Should a fuel 7-seater SUV be luxurious or a bucket? There is a clear gap betwee

tech | 2024-08-09

To find a 7-seater pure fuel SUV under 300,000 yuan, I believe that conventional thinking would lead many people to think of the Highlander first. However, even with the official price reduction of 20,000 yuan for the entire 2024 Highlander 380T series, it still falls short in terms of cost-performance ratio compared to the Lynk & Co 09 Global AWD version, which only has one configuration.

This time, Lynk & Co 09 has streamlined its 2.0T + 48V mild hybrid power system models into a single configuration, which is easy to understand—unified configuration leaves no room for consumer indecision, and the name "Global AWD version" also implies that this model is sold with the same configuration level in other countries, facilitating rapid production and export from domestic factories.

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The reason lies in the fact that the mid-to-large 7-seater/6-seater market where Lynk & Co 09 is positioned has already been taken over by extended-range and pure electric new energy models. The best-selling models of Lynk & Co 09 are still the old PHEV and the new EM-P plug-in hybrid versions, so most of the 09s seen on the road are green-plated.

Looking at the entire mid-size/mid-to-large 7-seater fuel SUV market, apart from the two siblings of the Volkswagen brand, Tuang/Lanjing, the rest is the re-skinned "QX60" Nissan Terra. For young consumers around 30 years old who want to find a product that is fundamentally different from their parents' vehicles in terms of brand tone and driving control, after much thought, there really is only the Lynk & Co 09.

To more professionally and directly reflect the differences between the Highlander 380T and the Lynk & Co 09 Global AWD version, this time the driving team specially invited a vehicle subjective evaluation engineer to experience and feel the differences.1. Distinct tonalities create differences in appearance and interior:

Many small details reflect the fashionable design of the Lynk & Co 09, such as the flush hidden door handles, dual 12-inch LCD displays, hidden air vents, and the storage layout of the secondary instrument panel, making the entire cabin look more streamlined and neat. Simplification aligns with the aesthetics of the younger generation.

The Lynk & Co 09 follows a path of technological comfort. In addition to the common dual 12.3-inch screens, the air conditioning panel also uses a 6-inch display and a 1.4-inch circular screen, which is more in line with the digital trend. While showcasing more technology and fashion sense, it is also the main difference between the EM-P plug-in hybrid model and the 2.0T fuel model in the interior.

On the Highlander's side, the 2024 model has switched to a 12.3-inch central large screen across the board, as well as the 8155 chip. The response speed of the touch screen on the previous 2022 model was indeed much slower than the 12-inch car machine equipped with the 8155 chip on the Lynk & Co 09, but the 2024 model should not be much different. The Highlander's instrument panel uses a layered design, and the storage space on the secondary instrument panel is quite practical, but it cannot be hidden, making it look less neat than the Lynk & Co 09.2. The comfort brought by the seating configuration is a gap that 7-seater SUVs cannot ignore:

The Lynk & Co 09's main driver's welcome mode makes getting in and out of the vehicle more convenient, with both the front driver and passenger seats featuring 16-way electric adjustment, allowing all occupants to enjoy equal comfort. In addition, there are more than ten massage modes, side wing adjustments, leg rest adjustments, and ventilation/heating available, all aimed at providing a comfortable and considerate experience. Moreover, the passenger seat has a rear VIP function, which is convenient for second-row passengers to adjust, allowing for easy changes to the front seats in various scenarios.

In contrast, the Highlander's front seats only offer ten-way electric adjustment and basic heating functions. Seat configuration has never been a strong suit of Japanese brands.In the lower part of the front row seatbacks, the Lynk & Co 09 has ample foot space, suitable for second-row passengers to place their feet entirely under the seats, thereby increasing the legroom comfort for second-row passengers. The sunshades for the side windows of the second row and the air vents on the B-pillar also provide more assurance for the comfort of the middle and rear passengers.

The Highlander does not have air vents on the B-pillar, but instead, they are concentrated next to the overhead reading light, which can easily lead to a cold head and warm body in the summer. This may be due to the spatial arrangement of the air conditioning ducts, where the Highlander may not have considered a more comprehensive design.

The Lynk & Co 09 offers electric one-touch folding and recovery on the sides and rear of the third row, which is quite practical and saves a lot of manual adjustment work.The Highlander, on the other hand, is manually folded, which significantly lacks in convenience and technological feel. Nowadays, almost all mid-to-large SUVs have electric adjustments for the third row, and the Highlander's mid-size SUV positioning reflects the level of difference in these functional displays.

3. The safety performance of the third row is a reflection of the differences in automotive thinking:

It must be mentioned that the safety of the third-row seating is also an important factor to consider in 7-seater SUVs.

