the same time.

The air outlets of the second row are arranged on the ceiling, and there is a phenomenon of air leakage when they are completely closed, which is also a common problem of mid and low-end cars.The layout of the console back end also reveals that the cup holder position is similar to that of the ideal model, hence it is not possible to place cups on the second-row independent seats, nor is there a way to charge mobile phones—the charging ports for mobile phones are located at the bottom of the console back end. When the second-row seats are reclined to their furthest position, the use of these functions becomes somewhat inconvenient.

Conclusion by Jia Shi:

Since the preheating of the Zero Run C16 began, many voices from the outside world have considered it a "low-spec version of Li Xiang," whether it be the internal and external characteristics, product definition, or the energy form of range extension as the main feature, a comparison with Li Xiang is inevitable.

However, in reality, the price, space, and practicality of functions of the Zero Run C16 are not on the same level as Li Xiang, and people who choose Li Xiang would not compare it with the Zero Run C16.However, it would be unfair to define the Zero Run C16 merely as a "low-spec version of the ideal," for Zero Run is indeed Zero Run, and its true competitor in this segment is the eπ008. The advantage of the Zero Run C16 over the Yipai 008 lies in its better cost-performance ratio and superior craftsmanship— the price of the Zero Run C16 is significantly lower than that of the eπ008, and there are hardly any flaws to be found in its interior and exterior workmanship.

Compared to Zero Run models from a few years ago, the C16 is even more impressive. In terms of interior suppliers, it has successively chosen large joint ventures like Lear and Faurecia, ensuring greater reliability. Although the C16 is also rolling costs and prices, using a large number of parts from the C10 can significantly share costs, but Zero Run at this stage still has its own bottom line in terms of workmanship and quality.

On a certain level, Zero Run is also a sample of Chinese car manufacturing enterprises: how to maintain a significant improvement in quality while excellently controlling costs, and to carve out a lifeline of cost-performance at the terminal. Being able to do this steadily and efficiently will naturally be reflected in sales.