Bitauto original As people’s demand for SUVs gradually moves towards comfort and energy saving, many manufacturers have launched various large-space urban SUVs, many of which are based on sedan platforms. development. For occasional outdoor play, there is no problem with passability, but if you want to meet the needs of trekking through mountains and rivers, you have to rely on a non-load-bearing SUV in the traditional sense. Today we selected two models, namely SAIC Maxus D90 Pro (hereinafter referred to as SAIC Maxus D90 Pro) and Zhengzhou Nissan Tuda (hereinafter referred to as Tuda). They are not only outstanding in terms of space, but also have excellent performance in off-road capabilities. Very suitable for consumers with low budget requirements.
Both models have not been in the country for a particularly long time. They can be said to be tailor-made for domestic consumers. Their price ranges also overlap to a certain extent. The guide price range of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is 179,800-276,800 yuan, which is a relatively large price range. It also provides two power options of gasoline and diesel, with more choices.
Tuda’s guide price range is 169,800-248,300 yuan, which is also a large span. The ones we selected today are all four-wheel drive versions. The models are basically high-end models. However, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is a 2021 2.0T diesel four-wheel drive Alxa version with 7 seats. It is a diesel version; the Tuda is a 2020 model. The 2.5L XL Upper 4WD automatic four-wheel drive luxury version is a gasoline version.
Power players with different styles
There is no doubt that when the two cars are placed together, friends who know a little bit about cars can see the style orientation of the two cars. The tall and powerful shape, high ground clearance and line design of the entire vehicle all demonstrate the aura that an off-road SUV should have.
However, upon closer inspection, there are differences. The two cars are positioned as medium and large SUVs, both in size, but very different in style. Tuda gives people some shadows of imitating the family's "eldest brother" Patrol. The overall design is relatively simple, with bland lines as its main theme. The design style of SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is full of roughness and full of power. At first glance, it even looks like it was born for off-roading. Not only that, the Alxa version uses a combination of orange and black, which looks energetic, unlike the Tuda, which is slightly dull.
The design of the front of the car is also obviously different. There is a guard plate in front of the hood of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro, and the naked rivets are exposed on the surface. A mechanical wind. In addition, a lot of chrome decoration is added to details such as the center grille and front surround, which enhances a sense of sophistication. Relatively speaking, in terms of detailed design, SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is more able to capture the hearts of young people.
In terms of headlight configuration, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro in the same price range uses a full LED light source, and has LED daytime running lights, automaticheadlights and steering auxiliary lights; the price of the sub-top Tuda is almost 230,000, and it also uses a halogen light source. It is now 2021, which is obviously outdated in this regard. Fortunately, LED headlights can be optional, but for This costs a lot of money.
From the body data, we can intuitively see that the body size of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is much larger than that of the Tuda, especially the length. In terms of dimensions, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is 123mm longer than the Tuda. Moreover, the wheelbase and width have certain advantages, and the advantage is that it can ensure the internal riding space.
On the side, we can see that it is equipped with red lace, and the door handles and rearview mirrors are made of large areas of black material, which enhances a certain sense of movement. In addition, the wading hose is also installed at the A-pillar position, so there is no need to worry about water intrusion.
The rear design is also significantly different. The SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has a richer sense of layering and is equipped with four The exhaust pipe is very impressive. The Tuda looks relatively stocky, and the details still look like a traditional off-road vehicle, without much personality.
In terms of tires, the Pirelli Scorpion ALL Terrain Plus tires equipped with the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro can be seen from the deep tread patterns. Has professional off-road attributes. Tuda is equipped with Temple TRANDTREK tires, which are also tires that focus on off-road performance.
It is worth mentioning that SAIC MAXUS and SAIC Maxus D90 Pro can also provide personalized customization services through the spider customization platform. A variety of professional off-road kits including 18-inch top off-road tires, wading hoses, bottom guards, gravel blocks, off-road wheel eyebrows, etc. can be customized on the platform. The Nissan Tuda does not have this service.
Interior: Mature and Stable VS Young and Fashionable
When I came inside the car, I didn’t have much hope for the interior design of these two cars before experiencing it. After all, As a hard-core off-road SUV, the design does not pay so much attention to details. However, judging from the performance of the two cars, the design style of the Tuda is relatively conservative. If it were not for a few more fold lines on the center console, you would find that it is very similar to the "big bread" interior style, which is somewhat modern. Out of place.
