[Road Test] New Flagship Benchmark: Experiencing the Fengyun A9L

In the era of new energy, Chinese brands have stood up! Chinese brands can be seen in every segment, and this time Chery is going after the cake in the mid-to-large sedan market. You should know that in this segment, during the era of fuel vehicles, it was long occupied by the 56E models of luxury brands. So let's take a look at whether this Chery Fengyun A9L, with a body over 5 meters long, equipped with the CDM hybrid system, and featuring more luxurious materials, can shake the position of the established rivals.

The Fengyun A9L's appearance looks imposing at first glance. The front end adopts a through-type light strip design, appearing restrained and steady. The daytime running lights on the front face have a very distinctive shape, like sharp sword eyebrows, and echo the LED taillights that run across the rear.

The Fengyun A9L has a length of 5018mm, a width of 1965mm, and a height of 1500mm, with a wheelbase reaching 3000mm, achieving a 3x wheel-to-axle ratio, and it looks very well proportioned from the side. The door handles adopt a semi-hidden design, using a logic that combines touch sensing and mechanical operation.

The chrome trim below the doors not only enhances the sense of layering but also serves the function of an air guide channel. It is worth mentioning that the Fengyun A9L has undergone 46 aerodynamic optimizations throughout the vehicle, and after hundreds of wind tunnel tests, it ultimately achieved an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.23cd.

The rear design is very restrained, using only three line segments to form a clearly layered rear end. The most eye-catching part of the rear is undoubtedly the electric speed-controlled spoiler. When the vehicle cruises at 90km/h, it quietly pops out to 9°. When the speed reaches above 110km/h, the spoiler opens to 19°, providing 425N of downforce, keeping the body more planted during high-speed driving.

Stepping into the interior of the Fengyun A9L, the first impression is a full sense of luxury. The interior offers three color schemes: Late Autumn Warm Sun, Morning Light Citrus, and Night Maple, inspired by Eastern aesthetics. Among them, the red-and-black cabin color scheme of the photographed model is exclusive to the top-trim four-wheel-drive version, highlighting its outstanding performance.

There is no need to worry about the intelligence of independent brands, especially for a flagship. In the Fengyun A9L's smart cabin, this 15.6-inch high-definition large screen has an ultra-high screen-to-body ratio of 90%, and the display effect is stunning. Paired with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 chip, it operates smoothly and integrates mainstream apps of today, while also supporting CarPlay, HiCar, CarLink, and various other phone connectivity functions. Its practicality is also impeccable. What is surprising is its four-zone voice control function, which can accurately identify the position of each seat's passenger. "If you can speak, you don't need to use your hands" satisfies the various needs of drivers and passengers.

The rear row has a very large horizontal space and can easily accommodate three adults. The middle floor is almost completely flat, and combined with a seating position higher than the front row, the visibility is very good. The rear row's comfort features are also comprehensive. Air conditioning, armrests, cup holders, and USB ports are naturally not absent. Official data shows that the Fengyun A9L has a maximum horizontal executive-level rear space of 1540mm, rear headroom of 965mm, and rear knee room of 165mm, ensuring rear-seat comfort.

The Boya Zhisheng speakers equipped in the Fengyun A9L are also worth mentioning. They adopt a 7.1.4 panoramic sound layout, including 7 speakers for a two-dimensional planar surround effect for the audience, 1 fresh-air subwoofer, and 4 sky full-range speakers, creating a perfect auditory atmosphere.

The new car is equipped with the Kunpeng Super Electric Hybrid CDM 6.0. The engine has a peak power of 115kW and peak torque of 470Nm, while the electric motor has a total peak power of 470kW and peak torque of 854Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. In actual driving, its power is indeed explosive, and the power output is very linear. Since the electric motor configuration of CDM 6.0 adopts P1+P3, it drives like an EV. The exhilarating feeling of flooring it from a standstill is absolutely unforgettable.

In terms of intelligent assisted driving, the Fengyun A9L is equipped with the Falcon intelligent assisted driving system. Press the scroll wheel on the left side of the steering wheel to activate it with one touch. After enabling high-speed NOA navigation assist, the vehicle can autonomously complete overtaking, following, and speed limit adjustments on highways and expressways, with no need for takeover throughout the test drive. As for urban NOA, it can initially achieve commute memory navigation, and setting the corresponding route enables advanced driving assistance.

The chassis materials of the Fengyun A9L are also very generous. The new car is equipped with front aluminum alloy double wishbones and a rear five-link suspension. The overall tuning leans toward comfort, and under specific road conditions, the suspension retains a degree of resilience. Especially during high-speed cornering, the body roll is not as large as imagined. You should know that this is an executive-level sedan with a length of over 5 meters.

Safety is the greatest luxury. The Fengyun A9L adopts a rock-solid body, with high-strength steel and aluminum accounting for 88%, hot-formed steel accounting for 23%, and the core frame of the front occupant cabin using 100% hot-formed steel. The entire vehicle's hot-formed steel plus aluminum alloy accounts for 46%. The strength of the hot-formed steel in the core parts reaches 2GPa, and 1 square centimeter can withstand 20 tons of weight, equivalent to a fingernail supporting the weight of 5 elephants. Therefore, even in the event of a collision, it can ensure the safety of drivers and passengers to the greatest extent.

It is jokingly called the "Wuhu Maybach" in the community. Indeed, the sense of luxury and quality displayed by this car are both on point. However, for an executive-level sedan positioned as luxury, the key still depends on whether the brand can establish itself. Let's give the Fengyun A9L some time.