2015 Landwind X5
As we have established both the drive of the Mazda CX-3 and test drive of the Honda HR-V, the hunger of the local market for crossovers and compact SUVs shows no signs of slowing This, along with a gradual acceptance of Chinese cars, seems to have created the ideal environment in which Landwind could launch her debut model, the 5.
The brand was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between its owner, Jaingling Motor Corporation and JMC Chana Changan Automobile Group, and essentially a more upscale of the old arms, whose offers had Bakkies and VUL previously understood .
From an aesthetic point of view then, aspiration 5 seems to have hit the mark While the tendency is to take a look at the style of Chinese cars with a predilection subconscious to spot clues from those European and Japanese models granted, there are Subaru Outback indices and Renault Koleos on view in the isolation unit of the back-end of test 5 ,, seems to be pure, if somewhat generic-looking compact SUV that fortunately hasn t fallen lack of responsible performance chrome marking some of its rivals.
Climb aboard and the zebra bar-button audio system at the top of the dashboard, the cabin is pleasantly unfussy There are some needles dial Ford flavored, and other details that allude to the affiliation with the JMC blue oval plastic disc on the Chinese market also abound, but everything feels reasonably put together.
In addition to the rather odd activation of hazard warning lights when the doors of the test unit are open, the element most notable of the cabin 5 is its habitability Not only JMC used a packing system with two-tone using a lighter color above the waistline to convey a sense of lightness, but the car has also packing more than 900 mm high and 774 mm space for the rear legs of the worthy urban sprawl when the rear seats are tumbled forwardly 1360 dm3 cargo space is available.
It is not only good news, but despite the rake and reach adjustment often absent for the steering column make an appearance in a Chinese SUV welcome, lack of seat adjustment in height will pilot a proportionate medium facing a wheel which is too low They can sometimes rub their tibia located on the lower lip of the instrument panel when using the clutch, too.
The driving experience is a mixed bag similar, with the 5 steps along taken off in the issues of the drive train and dynamic group, respectively.
Located in the bay of the motor is a Mitsubishi Aerospace Shenyang 4G63S4T engine coupled with a manual gearbox six-speed power trains shares a large portion of its DNA with the 2.0-liter unit 4G63 Sirius is done service in a range of Mitsubishi models, including workaday sedans, pickups and even Evo badged performance cars for over 30 years, so it should be a robust engine.
And when it comes to mechanical refinement, most Chinese vehicles lags far behind their more established rivals, but the 5 powertrain proves polished enough in this regard NVH levels are low, with a strong acceleration marked by a slight whine and gear box turbo rustling has a mechanical feel, a little notchy its action, but the lever is not in its long-launch agriculture and it doesn t have the poaching that plagues similar offers.
Although his power comfortably exceed those of competitors for the same price, the engine performance is marred by a significant lack of low tension and occasional flat spot or two in extended speed acceleration, which suggests a problem of calibration of gas former doesn t bode well for the 5 town cut and thrust drive, although the clutch is thankfully light and easy to modulate.
The engine really comes from song when 3000 r min barrier is approached and began thereafter to feel more like 140 kW, 250 Nm, it is supposed to produce, however, even if the power steering is satisfyingly weighted and construction unibody means it doesn t stumble in a manner similar to vehicles with a vehicle body on chassis configuration, the Landwind feels out of his depth when his drives with something more than a zeal button.
Its flexible gushing submits the significant roll but offers a fair compromise in terms of a relatively soft ride on most road surfaces, while the value of 190 mm of ground clearance ensures that ISN-tracking dirt does a ground scraping case.
Perhaps the most surprising thing of the Landwind 5 2.0T MT is the lack of comfort and convenience, the opposite is often most Chinese vehicles drawcard These staples as an infotainment system with touchscreen, the steering wheel audio controls, leather or upholstery -like, Bluetooth connectivity and audio streaming, cruise control and electric adjustment for the driver's seat are all absent in a blinding vehicle occupant this robust price support.
Essentially, 5 s nowhere near a terrible vehicle style is tidy, the power plant is higher than the norm and the interior is cavernous, but there are considerable obstacles that see fall short of recommended purchase.
The most important is the poor engine calibration sees stutter and stumble in certain driving conditions; others are very simple dart stand- specifications and brakes that have performed poorly in our emergency stop test.
Some readers may be scratching your head to choose rivals with which we compared 5 in this test match-up view on page 78, but at the time of printing, the most logical rival Landwind, the GWM H6 1 , 5T City, suffered a price drop that saw him move from undercutting 5000 by almost R10 R80 000.
That said, the economic upheavals in China, which forced GWM reduce prices of several basic models to stay competitive, could affect the goods and JMC would bring the 5 in a more favorable price range.
Because of frustrating gaps that could have been resolved with improved engine management calibration and standard specification, the 5 just sits under the cloak of what's perhaps one of the most annoyingly terms wheels when it comes to our assessments of Chinese cars; it's to get there, but it lacks the polish required to have a significant impact.
ROAD TEST JMC Landwind May 2 0T MT, road test Landwind.
Road, Tërbuf, Албания