Looking back at the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro, the overall design and color matching will look younger and more lively. The center console and door panels are made of suede-like materials. In addition, double stitching is used for embellishment, making the look more sporty. I believe that young people will prefer the style of SAIC Maxus D90 Pro.
The steering wheels of the two cars are also very different. The flat-bottomed steering wheel of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is more Sporty style and made of genuine leather material, in addition to the up and down adjustable steering wheel, it also has front and rear adjustment, which Tuda does not have. It can meet the needs of larger friends to "lie down", and it also has a steering wheel heating function. Tuda also uses a plastic steering wheel at this price point, and the steering wheel is relatively thin in size. Except for the top models, there are no buttons on the right side of the steering wheel, which makes it look a lot cheaper.
The instrument panels of both vehicles adopt a traditional mechanical design. The Tuda has a double-circle shape, while the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has a similar digital shape, with an LCD screen in the middle, but the size is different, Tuda is 5 inches, and SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is 8 inches. As for the display effect, basically all necessary driving information is available. As for which one looks better, it’s a matter of carrot and cabbage.
Tuda uses a built-in design central control screen with a screen size of 9 inches; SAIC Maxus D90 Pro uses a floating The central control screen style is 12.3 inches, and the UI interface design is more user-friendly and the functions are richer.
As for the central control screen, although the hardware is equipped with a screen, there are essential differences between the two. The new SAIC Maxus D90 Pro model is equipped with a smart car system and supports remote control via mobile phone; while the Tuda is just a screen and not very playable.
Mainly because the 12.3-inch central touch screen of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro uses the Spider Intelligent Connect 2.0 system. The new system is jointly developed by SAIC MAXUS and Tencent through in-depth cooperation, and the interface UI is more concise and beautiful. The operating experience is very smooth and the response speed is very fast. Listening to music, watching Bilibili and even in-car WeChat are all covered, so you basically don’t need to use your phone after getting in the car. At the same time, this system has also designed two off-road-related applications specifically for the D90 Pro. They are "Off-road Ecosystem" and "Off-Road Expert". Tuda is only equipped with relatively basic configurations, and the display effect of the central control screen is relatively average. In actual experience, the Tuda central control screen basically does not make people want to play, and most of the time they can only rely on their mobile phones.
Of course, there is no ambiguity in terms of configuration. In addition to providing mainstream ACC adaptive cruise, lane keeping, lane departure warning and other driving assistance configurations, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is also equipped with JBL The brand audio includes ANC active noise reduction function. This function can further reduce the noise in the car and further improve the quietness of the vehicle. It can also take care of the comfort of the family when driving at high speed. The Tuda has fewer configurations. It only has relatively basic functions such as cruise control, automatic air conditioning, and uphill assist. It can only meet some basic needs for daily use, and it lacks some comfort and enjoyment that rises to the luxury level.
In addition, SAIC Maxus D90 Pro also has a transparent chassis function.A 540° panoramic display displays road information on the bottom of the vehicle and around the vehicle, allowing an unobstructed view and the ability to flexibly avoid obstacles, improving safety and driving experience.
Space experience: SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has a space advantage
The SAIC Maxus D90 Pro we tested is a 7-seater version. Of course, it can also provide 5/6 seats, and "2+3", "2+2+2", "2+3+2", "2+2+3" and other seat combinations are available. Including the color of the car body, etc., can be selected through Spider Customization. Although the Tuda is a 5-seater version, our colleague who is 184cm tall and tall has basically no pressure to sit in these two cars. In terms of their overall performance, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has slightly better space. You can see the picture below for details.
SAIC Maxus D90 Pro second-row seating space demonstration
Tuda second-row seating space demonstration h5>
It is not difficult to see that for an experiencer with a height of 184cm in the second row, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has plenty of room for its head and legs. Tuda, on the other hand, only has 2 fingers left, which is basically enough for a family to travel in terms of daily use. In addition, the third row of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is also very impressive. Compared with some "pseudo seven-seat SUVs", normal riding does not feel too cramped.
Their seats are all wrapped in genuine leather. SAIC Maxus D90 Pro also uses a combination of dual materials, and is equipped with electric adjustment and front seat massage functions. Very luxurious. The Tuda at this price also uses manual adjustment, so configuration is not its strong point.
