In another win for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), the Roewe D7 DMH has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance covered by a plug-in hybrid car. The sedan covered 2,208 km around China in four days without refuelling or recharging.
This places the D7 DMH in some esteemed company alongside the likes of BYD, Geely and Chery who all have PHEV models capable of going over 2,000 km on a single tank.
During the record-setting drive, the D7 DMH started its trip in Lanzhou located in central China before passing through Chinese cities like Jiayuguan, Dunhuang and Turpan before calling it a day in the northwest city of Urumqi with an average fuel consumption of 2.49 l/100 km, according to Car News China.
Turpan is a city favoured by Chinese car producers for hot weather testing, given its temperament of having some of the hottest temperatures in the country. Though the exact route wasn’t divulged, there was a difference in altitude of 1,600 m as well as an estimated temperature difference between night and day of around 30 degrees Celsius with the coldest being -8°C.
Roewe’s parent company is SAIC Motors and its D7 DMH was launched in 2023. Nonetheless, it’s unclear if the D7 DMH variant used for the drive is an existing production model or a new facelifted spec.
Its powertrain comprises a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a single electric motor. The engine reportedly has a thermal efficiency of 43% and an ultra-high compression ratio of 16:1. Outputs for the engine alone are 111 HP and 135 Nm of torque.
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A coaxial P1 drive unit, which reduces the number of gears by two, and a single-speed DHT hybrid transmission link the electric motor on the front axle and petrol engine to the wheels. The electric motor delivers a maximum of 204 HP and 330 Nm of torque.
Part of the D7’s ability to deliver exceptional mileage is down to its ability to operate under the most fuel-efficient conditions over 85% of the time.
The D7 measures in at 4890 mm in length, 1890 mm in width and 1510 mm in height. This places it squarely between the larger Peugeot 508 PHEV wagon (4790 x 1860 x 1410) and the slightly smaller Toyota Camry hybrid sedan (4920 x 1840 x 1455).
Pricing-wise, the D7 starts at CHY200,220 (approx. RM123,000) and comes with an unlimited year/mileage battery warranty for the first owners.
