It is understandable that the arrival of the new era has caused many consumers to pay attention to the price and performance of new energy vehicles. Of course, some people are also forced to buy cars. After all, many consumers still like the driving experience of fuel cars. Just like some friends around me, they always feel that there is something missing when driving on the road, which is the passion brought by the sound. Or is there no sureness in the heart of mileage anxiety? Or is it the sense of control of the integration of people and cars? These are really hard to say …
However, in fact, does the new energy vehicle represent pure electric? Of course not. Just like the Volvo S90 T8 and the BMW 530Le I mentioned today, they are both plug-in hybrid models. Compared with pure electric vehicles, the biggest advantage of plug-in hybrid vehicles is that they don’t have any endurance anxiety, and the fuel consumption is much lower than that of pure fuel vehicles, so they can be said to be versatile. So, as the representative of luxury plug-in hybrid car, how can we choose between Volvo S90 T8 and BMW 530Le?
BMW Brilliance 530Le
Vehicle type: medium and large cars
Date of listing: August 2018
Previous price: 499,900 yuan
Volvo S90 T8
Vehicle type: medium and large cars
Time to market: July 2018
Official guide price: 598,000-1.08 million yuan.
From the price point of view, the price of Volvo S90 is slightly more expensive, which is actually not difficult to understand. Volvo S90 should be the target model in terms of configuration, size and space, but because the domestic version has been lengthened, it can compete with the space of S90, so Volvo is in an awkward position. Fortunately, Volvo manufacturers are also smart, and they have produced a S90 T8 Zia version which is specially designed to grab the market with BMW 530Le, although the price is still expensive.
Appearance: administrative or movement?
From the appearance, there are still some differences in the styles of the two cars. The BMW 530Le has a stronger sense of streamline, while Volvo is square and more administrative.
Take BMW 530Le as an example. Its air intake grille has a special function, that is, it can be turned on/off intelligently. When the vehicle is started, the grille will be temporarily turned off to help the engine heat up quickly. When the temperature reaches the requirements, the grille will be automatically turned on to achieve the heat dissipation effect. After parking and flameout, the grille will be automatically turned off. Well, it turns out that black technology is the style …
In addition, there is no change in its headlight group, and LED light source is still used, and chrome-plated decorative parts are also well decorated without excessive publicity. The biggest difference between the 530Le and the fuel version is that the charging port is added to the left fender, and the blue I mark and the eDrive logo on the C-pillar are added below the charging port.
As for the design of Volvo S90 T8, the family characteristics are more obvious, especially the air intake grille. Even the female friends around me who don’t know anything about cars can see at a glance that this is a Volvo. In addition, the straight line design of the car also shows the unique temperament of this car: stable and atmospheric.
In addition, one of the highlights of the car’s exterior design is the "Raytheon Hammer" headlights, and the whole system adopts LED light source, which is highly recognizable after lighting. And the T-shaped design widens the whole front face, and the visual effect is more distinguished.
Interior: calm or trendy?
No matter from the brand or price point of view, the interiors of these two cars today are very luxurious and full of technology. In contrast, the interior style of Volvo S90 T8 is more calm, while the BMW 530Le is younger and more fashionable.
Let’s talk about S90 first. Most of the buttons in the whole car have been replaced by the central control big screen, and the design style tends to be simple and home-oriented. Its interior is decorated with walnut decorative boards and a large number of leather materials, showing a luxurious atmosphere. The multifunctional three-position steering wheel has a delicate grip, is wrapped in leather and designed in all black, and has a moderate size. The surfaces of multifunctional keys are all covered by piano paint panels, and the keys have crisp texture and a certain sense of feedback.
From the sense of science and technology, the S90 car is also doing well. The full LCD dashboard will change with the driving mode, and its functions are quite rich. And equipped with HUD head-up display function to provide information more intuitive and practical. The operation of 9-inch central control large screen is very smooth, which basically replaces some functions of traditional buttons, and its functions are very rich, including intelligent interconnection, vehicle settings and air conditioning settings.