In order to better reflect the size of the trunk space, we did some actual measurements. The interior of the trunks of both cars is very flat, and the third row of seats of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro can also form a relatively flat surface when folded down. However, because the seat layouts of the two cars are different, we will not make a direct comparison. When all the seats are folded down, the measured depth of the trunk of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro reaches 213cm, while that of the Tuda is only 203cm. This is mainly due to the body size and wheelbase advantages of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro, so in terms of longitudinal depth and transverse width, They are all ahead of Tuda and very practical.
Power and test drive experience
In terms of power, SAIC Maxus D90 Pro offers three types of power, including a gasoline version. It is equipped with a 2.0TGI turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 160kW and a maximum torque of 350N·m. The diesel version is equipped with SAIC π Bi-Turbo's 2.0T diesel engine, with a maximum power of 160kW and a maximum torque of 500 N·m. It uses Honeywell twin-turbochargers. The diesel single-supercharged version is equipped with a 2.0T diesel engine with a maximum power of 120kW.The torque is 400N·m. The Tuda only provides a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine, and the transmission is matched with a 7-speed automatic manual gearbox.
Although large-displacement self-priming engines are still very popular among off-road enthusiasts, Tuda’s 2.5L can only be said to be entry-level , it is obviously not enough for friends who pursue motivation. If you want to buy a large-displacement self-priming model such as Land Cruiser and Patrol, these models are not only expensive, but also do not meet emission standards, so the current mainstream power in China is still 2.0T. Moreover, the overall parameters of the diesel turbine engine in the test car are better than those of the Nissan Tuda. The large torque of 500N·m is also helpful when off-road. The thermal efficiency and economy of the dual-supercharged diesel engine are better than those of the gasoline engine. Also great for off-roading.
In terms of daily driving, the difference in driving experience between the two cars is quite obvious. First of all, the most intuitive impression is that the view of the Tuda is not as good as that of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro. The right front design of the Tuda is higher and the blind spot is larger, while the hood of the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is slightly lower, giving it more confidence when encountering obstacles.
Secondly, the acceleration experience is different in terms of power. The power of SAIC Maxus D90 Pro is lighter, and the turbine bursts more fully in the rear section. The Tuda needs to continuously increase the speed to achieve the desired power effect. As for the transmission, the number of gears in the gearboxes of the two vehicles is similar, and both are AT structures. The overall smoothness performance is acceptable. However, the tuning of Tuda is more conservative, and the shifting speed is not as fast as that of SAIC Maxus D90 Pro.
In terms of daily overtaking, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has better explosive power. You can find the desired speed point every time you accelerate, and the process is not abrupt. On the other hand, the power of Tuda only comes up when the speed is around 5000rpm, but the process is linear and slow, and there is no obvious breaking point, and it lacks excitement when driving.
In terms of NVH, I personally feel that there is not much difference in high-speed performance between the two cars. The diesel engine equipped in the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro, but when you sit in the car, the NVH is well controlled, and it even feels no different from a gasoline engine. The main reason is the multi-layer soundproof glass in the car and the active noise reduction.
Tuda Chassis Suspension
From the perspective of body structure, both SAIC Maxus D90 Pro and Nissan Tuda adopt non-load-bearing bodies, which can carry To achieve strong passability, reliability and durability. In the suspension part, both adopt a front double-wishbone independent suspension + a rear five-link integral axle non-independent suspension.
SAIC Maxus D90 Pro Chassis Suspension
The performance of the two cars also has two different orientations in terms of chassis. The Tuda is a typical SUV model with chassis tuning, the shock absorbers are softer, and it doesn't feel connected to the ground when driving. And SAIC Maxus DWhether it is the rear suspension structure or the entire chassis adjustment, the 90 Pro is much tougher than the Tuda, and it will not lose its proper road feel when driving. In addition, as for the brake system, the rear brake system of Tuda is drum brake. The SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has ventilated disc brakes at the front and rear, which have better heat dissipation and braking performance, and the safety of extreme driving is more guaranteed.
