Split personality. Tests of Chinese Zotye T600 SUV

Last updated Apr 12, 2022

The Zotye crossover is called the same as the combat robot from the Terminator – T600. But this car does not look like Arnold Schwarzenegger with his muscles. As an object to follow, the Chinese chose a completely different car – the German SUV Volkswagen Tuareg.

The official website of Zotye (in Russian, the name of the Chinese car is pronounced “Zoti") reports that the company was founded in 2003, but initially it was engaged in the production of body parts and other components. She was an automaker only two years later. For a long time Zotye Auto is nothing special, they are engaged in licensed assembly of a small SUV Daihatsu Terios, which at different times and in different markets is called differently – Zotye 2008, 5008, Wanderer and Hunter. In parallel, she received illiquid assets, like the Fiat Multipla of the author of the compact van, which got on the conveyor as the Zotye M300. Or the project of the Jianghan Auto Company, which produced the ancient Suzuki Alto is the cheapest car in Japan.

In December 2013, the company began production of the T600 crossover, which instantly became popular: in 2014-2015, it accounted for half of the brand’s sales. Since then, the new Zotye models have become like Volkswagen products: the Auto Prestige s-line is reminiscent of the Audi Q3 and the Porsche Macan, a Volkswagen Tiguan crossover. Zotye has another source of inspiration – the great crossover brand will be reminiscent of the Range Rover. Zotye practices and crossbreeding: The T600 Sport crossover kept Volkswagenaudi proportions but looked like a Range Rover Evoque.

current market Zotye plans to enter for a long time, and even showed their products in the capital shows where they were placed colored ‘Therios’ and ‘Alt’. With such a trump card as the T600 in their hands, the company decided to try again. Initially, the assembly of the Z300 crossover and sedan is planned to be organized in Tatarstan by Alabuga-Motors, where a batch of vehicles for certification has even been assembled. But then the Belarusian Unison, a long-time partner of the Zotye sedan Z300, chose another place, it began to produce back in 2013. SKD assembly of cars recently began in January, and sales started in March. The popularity of crossovers has already overtaken the sedan in eight months, with more than a hundred T600s and dozens of Z300s sold.

The T600 looks like a Touareg from the front and looks impressive. The profile and dimensions of the "Chinese" repeats the Audi Q5: it has the same length and wheelbase, while it is wider and higher than the German crossover. With a length of 4631 mm, it is one of the largest Chinese crossovers sold in recent times. With a record distance between the axles, the claimed trunk volume is only 344 liters, although it looks slightly inferior to Audi’s 540-liter trunk.

T600 resembles Q5 and not only in profile. Even the body parts of the cars are very similar, with the exception of those located on the other side of the gas filler flap and the shape of the tailgate. Dealers say that Zotye car body parts are "stamping" for Chinese VW models, but the Chinese crossover’s chamfered panels are sloppy, and VW doesn’t approve. However, the body is assembled and pretty well painted.

The same can be said about the interior – it’s not even a copy and definitely a volkswagenesque influence on it. If you can find a couple of motives. The plastic is extremely rigid but fits well and looks presentable. The tone and texture of the wood-like panels are chosen so that their unnaturalness is not visible. The front seats are made under the "European", and it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable, but I do not feel the adjustment of the lumbar support.

The logic in the cabin is worse: the buttons for the intensity of the airflow on the dual-zone climate control are clearly confused, the ESP icon is disabled in the corner to the left of the instrument, well, where it is not immediately detected. The top configuration has a huge panoramic sunroof, electronic parking brake and xenon headlights combined with bare wheels without leather covering, which is still not adjustable for reach. In your own feelings, like a hired driver. Passenger on the second row, on the other hand, can feel like a VIP – he has a button to move the front passenger seat as far forward as possible and tilt it back, just like in an executive class sedan. Here’s legroom isn’t much more compared to the Q5, but the center tunnel isn’t quite as high. Unlike Audi, you cannot move the rear seat and adjust the angle of the back. There are air ducts in front of the armrest.

After an unsuccessful attempt to convince the employees of the multimedia system based on Android that it was no longer in China, the distributor decided to change the head unit – the novelty runs on Windows and is equipped with good Navitel navigation, only the interface can be used with a stylus. Solitaire "Kerchief" and even "leave" appeared in the menu – during the game you can pass the time in a dead traffic jam.

It is believed that the T600 platform is shared by the Hyundai Veracruz/ix55, but check the configuration of the underbody and suspension is the same as the more compact ix35 car. There are McPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear. Even with a high-profile tire on the car, strictly speed bumps noticed a small crack on the pavement, but the consequences of a large hole holding are easy.

In the c-NCAP crash test, the Zotye scored 51.2 points out of a maximum possible 62, and lost 0.8 points by five stars. Frontal impact with full overlap at a speed of 50 experts, km / h estimated 14.8 18 years, collision with partial overlap at a speed of 64 km / h – by 15.1 points. For a side impact, the car received a score of 15.95.

Four-wheel drive is not available in principle, and it is unlikely that the T600 is far off the pavement. The fact is that the ground clearance of the crossover is modest: 185 mm, and the suspension travel is small. If it’s a hanging, then an electronic lock for a faint hope.

The V-liter turbo 15S4G manufactured by the Chinese concern SAIC develops 162 hp. with. and 215 Nm of torque – that should be enough to keep the car going fast. Passport acceleration to 100 km / h takes less than 10 seconds. The turbine needs time to spin up, and noticeably noticeable wings at about 3 thousand revolutions and the decursinol area the motor does not pull and may stall when starting uphill. This, as well as the long gears of the five-speed “mechanics” and the low sensitivity of the accelerator, give the car a phlegmatic Buddhist character. With smooth movement, if you are driving so as not to wake up the passenger, the rear, SUV, is quiet, comfortable and has good manners.

The T600 does not like sudden movements. He turned the steering wheel harder – he rolled, went over with speed in the turn – the squeak of Chinese tires. He stomped heartily on the accelerator pedal and nothing happens: in order to accelerate sharply, you need to jump two gears down.

The test car is widely used not only by journalists, but also by dealers, so 8 thousand km is already tired. Obviously, camber adjustment is required, the wheels on straight wheels are crooked, broken, some lining in the cabin. But in general, the T600 leaves a good impression. Comparing cars with Volkswagen products is reckless – not the Tuareg and certainly not the B5. This is an excellent crossover for relatively modest money: a car with a leather interior, a sunroof and xenon is less than a million, but the starting price starts from 849,990 conventional units. And because of the resemblance to the Touareg, it still looks impressive. Of course, Z600 has not turned into a "Terminator" for Lifan in the current market and the night does not insist on serious players, but some T600 success to achieve, given the quality and service.

Now is not the time to enter the current market – car sales are declining, and the Chinese segment is overcrowded, which is actually divided between Lifan, Geely and Chery. In addition, Zotye is in no hurry to invest in car promotion and its own dealer network, providing a multi-brand showroom with the opportunity to sell the car. Sellers complain about the lack of a T600 crossover, but this is not so much due to high demand and low production of unison cars and a modest quota for lately.

The Belarusian collector plans to develop a full-scale production with welding and painting in the future. And the model number of the T600 crossover will be replenished with a more powerful version with a 2.0-liter engine (177 hp and 250 Nm) and a “robotic” gearbox. On the one hand, to solve the problem with the lack of dynamics, but its price tag exceeds one million conventional units.

Post source: wekauto.ru