Great Wall Motors presented its new premium brand called Saloon (according to the company’s English website or Salon, according to Google’s translation from Chinese) along with its first model, the Jijialong, which means “Mecha Dragon” in English, at 2021 Guangzhou before car show. The new four-door coupe has an angular design, a premium cabin and a fully electric drive train.
Starting with the elephant in the room, the Mecha Dragon is admittedly not the most beautiful car at this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show. The Chinese company describes the model as a “medium to large coupé” with a length of 5.2 m and claims that its exterior is based on “mechanical armor”.
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Some would say that Saloon was inspired by the Tesla Cybertruck to create a rival to the Tesla Model S that fuses angular surfaces with rounded edges. At the front, the headlights have a touch of the revamped Lamborghini Gallardo, the bumper design is quite complex, and the hood scoop looks like it came from a low-definition video game.
In profile, the numerous dynamic lines and a surface treatment similar to the Hyundai Elantra confuse the eyes, especially in combination with the round attached fenders. Proportionally, the A-pillar is too flat and the front overhang too long. It doesn’t look much better at the rear, which is presented with a fastback look reminiscent of the Audi A7 Sportback and an extravagant diffuser with artificial exhaust pipes. The model also features Michelin performance tires and Brembo brakes.
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An all-electric platform developed by Great Wall Motors is hidden under the sloping body. With a combined output of 543 PS (405 kW / 551 PS) and up to 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) torque from four electric motors, the Mecha Dragon accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.7 seconds.
Great Wall’s Dayu battery with a capacity of 115 kWh and 800 volt technology offers an electric range of 802 km (498 miles) according to China’s CLTP cycle. What’s even more impressive is that the ultra-fast charge capability allows the battery to add 401 km (249 miles) of range in 10 minutes. The new generation battery is also much safer and can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 ℃ (1,832 ° F).
The cabin is made of high quality materials and incorporates the latest technology in terms of safety, infotainment and connectivity. The dashboard has a digital instrument cluster and a wide touchscreen panel that covers most of its width. The rear passengers seem to enjoy a lot of legroom with touch-sensitive buttons on the door panels, a panoramic sliding roof and a seemingly first-class sound system.
Most importantly, Great Wall Motors claims that the Mecha Dragon is the first model in the world to be equipped with four lidars combined with 38 intelligent sensor components including cameras, radars, ultrasonic sensors, etc. This kit indicates advanced self-driving capabilities for the Mecha Dragon and other upcoming sedan models.
The Saloon Mecha Dragon may look like a concept car, but it is actually a production model priced at 488,000 yen ($ 76,481 US) for the first edition of 101 units. Great Wall Motor intends to create a “Mecha Technology” division for its new sedan brand that aims to enter the “Luxury All-Electric Vehicle Market” with prices ranging from 400,000 yen (US $ 62,685) to 800,000 yen (US $ 125,370). This means we should expect more expensive cars than the Mecha Dragon, likely including an all-electric SUV.
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