When it comes to off-roading, four-wheel drive is naturally indispensable. Both vehicles are equipped with four-wheel drive systems. SAIC Maxus D90 Pro uses BorgWarner's timely four-wheel drive system. This system is more suitable for professional off-road players. The driver switches the drive mode through the electronic control knob according to the road conditions. It also provides an all-terrain intelligent four-wheel drive system. This system is adjusted by the world's top off-road calibration experts to perfectly interpret the balance of comfort and control, the balance of urban and off-road, and provides automatic, fuel-saving, sports, snow, mud, Seven driving modes, including sand and rock, can easily handle various unknown and complex road conditions. It is worth mentioning that the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro body has an approach angle of 28°, a departure angle of 25°, a maximum wading depth of up to 800mm, can climb a 45° slope, and can tow a 3.2-ton large truck. It has strong passability.
In the actual off-road section, due to the SAIC Maxus D90 The Pro four-wheel drive model comes standard with a mechanical tooth-type rear differential lock. When passing through a cross-axis road section, when one side of the rear wheel slips, long press the start button to manually lock the rear differential lock and lock both sides. The two rear wheel half-shafts are rigidly connected to form a whole, so that the wheels on both sides can get the same power, helping the vehicle to get out of trouble in bad road conditions.
If it is just a simple off-road road, then there is no need to operate, just master the direction, and leave the rest to the multi-plate clutch type central differential. When the speed difference between the front and rear axles exceeds a certain limit, and if the front wheels slip, the electronic control system will control the hydraulic mechanism to tighten the multi-plate clutch, and the torque will be transmitted from the rear axle to the front axle to achieve four-wheel drive. Up to 50% of the torque can be transmitted to the front wheels. , the switch-on condition and torque distribution ratio are controlled by the electronic system, eliminating the need for manual control.
Tuda adopts a relatively simple and direct part-time four-wheel drive structure in the four-wheel drive structure, which is divided into three categories: 2H/4H/4L There are three switching gears, which are commonly known as two-wheel drive, high-speed four-wheel drive, and low-speed four-wheel drive. The 2H two-wheel drive mode is more suitable for driving on urban roads or paved roads. The 4H high-speed four-wheel drive is suitable for use on gravel roads or in rainy and snowy weather, while the 4L low-speed four-wheel drive is suitable for use in off-road climbing and other difficult environments.
This part-time four-wheel drive system is not as convenient to operate as the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro. With the differential lock, the ability to escape in the wild is quite strong. From the perspective of use, When the speed of Tuda is below 100KM/h, 2H and 4H can be switched directly at will, just turn the knob to the required position. For the 4L gear, thenThe driver needs to shift the gear to neutral after parking the car before switching, otherwise it will cause damage to the 4WD system.
On steep slopes, it is a small case for these two hardcore SUVs, as long as you keep the direction. However, for friends who are not familiar with the road conditions, please do not rush to the accelerator, because the road is too narrow and the car is wide, it is easy to press on the soft road next to it, and you may get stuck if you are not careful, so it is best to find someone to direct you. From the bottom of the slope to the top, the tires of both vehicles did not slip during the entire process, and the climb was very easy.
It is not difficult for them to go uphill, and it will not be difficult for them to go downhill. It's just that the vehicle is too big and has many blind spots, which tests the driver's courage, but as long as the accelerator and brake are controlled well, there will be no problem. And in terms of passability, the ground clearance of both vehicles is great. It would be better if there were no pedals on both sides. In fact, we found during the test drive that these two big cars are capable of handling most bad rural roads, but for extreme off-roading, those off-road vehicles with short body dimensions have the advantage, but then again Back, the size is small, and the space cannot be guaranteed. As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Full text summary: Judging from the overall performance of the two vehicles, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro has a better off-road style. This style is not only reflected in the appearance, but also provides two types of four-wheel drive modes: real-time and part-time for consumers to choose. Compared with Tuda, it can meet the four-wheel drive selection needs of different users. At the same time, it can also take into account home use scenarios, including impeccable space, intelligence and comfort, breaking the previous situation where off-road vehicles have no sense of technology. Therefore, if you want to buy an SUV that can adapt to multiple scenarios, the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro will be more suitable.
And if you just want an off-road large-space SUV, then Tuda may have good appeal to consumers based on the advantages of the joint venture brand. Of course, both cars are cost-effective models at this level. Which one is better depends on you taking a test drive to know what kind of SUV is suitable for you.