A single architecture capable of adapting to all engines, from combustion engines to electric ones, including various hybrid solutions and hydrogen. This is the direction taken by Great Wall Motor (GWM)which at the Tech Day organized today in Milan, on the occasion of the European launch of the H7illustrated its technological strategy for the Old Continent market.
The heart of the project is GuiYuana platform that the Chinese manufacturer defines as the first in the world native to artificial intelligence and compatible with all types of propulsion. The architecture integrates over 300 standardized hardware modules and more than 2,000 software functions, coordinated by the Coffee EEA 4.0 centralized electronic system. The goal is to simplify vehicle development, increase component sharing and contain management costs, maintaining a common basis for models belonging to different segments, from sedans to pick-ups.
The strategy also translates into the possibility of choosing between two hybrid systems, Hi2 And Hi4developed to meet different driving needs. The first favors efficiency in daily use, while the second adds electrified all-wheel drive, with particular attention to traction on low-grip surfaces.
The Hi2 system, adopted by the H7 Hybrid, combines a 1.5 turbo four-cylinder engine dedicated to the hybrid with a two-speed DHT gearbox and a drive unit that brings together ten components. The overall power reaches 182 kW, equivalent to 247 HP, while the consumption declared in the WLTP cycle is 6.5 liters per 100 kilometres.
The Hi4 solution instead adopts an architecture with three power sources: the combustion engine, a front electric unit and a second independent electric motor at the rear. The absence of a transmission shaft between the two axles allows the torque distribution to be managed continuously, adapting the thrust to the driving conditions. The intelligent iTVC system takes care of the control, analyzing parameters such as steering, yaw, grip, slope and driving mode, updating the power distribution one hundred times per second.
On the H7 Plug-in Hi4, combined with a four-speed gearbox, the system develops 320 kW, equal to 435 HP, and 670 Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 4.9 seconds, while the declared electric range reaches 129 kilometres. WLTP approved consumption is 2.2 liters per 100 kilometres. Direct current charging reaches 90 kW, allowing you to go from 30 to 80% in approximately 18 minutes.
«For us, all-wheel drive serves to improve driving, not to fill the technical sheet. We choose the motorization based on the roads and the needs of the driver, not the other way around”, he explained Michele ScottiPowertrain Director of GWM.
An approach that also concerns the development of the H7, developed taking into account European conditions of use. The suspension features a MacPherson strut at the front and a multi-link at the rear, with specific components and recalibrated power steering. The tests involved different scenarios: from German motorways, to verify stability at high speeds, to the Stelvio and Grossglockner Alpine passes, where body control, braking response and the operation of the electronic stability control were refined. The anti-corrosion treatments of the steering, brakes and suspension have undergone 720 hours of salt spray testing.
The validation program declared by GWM includes 22 test cars, 8,000 kilometers driven in the desert, snow tests at temperatures as low as -40°C and checks of cooling systems at 50°C. According to the manufacturer, Hi2 and Hi4 technologies already equip vehicles with a total of close to one million units delivered worldwide.
With the H7, GWM therefore aims to bring to Europe not only a new product proposal, but also an industrial strategy based on the sharing of platforms and the differentiation of engines. A path that aims to combine efficiency, performance and adaptation to driving conditions, leaving the customer to choose the technology best suited to their use.
