But when we really want to explore the core competitiveness of a brand or a manufacturer, we still look at the mid-level car, which is the most enduring and full of vicissitudes.
A strong brand in the rising period, its mid-level car products must be widely recognized by the market. On the contrary, it may be in adversity. For ordinary brands, only by gnawing at the hard bone of mid-level cars can we truly gain a foothold. This is true from Toyota and Honda to Volkswagen and General Motors. For luxury brands, the mid-level car is their fist product, which not only carries the primary mission of conveying the brand spirit, but also is an effective fighter.
Furthermore, compared with ordinary mid-level cars, mid-level coupes need to compromise with the market. Because it faces a smaller group, manufacturers can express their ideas more freely here, which is the model that best reflects the unique philosophy of a luxury brand. It is also the easiest for people to see what deeper self-expression the brand has besides meeting the market demand.
After you today? Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series will set an example for us.
Design: Inheriting Classics? VS？ Make a deep impression by showing novelty and uniqueness
The front mesh design of "big mouth" seems to have become a necessary option for all fuel vehicles at present, and a few years ago, it was synonymous with Audi. If we study it carefully, this classic and epoch-making pioneering design idea actually developed from the prototype of Audi A5.
As early as 265438+ at the beginning of the 20th century, Walter de Silva, then the design director of Audi, suggested that "the grille should be consistent with other models in the family, not isolated, in order to become a three-dimensional embodiment of the brand image." Silva was the designer who paid the most attention to the brand family inheritance through the design of the front face, especially the shaping of the net. Later, the development of automobile design also proved his idea.
By summarizing Audi's historical design, Silva finally proposed an integrated air intake grille, which was first presented in Nuvolari? Quattro (car), Pikes? Peak? Quattro(SUV) and Le? Mang? Quattro (sports car) on three concept cars. Looking back at these works now, I don't think it's great, but in that era when most designers' minds were locked in the "upper, middle and lower" split front face design scheme, it was tantamount to opening the door to a new world.
And we carefully compare the three concept cars released at the same time, can we find that Nuvolari is the prototype design car of A5? Quattro is actually the closest representative of the family-style design language of Audi production cars. Through chrome-plated strokes, the outline of the whole network is carefully drawn, and the whole front face is rearranged into a new layout form of "left, middle and right", which is exactly what we saw later in mass production of A6. It is magical and immortal.
After more than ten years, it seems that the whole world is pursuing such a design, but Audi is slowly and steadily exploring new ideas in the classics. Just as the new A5 continues the three-stage front face arrangement scheme of "left, middle and right", the overall lines become more tough and rough. The trapezoidal "big mouth" with rounded corners has become a hexagonal "big mouth", and then it has been integrated into 1984 Sport? Quattro's three-level ventilation holes are the crowning touch, and the details in the net have changed from banners to honeycomb designs symbolizing the performance on RS.
As for "Eyelash" brand-new LED daytime running lights, it actually further strengthens Silva's concept of creating a three-dimensional brand image by shaping the front face. As we all know, Audi is not only famous for its big mouth, but also a first-class "lighting factory" player. If the grille is a three-dimensional embodiment of a brand during the day, then the lighting is a three-dimensional embodiment of a brand at night. The new A5 adopts a brand-new design scheme of family daytime running lights, and the eyelash-like lighting matrix is fascinating and unforgettable. At the same time, the L-shaped arrangement allows you to distinguish the pedigree of its Audi family from far away, which shows that inheritance and tribute can always be found in it.
In contrast, the BMW 4 Series seems to be completely a temper that does not want to be like BMW. From the huge disproportionate "double kidney" grille, to the headlights that have lost their charm and are called "angel eyes", and then to the Huo's bend without trace, if you cover the blue sky and white clouds, you may even wonder which emerging company made this car.
We can see many attempts to seek changes in Department 4, but it seems that these attempts are either too hard or lose their own flavor. In recent years, BMW's front face has also followed suit, and the China Net is getting bigger and bigger. "Two kidneys" can't fit horizontally, so it is changed to "two front teeth", which not only loses the classic design of the original upper and lower floors, but also becomes uncoordinated and even looks weird.
