Chinese car firm Seres is gearing up to expand into Europe, setting premium brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla in its sights.
It will enter European markets later this year with three new SUVs – the 5, 7 and 9 – offering a selection of battery-electric and range-extender powertrains.
The entry-level 5 is positioned to rival the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 4. In electric guise, it has a 76kWh (usable capacity) lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack. This yields ranges of up to 298 miles in single-motor cars, according to the WLTP test cycle, while dual-motor cars cut this to 280 miles.
In either case, the bulk of the 5’s power comes from a permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor, sending 268bhp and 266lb ft through the rear wheels. That gives it a 0-62mph time of 7.1sec.
Dual-motor cars add an AC synchronous motor to the front axle, upping outputs to 489bhp and 498lb ft and cutting the 5's sprint time down to 4.5sec.
Both versions can be charged at up to 100kW, affording a 30-80% top up in as little as 30 minutes.
The 5 is also offered with a pair of range-extender powertrains, using a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine and a a 40kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery.
The single-motor, rear-wheel-drive REx puts out 263bhp and 261lb ft and completes the 0-62mph sprint in the same 7.1sec as the BEV. Its electric-only range is rated at 114 miles (WLTP), while fuel economy is pegged at 37.7mpg (also WLTP).
Although the dual-motor REx is slightly less powerful than the dual-motor BEV, with 480bhp and 490lb ft, it accelerates more quickly, hitting 62mph in 4.4sec
In any case, the 5 tips the scales at more than two tonnes. The lightest version, the single-motor REx, is 2220kg. The dual-motor REx weighs an extra 115kg. The BEV versions are another 15kg heavier than the equivalent REx.
Arriving at the same time as the 5 is the larger 7, a six-seat SUV positioned as a rival for the likes of the Land Rover Discovery.
It's offered exclusively with REx powertrains with the same 40kWh battery and 263bhp rear motor as in the 5 REx.
The dual-motor version, however, swaps the AC motor at the front of the 5 for a permanent-magnet motor similar to that on the rear axle. That gives the dual-motor 7 combined outputs of 433bhp and 482lb ft and a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.8sec.
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What it's something that resembles a car from the 1990s!? Deluded. Utterly.