A new Chinese car brand is conquering the European car market: Voyah is the premium label launched in 2021 by the state-owned Dongfeng Group. The electric luxury SUV is being launched on the European market under the name Voyah free. The new electric car from Asia is already available in Norway and is just starting to be marketed in Switzerland. Austria and Germany will follow next year. The as yet unknown electric saloon is in the same class as the Mercedes EQS SUV, Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX, as well as the Nio EL7 and Tesla X. We present the newcomer from China.
Voyah Free impresses with solid values
A new premium-class e-car wants to conquer the European continent. Chinese car manufacturers have now learnt what European buyers value. The key data of the Voyah Free:
2 motors with a total of 360 kW / 489 hp
Torque 720 Nm
Top speed 200 km/h
Trailer coupling with 2,000 kg towing capacity
Boot capacity 560 l / Frunk 72 l
Ternary lithium battery with 106 kWh
Range 500 km
AC charging with 11 kW
DC charging with max. 100 kW
Price expected to be €76,990 gross
The design is classically luxurious.
The new e-car Voyah Free is a touring car with plenty of comfort. The components are of high quality. The design shows similarities to other luxury brands such as Porsche or Maserati. The relatively flat body is very aerodynamic for an SUV and gives the car a good drag coefficient. In terms of colour scheme, Voyah prefers the classic blue, green and grey tones, as well as black and white. The interior features comfortable faux leather seats with contrasting topstitching, while the interior panelling is also finished in sustainable faux leather or faux wood. Space is comfortable thanks to an overall length of 4.91 metres and a wheelbase of 2.96 metres. There is plenty of legroom and headroom. The carpeted boot also offers 560 litres of space for luggage and other items. The rear seats can also be folded down, increasing the capacity to 1,320 litres. The additional frunk under the front bonnet offers storage space for charging cables and accessories.
The cockpit is modern and offers a special highlight: once the engine has been started, the digital touch display rises automatically, thus increasing its usable surface area. There are numerous settings here that can be customised. Unfortunately, the on-board language is only available in English, but this will certainly be updated in the coming months. The usability of the climate settings is a positive feature, as they are not hidden in the display but can be accessed via haptic switches - a classic element favoured by Europeans.
Voyah Free - the new e-car for comfortable travelling
A powerful all-wheel drive provides powerful driving behaviour. 360 kW / 489 hp and a torque of 720 Newton metres (310 at the front, 410 at the rear) provide plenty of power. The Voyah Free accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds and is capable of speeds of up to 200 km/h. Assistance systems are available as standard, although they switch off from 130 km/h. With the six driving modes Eco, Comfort, Performance, Off-Road, Snow and Individual, the driving behaviour of the Free can be individually adjusted.
On the road, the adaptive air suspension with 100 millimetres of spring travel, a double-wishbone front axle and a multi-link axle give the 2.3-tonne Voyah Free a pleasant ride.
Thanks to the battery with a capacity of 106 kilowatt hours, the car should be able to cover a range of up to 500 WLTP kilometres. Voyah specifies an optimistic average consumption of 20.2 kWh/100 km. When it comes to fast charging, however, the Chinese have a pronounced safety mindset: 100 kW maximum charging power makes a stop at the charging station a test of patience. But thanks to the sophisticated infotainment system, it is easy to bridge the gap of around 45 minutes when charging from 20 to 80 %.
Sales launch in Germany in 2024
In Switzerland, the comfort SUV is available for CHF 70,000. According to the BAFA listing, the German RRP is set at €76,990.
The electric touring saloon will be sold online and via showrooms. The start-up Noyo Mobility, founded by experienced car manager Dr Daniel Kirchert (BMW, Byton, Infiniti), will take care of the import and set up a service network. Further models from the Chinese car manufacturer will then gradually follow: a luxury van for 7 people, a Gran Turismo and a somewhat smaller SUV.
