Leading Ideal One, a luxury EREV SUV priced less than 400k

On this October 10, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) start-up CHJ Automotive officially released their product brand " Leading Ideal", and its first model, Leading Ideal One, was officially unveiled on October 18. Different from other models launched by emerging EV start-ups, Leading Ideal ONE adopts a range-extended electric system that rare adopted in China. According to Li Xiang, founder and chairman and CEO of CHJ, Leading Ideal One will begin its reservation during the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show and will be delivered in the next Q4, with its price less than RMB 400,000yuan (approx. USD 57,668) without subsidies.

Leading Ideal One is a luxury medium and large -sized SUV, with its powerful design featuring large size grille and full-width LED headlight strip.

The grille is in a rounded corner design, the black net structure is only used for decoration, the range extender is designed with reverse air intake, and the real air intake is set in front of the windshield.

Leading Ideal One comes standard with a L2 intelligent driver assistance system, including functions like ACC, lane departure warning, lane departure light.

The headlights are in a long and narrow shape, and the interior consists of 6 LED light sources, three low beam lights and three high beam lights.

Leading Ideal One is 5,020mm in length, 1,960mm in width, 1,760mm in height and 2,935mm of wheelbase. As a medium and large-sized SUV with over 5 meters long, the proportion of the whole vehicle is coordinated.

The outer mirror features a two-tone design with integrated LED turn signals and surround view camera on each side. In addition, the new car is also equipped with keyless entry system and rear privacy glass, adding practicality to it.

The car in the picture features 21-inch aluminum alloy wheels and is equipped with Dunlop 265/45 R21 tires. It is reported that the mass production models will be adopted 20-inch wheels.

The taillights are designed in a full-width strip that aligns with the front end of the car. The range extender exhaust system is hidden on the side.

According to CHJ’s introduction, Leading Ideal One purses a steady design of its exterior appearance which can also be seen from the real car that was unveiled this time. As an intelligent family SUV, the simple design is also one of the characteristics. It is reported that the exterior design of the new car has been basically finalized, but small adjustments based on the feedback of the exhibition still will be made until the mass production and delivery next year.

All four high-definition screens are equipped to comply with automotive standards and can operate safely and steadily at temperatures between -30℃ and 85℃. The dimensions of the instrument screen, center console screen, entertainment screen for the front passenger seat and vehicle controlling screen are 12.3 inches, 16.2 inches, 12.3 inches and 10.1 inches, respectively. Four screens serve the needs of different passengers, and the screens can be efficiently linked.

In addition, Leading Ideal One vehicle system adopts dual-system, among which the instrument and vehicle control screens adopt Linux system matched with Texas Instruments car-standard chip, providing good stability and security, while the center console and entertainment screen use Android system mated with Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A car-standard chip, paying more attention to entertainment features.

In terms of voice control, the new car is equipped with multiple sets of high-sensitivity microphones, which can accurately locate the commands issued by passengers in different positions in the car, help them choose songs and set air-conditioning. In terms of semantic understanding, the new car cooperates with Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker, so that semantic understanding does not require learning command words.

As a family SUV, the new car is ahead of its class in terms of cockpit comfort, air quality and noise isolation. It is covered in leather and has an area of 18㎡. The area that the body can touch is wrapped in leather material.

The new car is equipped with a PM2.5 fresh air system and air quality testing equipment to allow passengers get access to healthy air.

Leading Ideal One offers a six-seat version and a seven-seat version, presenting 2-2-2 and 2-3-2 layouts, respectively, and guaranteeing ample three-row space. In the six-seat version, two individual seats are set at the second row featuring a unique double armrest design for luxury medium and large-sized SUVs, which support large angle adjustment, offering a business class feel.

The interior design of the new car is full of technology, and its four-screen setting has great advantages in all models currently sold. At the same time, the entertainment system based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820A chip and Android system can bring an enjoyable experience to passengers.

In terms of power, the new car is equipped with an extended-range electric system, which focuses on the concept of “eliminating range anxiety”.

In terms of drive, the new car is equipped with an electric four-wheel drive system consisting of front and rear dual motors. According to reports, the system has a maximum power of 240kW and a peak torque of 520Nm, and it takes about 6.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h. The performance is comparable to that of 3.0T six-cylinder luxury medium and large-sized SUVs. Because of the electric drive, the power is extremely smooth.

In terms of energy supply, the new car is equipped with a set of 37.2kWh ternary lithium batteries and a 1.2T engine as a range extender power generation system.

In terms of cruising range, under the standard of NEDC, Leading Ideal One can provide 700km cruising range that consists of 180km driven by electricity and 520km powered by the range extender. In addition, because the range extender can be directly replenished energy by refueling in exchange for longer endurance, eliminating the user's range anxiety.

Summary

As the first model of CHJ, Leading Ideal One entered the Chinese new energy market by its high intelligence and long cruising range. Although it has achieved “eliminating range anxiety” through the extended range system, only the speed reducer still can cause high fuel consumption under high speed conditions. Due to the existence of the internal combustion engine, Leading Ideal One has less cruising range attenuation in winter than pure electric vehicles. Finally, CHJ announced that Leading Ideal One will begin its reservation during the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show and will be delivered in the next Q4.