China’s Voyah Zhiyin with 901 km range to rival Tesla Model Y
The Voyah Zhiyin will be the Dongfeng Motor-owned premium brand’s fourth model. Recently, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) stated the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture plant in Wuhan (Hubei Province), China, as the upcoming EV’s production site. This factory is also responsible for the domestic production of the Nissan Ariya.
The Voyah Zhiyin is 4,725 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, and 1,636 mm/1,653 mm tall and has a 2,900 mm wheelbase. MIIT has approved the production of six configurations of the upcoming electric SUV. Four of them are 2WD configurations, two with a 215 kW motor and two with a 230 kW motor, with both motors sourced from Wuhan-based supplier Zhixin Technology. The remaining two are 4WD configurations that use a combination of two 160 kW motors, procured from the same nearby OEM.
The base 2WD and top-end 4WD configurations that MIIT has listed have a lithium iron phosphate battery pack. As for the two mid-tier 2WD configurations with the 230 kW motor, one has a lithium iron phosphate battery pack and the other uses a ternary lithium-ion battery pack.
A CarNewsChina report mentions a 390 kW 4WD configuration as well. According to this report, one of the 2WD configurations will have a CATL-made 109 kWh ternary lithium-ion battery pack that delivers a CLTC range of up to 901 km. That could be one of the two mid-tier 2WD configurations with the 230 kW motor.
The Voyah Zhiyin looks just like another modern crossover but has a slightly offbeat design in some areas. At the front, it features split headlights with a curvy, horizontally laid DRL unit on the top and a vertical assembly consisting of low- and high-beam lights at the bottom.
The nose section looks mostly covered, with only a slim area at the top remaining open for air to pass through. The air flowing in from here is directed to the bonnet, which consists of a bifurcated dipped section with an opening. A proper air intake grille for cooling the vehicle components is located at the bottom of the front fascia.
On the sides, the Voyah Zhiyin has 20-inch fully covered aero wheels or regular 20-inch five-spoke wheels depending on the configuration. The door handles have been seamlessly integrated into the doors for a clean look. Not all is perfect on the sides, though.
A floating roofline and a kick in the beltline give the EV a sporty style, but the crease lines on the door panels and body aren’t appealing. The raised roof rails don’t suit the character of this model. The rear-end looks a bit ostentatious due to the big block-lettered brand inscription, the full-width lighting, and the gloss black trim at the bottom of the bumper.
The Voyah Zhiyin will go on sale in China in the fourth quarter (October-December) and be priced at around 200,000 yuan (25,644 euros). The Tesla Model Y rival could arrive in select European countries a few months after it settles in the domestic market. The company is currently present in several European nations like Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and Finland.
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