More seriously, this immature operation of seeking change for the sake of seeking change is difficult to convey aesthetic feeling effectively. If you carefully split the front face of Series 4, you will find that several elements almost perfectly avoid each other and express their ideas in words. Therefore, it is difficult for you to connect the huge vertical net with the headlights that want to stretch the horizontal visual sense, and it is also difficult to connect the complex polygonal air intake holes under the front face with the grilles on both sides. Perhaps each element has its own unique design when it is carried out alone, but it is not a harmonious whole when it is pieced together.
Not to mention the lack of the classic Hockey corner, the original Hockey corner can perfectly enhance the heaviness of the C-pillar and the strength of the tail, but the current design has left too many gaps in the rear fender, which seems to be procrastinating.
To put it mildly, BMW is brave in innovation, but it is not pleasant to say. Judging from the imperfect results, it does not reach its century-old brand level, and even smacks of grandstanding.
Therefore, in design, it is obvious that Audi A5 can better convey the charm of the brand, and also closely follow the design theme of "harmony", "elegance" and "balance" that the brand has been pursuing. BMW just wants to build an exaggerated coupe, but it has lost the charm of a century-old brand. You can say that it is a coupe with personality, but it is hard to say that it is a BMW with personality.
Driving control: proper balance? VS？ The lost movement
Compared with ordinary mid-level cars, consumers who buy mid-level coupes obviously pay more attention to the product strength in driving control, and what kind of light will Audi's quattro and BMW's proud driving pleasure shine on A5 and 4 series?
First of all, the performance of the new A5 is surprising. The whole chassis is closely related to the theme of coupe from the selection of spring hardness, the setting of low, medium and high speed damping of shock absorber, the design of suspension geometry and the calibration of four-wheel drive system. The steering response is sensitive but not too nervous, the body is compact and not flustered, and the cornering limit balance is controllable, which is very easy to drive and has some fun. In the process of fierce continuous curve and line change, the back swing of the car body is well suppressed, the overall movement is crisp and smooth, and the movements of the car body and chassis are orderly and leisurely.
Quattro four-wheel drive system and s? tronic？ The 7-speed dual clutch gearbox is also helpful to control, and the dynamic response is on call when turning, and the attitude balance limit is unfathomable. The quick-response four-wheel drive can handle the adhesion of four wheels in corners well, and use power to balance the body reasonably, like an experienced veteran. The gearbox can effectively carry out the driver's up-and-down instructions, transmit torque unambiguously, and help accelerate cornering.
What's more commendable is that A5 has not abandoned the comfort of daily driving under its excellent handling performance. This is very important for consumers who pursue certain driving pleasure, but usually travel more in cities. In daily driving, A5' s chassis shows a strong sense of advanced, flexible and comfortable, and at the same time, it always reflects the texture of a coupe and simple vibration-absorbing performance.
The BMW 4 Series once again showed a clear intention to change. In recent years, BMW seems to be becoming more and more comfortable and boring. For the public, it may be understandable in the SUV market or ordinary car market, but in the coupe field, which emphasizes driving control and personality, it may seem a bit overkill.
In contrast, the whole 4 Series is softer than A5, and neither the response of gearbox nor the feedback of chassis to road feel is so positive. When you want to request power, the gearbox always hesitates before executing instructions. On the other hand, the chassis pays too much attention to the so-called comfort, and even has a sense of flicker that only classic American muscle cars have.
Therefore, in terms of driving control, Audi also closely follows the theme of "coupe", and at the same time carries forward the traditional spirit of quattro to create a new era coupe suitable for driving in IKEA. The 4 Series is more like a large GT, more comfortable but less agile.
Write it at the end
This is a constantly changing era, and it is not easy to stick to the original ideal from beginning to end. However, I am glad that the Audi A5 has been steadily and steadily in the ups and downs for decades, and has not forgotten the original concept of pursuing "balance". Elegant design, agility, domineering, comfortable driving, can be regarded as dailycar. Audi A5 is constantly seeking the perfect balance point that meets the needs of the times.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.