Chinese Off road vehicle history

In China, The off-road community has always been considered very niche, with most people considering off-road vehicles as a form of nostalgia. However, with the upgrading of automobile consumption in recent years, off-road vehicles have gradually entered the public's vision, becoming the beloved of more and more individuals who pursue individuality and dare to challenge themselves.However, few people know about the enormous hardships that Chinese off-road vehicles have faced in their development history? Today, let's talk about the chronicle of domestic off-road vehicles

Before the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the independent development capacity of China's national automobile industry was almost zero, and heavy-duty off-road trucks were a blank space. The first batch of off-road vehicles owned by our country (Willis MB light off-road vehicles) were still gifted by the United States Observer Mission in Yan'an and seized from the enemy's hands.Due to the lack of automobile manufacturing capabilities at that time, during the military parade at Xiyuan Airport in 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong was still riding an old Willis when inspecting the troops.However, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, China's automotive industry has also rapidly established itself. In 1951 (during the Korean War), Tianjin Automobile Manufacturing Plant imitated the US military Willis MB light off-road vehicle according to the needs of the Korean War. On September 14 of the same year, the first domestically produced Jeep in New China was successfully produced; On September 19th, the factory completed the production of its second trial vehicle. However, these two cars were later presented as National Day gifts to Chairman Mao and Commander in Chief Zhu De, and were not mass-produced.

However, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China, China's automotive industry has also rapidly established itself. In 1951 (during the Korean War), Tianjin Automobile Manufacturing Plant imitated the US military Willis MB light off-road vehicle according to the needs of the Korean War. On September 14 of the same year, the first domestically produced Jeep in New China was successfully produced; On September 19th, the factory completed the production of its second trial vehicle. However, these two cars were later presented as National Day gifts to Chairman Mao and Commander in Chief Zhu De, and were not mass-produced.But after the first batch of car making experiments, China quickly found the "shortest path" to car making, which is "learning from and imitating". And this path was also feasible. In 1958, the Ministry of Machinery Industry assigned the task of producing light off-road vehicles to the state-owned 456 Factory (Chang'an Machinery Manufacturing Factory). Based on the Willis M38A1 (MD), the first prototype was finally assembled in May of the same year by repeatedly surveying and replicating each part. After undergoing 25000 kilometers of road testing and confirming that the vehicle had no driving problems, large-scale production began, providing the highest contribution to China's national defense construction.At that time, BAIC BJ210C and BJ212 were also manufactured in this way. However, the roots of imitation are different. BJ212 is a hybrid built on the foundation of Jeep MB and GAS 69, and its size and off-road ability are stronger than those of the Yangtze 46.However, this "imitation" car making concept was basically abandoned in 1980. Due to the widespread use of BAIC BJ212 in our frontline troops, BAIC Corporation was directly listed as the "number one" military automobile manufacturer, and subsequently received strong support from the government in automobile research and development. In January 1984, Beijing Automotive established a pioneer in China's automotive industry, introducing and utilizing foreign technologies, and establishing a joint venture with Daimler ChryslerIt is precisely this precedent set by BAIC that made the country realize that "introducing foreign technology" can more effectively promote the development of the entire automotive industry. Subsequently, it encouraged major car companies to establish "joint venture" businesses and improve China's car manufacturing technology. At that time, world-class automotive suppliers such as Isuzu, Ford, Daimler, BMW, etc. from Japan flooded into China.In the next 20 years, China has indeed pushed the domestic automotive industry to new heights with this concept. The most typical representative among them is Jiangling Motors, which emerged in the late 1990s. It does not have a military background like BAIC and Changan. In that "duckweed era", Jiangling grasped the core concept of "technology and demand first", and actively cooperated with Isuzu of Japan when domestic technology was still weak. At that time, its first land-based wind was built by borrowing advanced foreign technology, combined with comprehensive vehicle needs such as large space, low price and high configuration, and strong road passability, Just as it was launched, it immediately won good market feedback

Landwind is selling well, and Jiangling's position in the automotive market has skyrocketed, quickly entering the field of first tier car companies such as BAIC, Changan, and Great Wall. Afterwards, we reached a cooperation agreement with Ford and widely applied Ford's core engine technology to our own automotive products. For example, the Jiangling Yusheng S350, and this car has really had a huge impact on the entire development process of Jiangling and off-road vehicles!In the mid-term of off-road development, the Yusheng S350 is a key driver

In the mid stage of the development of "low sales" off-road vehicles, only Jiangling stepped forward and opened up its passenger car business, creating a rugged SUV with excellent off-road performance. This product directly caused a disruptive change in the entire off-road vehicle market.

The Jiangling Yusheng S350 is Jiangling's first passenger car, launched in 2010, and has a development history of nearly 11 years. It is Jiangling's once again explosive creation after the Landwind. The appearance of SUVs and the parameter structure of off-road vehicles adopt Ford's diesel/gasoline engine core technology, equipped with non load bearing body, rear suspension integral bridge non independent suspension, multiple acoustic package designs, soft material coverage, electronic technology equipment, etc., creating another "high-end, low-priced, multi-purpose, fuel-efficient" driving demand in the market, which not only achieves the comfortable concept of driving a sedan, but also, It also met the demand for super strong road accessibility at that time (most urban roads were still unpaved sections).

 

And this trendy car design concept instantly caught the public's attention. Within less than two years of its launch, the Yusheng S350's sales surged into the top few of the car sales rankings, even directly surpassing sales of models such as Land Rover, Prado, and Pajero.

With Yusheng S350 as the foreshadowing, auto companies also found the opportunity. Then Great Wall, Isuzu, and Datong also produced similar models of Haval H9, Datong D90, and Ranger. The off-road era has moved from "light" to the "blooming" expansion stage. The update and iteration speed of domestic vehicles and new car research and development are also awesome. The off-road vehicles have developed more rapidly. Today's tank 300 and Beijing BJ40 have directly captured the top sales in the market, becoming the two most popular models in the market.

Of course, as the pioneer of hardcore SUVs, the Yusheng S350 naturally does not fall behind in technological competition. Using Ford's core engine technology and Jiangling's self-developed chassis technology, the "three major components" have received stable praise year by year. Although it has been hidden for two years, many car enthusiasts still remember it, and the 2020 Yusheng has returned with a fully upgraded new posture, which has refreshed the attention of many car enthusiasts.Equipped with a Ford engine and ZF 8AT powertrain, L2 level driving assistance function, Ford Raptor's same BorgWarner TOD intelligent dual speed four-wheel drive (with low 4L) and Eaton differential lock, and off-road equipment of the same level. In addition, the cost-effectiveness is also quite high. Starting at 150000 yuan, there is a discount of about 10000 yuan for direct sales from manufacturers, and there are basically no competitors in the market.Although the automotive market is constantly changing, Jiangling always believes that "quality and demand come first". If a car is built well and keeps up with the development of the automotive era, then it will definitely have sales. As an important driving force for the mid-term development of off-road vehicles, the Jiangling Yusheng S350's strength and brilliance have been witnessed by many car owners in the past. The newly upgraded 2020 Yusheng is bound to return no less than in the past!