As is well-known, the Lynk & Co 09 uses Volvo's SPA platform. From the fact that the third-row seating space experience does not have an advantage over the Highlander, it can be seen that even with mid-to-large SUV dimensions, the Lynk & Co 09 does not overly pursue a large third-row space. Instead, it particularly emphasizes a greater distance between the third-row headrests and the rear windshield—about 10cm more than the Highlander—providing more safety redundancy. The Highlander is also a very formidable contender, offering a better third-row seating experience than the Lynk & Co 09 within the dimensions of a mid-size SUV.Subsequently, a magnet was used to test the backboard of the third-row seatback. The Lynk & Co 09 was able to attract the magnet, indicating the use of steel plate material inside the seat. Official documentation also highlights the presence of anti-puncture steel plates in the third row as a selling point.

In contrast, the Highlander could not be attracted, leading to the speculation that it uses regular fiberboard. It can only be said that the Highlander has met a formidable competitor, as few other 6/7-seater SUVs in the industry also employ anti-puncture steel plates in their third row.

4. The downward attack of luxury brand architecture, significant differences in drivability between the two vehicles:

In terms of drivability, there is a considerable difference between the two vehicles. It can be said that the Lynk & Co 09, equipped with 275-width tires, outperforms the Highlander with 235-width tires in almost every aspect. This is evident in the 1.17-second difference in acceleration from 0-100km/h over five consecutive attempts, as well as a 2-meter difference in braking performance from 100-0km/h. This is all while the Lynk & Co 09 has a vehicle weight that is 80kg heavier than the Highlander. The significant specification differences between the two vehicles also stem from the positioning of mid-size and mid-large SUVs in their respective categories.Lynk & Co 09's exceptional chassis hardware specifications, with front and rear track widths 25mm and 24mm larger than the Highlander respectively, offer ample margin for handling limits, while the 275-width tires are of the same specification as the Volvo XC90.

Both featuring front-mounted platform chassis, the Lynk & Co 09 is designed from Volvo's SPA architecture, coupled with a lightweight aluminum alloy chassis, achieving a comprehensive dimensional reduction in driving control akin to luxury brand structures.

5. Facing the benchmark of a 350,000 yuan price point, the Lynk & Co 09's SPA architecture still holds its ground:

To assess just how "class-leading" the chassis quality of the Lynk & Co 09 is, we have also brought in the old rival of the same Volvo SPA platform XC90—the 2023 BMW X5 30Li. After experiencing the same试驾科目, our vehicle subjective dynamic evaluation engineer has concluded as follows:Firstly, the domestically produced BMW X5 has a chassis that is oriented towards comfort, handling large road impacts in a relatively soft manner. However, similar to the domestically produced BMW i5, it falls slightly short in dealing with minor road excitations. While driving, the BMW X5 offers a clearer sense of the road, with secondary vibrations being slightly more noticeable on the steering wheel, door panels, and seat cushions, and the bumpiness under minor excitations is also somewhat apparent. Additionally, the pitch control of the vehicle on undulating roads is not very good, with a slightly noticeable pitch.

In simple terms, the domestically produced BMW X5, with its extended wheelbase and localized chassis tuning, places a greater emphasis on the comfort performance of the rear seats.

On the other hand, the Lynk & Co 09, developed with a focus on localization, performs quite well in terms of chassis comfort. It offers a soft touch when encountering impact surfaces and has better pitch control on undulating roads. Moreover, in terms of controlling secondary vibrations, the Lynk & Co 09 experiences less bumpiness compared to the BMW X5.

However, when dealing with some large impacts, the BMW X5 exhibits a more compact control over the suspension, while the Lynk & Co 09 has more noticeable suspension vibrations. Without adaptive variable damping suspension or air suspension, the Lynk & Co 09, which does not overly emphasize comfort, still has certain advantages in some aspects.Additionally, we tested the driving noise at speeds of 80-100-120 km/h. The actual measurements showed that the Lynk & Co 09 is slightly louder than the BMW X5, with a difference of about 1 decibel at each speed segment. Although the BMW X5 30Li is the most basic configuration, it also has ultra-high-performance tire specifications of 315/35 R21 on the rear wheels, which is not conducive to tire noise performance. This also reflects that the Lynk & Co 09 has benefited from the full-vehicle multi-layer sound insulation glass in acoustic control treatment. Even when facing a big-name luxury model that is about 350,000 yuan more expensive, there is no essential difference in NVH performance.

Driving Summary:

As one of the most cost-effective large 7-seater fuel SUVs in the same class, the Lynk & Co 09 Global AWD version, based on the Volvo SPA architecture, can be simply understood as the "Lynk & Co brand's XC90 B5". With a 48V mild hybrid system to smooth out gear shifts, it does not completely fall behind the domestically produced BMW X5, which is twice the price, and is more in line with the preferences of young consumers around 30 years old.

Toyota Highlander, after an official price reduction of 20,000 yuan across the board, saw a year-on-year increase of 44.07% in May and remains in the top three sales for mid-size 7-seater SUVs.The current generation of vehicles on the TNGA platform perform well in all aspects, one could only say that the previous Highlander was priced too high—medium-sized SUV prices were on par with those of large SUVs. In the absence of a clear advantage in the price of the 380T, I would recommend purchasing the naturally aspirated hybrid 2.5L Dual Engine, as it has a significant advantage in fuel consumption.