The BMW 530Le is also outstanding in luxury, with comfortable leather seats, leather steering wheel with excellent grip and handsome wood decoration. There are too many things to say, and every detail is exquisite and delicate. Of course, the design style of the steering wheel is also unique to BMW. Although it is thick, it has a comfortable grip and the steering force is adjusted properly, which gives the driver a sense of control.
However, the 530Le car also has a big advantage, that is, it cares very much about the feelings of the passengers in the back row. The entertainment system and tablet computer in the back row are all available, and the heating and ventilation of the back seat and the electric adjustment of the seat are also equipped. In addition, the rear skylight and private curtain can also be opened or closed by the buttons on the side of the tablet computer or the back door.
Space: Business class …
In fact, from the point of view of body shape, we know that the interior space of these two cars is completely incredible. If they are both large enough, you don’t have to judge who is smaller. Anyway, it’s easy to cross your legs in the back row, so you can’t win who can lie down. It’s better to find a bed, right?
In terms of the trunk, the two cars can also be said to be comparable, except that the BMW 530Le has an extra groove, so it is more troublesome to arrange sundries, which seems to increase the space, but it is not convenient to use.
Motivation: be steady or violent?
In fact, from the point of view of configuration and space, the two cars have their own advantages, and why does Volvo cost 100 thousand more? Most of the reasons come from motivation.
BMW’s hybrid system is an engine with a single motor, which belongs to dual-engine output, while Volvo is an engine with dual motors, which belongs to three-engine output. Both cars have a displacement of 2.0L The BMW 530Le uses a turbocharged engine. Together with the cooperation of a single motor, it can achieve a maximum power of 185kW and a peak torque of 420N·m, with an acceleration time of 6.9s； per 100 kilometers. The Volvo S90 T8 is different. The engine adopts mechanical+turbocharging, and works in cooperation with the front and rear double motors, reaching the maximum power of 300kW and the peak torque of 640N·m, and the acceleration time of 100 kilometers is only 4.9s s. In contrast, the BMW 530Le is indeed a grade lower in power, but if the test accelerates rapidly, the car is still quite good. When you step on the accelerator with all your strength, the car body will eject with the sound of pulling tires (well, I still want to tell the truth here: when the BMW 530Le starts at full oil, the rear tires will slip, so be cautious in ice and snow). The electric four-wheel drive of Volvo S90 T8 is relatively reliable. The heavier the throttle, the faster it will rush. Of course, try not to run at full throttle, which is easy to get carsick.
Driving experience: The difference of suspension adjustment makes the riding experience slightly different.
It goes without saying that the driving and riding comfort of BMW 530Le and Volvo S90 T8 are quite good, but there are some differences between the two cars. For example, BMW’s seats are better wrapped and have a stronger sense of movement when driving. Volvo’s seats are relatively soft, which makes people more relaxed.
Then let’s talk about the feeling of 530Le first: its suspension adjustment is still hard compared with other big brands, especially the vibration brought by the road surface can be clearly fed back to the car during driving, but these vibrations are only minimal and will not bring any discomfort to the driver and passengers. As for NVH, there is no need to mention it. BMW has always been outstanding in this respect. Especially when the 530Le enters the pure electric driving mode, basically no noise will be heard in the car. Only when the engine is involved, some noise will enter the cockpit.
And Volvo S90? Its front double wishbone independent suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension are adjusted to be comfortable and pay more attention to the feeling of riding. At the same time, the small bumps and potholes on the road surface will be well filtered out, but if you encounter those big potholes or high speed bumps, you will still feel the car body shaking slightly, but the passengers in the car have little influence. In addition, the chassis performance of the car is relatively solid, and the stability in high-speed driving is extremely high.
Write at the end:
In fact, the two cars themselves have different styles. In contrast, Volvo S90 T8 has more power. After all, it is not easy to break 100 in 5s. The BMW 530Le has a stronger sense of science and technology, such as 11-color ambient lighting and 6+1 gesture operation, which are all the plus items of this car. Of course, there is no absolute choice between the two cars, only the consumer’s hobby is the most important. However, it is gratifying that the battery life of these two cars is more than 50km, which means that commuting can basically be driven by pure electric power, giving full play to the biggest advantage of plug-in hybrid models.