Voyah Dream: Luxury Electric MPVs Don't Have To Be Hideous

What is it?

Here in China, the MPV segment isn't just about transporting your family. Instead, it's become a playground for the rich, for whom these big luxury people movers are a status symbol. The Voyah Dream is looking to play in that rarified air by offering a PHEV and EV powertrains, all in a restrained package, at least by the standards of this segment. What’s more, the EV version is going to be sold in Europe starting by the end of this year.

Here in China, a plug-in hybrid Dream can be yours for 47-58,000 USD. However, only the pure EV version will make its way to European markets. There’s no official word on pricing quite yet, but safe to say it’ll be more expensive than here in China, where it costs 65,000 USD (60,000 euros).

Not quite so garish

I say this every time we review a luxury MPV, but it bears repeating. Here in China at least, this segment was started by the Toyota Alphard, and its shadow still lingers over the whole party. That’s especially true when it comes to design, because most of its competitors just try to ape the outlandish grill of the Toyota.

Voyah has made it clear that they are not going to follow suit, and by that, I mean they've written in their press materials, “We reject the Alphard face.” In its place, they've developed their own more compact, but somehow almost as garish front-end design. In the context of this segment, which is basically an arms race of ugly, it’s downright restrained. Presenting consumers with an elegant, simple front-end design, would be akin to bringing a knife to a gunfight.

The technical term for the Dream’s size is “ginormous”, a title it earns by being 5.3 meters in length. Thanks to available air suspension, however, it has what the youths might describe as “stance”. Our top-spec test car complimented this with a nice set of dark chrome 20-inch wheels. Combined with the front end, it’s one of the best-looking vehicles in this whole segment.

Air suspension also means that the Dream will lower to make it easier to enter and exit the car, as well as lowering to make it easier to put things in the rear cargo area. That rear cargo space measures 427L with the third row up, or enough space to fit eight 20-inch suitcases. Fold the third row, and you can have as much as 2680L. That’s more space than the Denza D9

No trick screens

I regret to inform you that the Dream does not have the trick raising and lowering dashboard of the Voyah Free. Perhaps in an attempt to make amends, it does feature three 12.3-inch screens embedded a display measuring 1.4 meters in length. Those screens are joined by some less than flattering large black spaces, though Voyah does at least make an attempt to fill the one between the passenger screen and center screen with a bit of LED lighting. That’s not an option for the area between the center screen and instrument cluster, as it is occupied by the driver monitoring camera. The lack of physical buttons, especially when compared to more traditional competitors like the Alphard, makes for a minimalist aesthetic.

Our test car, trimmed in a beautiful camel brown real leather interior, certainly fit the bill for a premium MPV. Touchpoints throughout the Dream were made primarily of soft-touch materials, though the softest part of the car may have been the Ultrasuede headliner.

Lacking some necessities

Now it's time for the most important part of any luxury MPV review, the second row. Like every vehicle in this segment, the Dream has a somewhat ridiculous level of features available to ensure the comfort of rear passengers, but there are some notable absences. The seats on our test car were heated, cooled, and massaging, and had adjustable lumbar support, leg rests, and a recline that essentially turned it into a bed. The seatbacks of the first row had a fold-out table on both sides, allowing you to eat or do work between naps. I spent nearly an hour in the second row being driven through mostly mountain roads, and I found the experience highly pleasant.

Now for the bad part; while there is a capacitive touch button panel mounted on the roof to allow rear passengers to operate the air condition and sunroof, there are no rear screens. Compare that to the large rear media screen of the Trumpchi M8, or the dual screens of the Denza D9. There are also no screens or buttons for controlling the media from the back seat, not even a volume button. Instead, Voyah provides a QR code on the central screen that users can scan using the WeChat app. This opens a miniprogram that allows you to control more or less all the features available in the car, including seat functions, sunroof, volume, and even the scent from the fragrance dispenser. It’s not bad, but it sure seems like more work than operating little touch screen in the armrest.

That’s not the only place the Dream seems behind competitors. Whereas the D9 can be had with a 14-speaker sound system, and the M8 with as many as 16, the Dream only has 8-10 speakers. The resulting sound quality from the Dynaudio sound system isn’t the worst I’ve heard, but doesn’t feel as immersive as its competitors. On a more positive note, the Dream has a very comfortable third row. Leg and head room are plentiful, and both sides have their own USD charging port.

Big power MPV

The days of having to sacrifice straight line speed in order to bring your family with you are in the rearview mirror. With a PHEV powertrain making 420 kilowatts and 840 meters of torque, the Dream can hit 100 kilometers per hour in just 5.9 seconds. While the pure EV uses a similar dual motor powertrain, without the extra power of the 1.5L engine up front, it makes a slightly less impressive 320 kW and 650 Nm of torque. Even so, it manages the same 5.9-second sprint to 100 km/h. The pure electric range on the PHEV Dream is claimed 236 km on the CLTC cycle (184 WLTC). Throw in the gas range from the 1.5L, and you get a range of over 1200 km. Meanwhile, the all-electric Dream squeezes 650 km out of a 109-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.   

From behind the wheel, it’s hard to tell the driving experience of the PHEV and EV apart. They both have massive amounts of instantaneous torque and available air suspension. The resulting ride is pillowy, with plenty of body roll, but Dream doesn’t feel as floaty as other MPVs in this segment. While it didn’t exactly feel at home on the mountain roads where we drove, the turn-in and road holding were more than enough to cope with the many turns. Entry speeds were limited far more by passenger comfort than they were the Dream’s athletic abilities.

While my aggressive driving style may have left my passengers feeling uncomfortable, the NVH levels of the Dream did not. Perhaps aided by the big, thick headliner, wind and tire noise were low. We also had time to experience the Dream’s level 2 driver assistance system which included lane keep assist, automatic lane centering, and automatic lane changes.

Takeaway

As someone who grew up in the third row of an MPV, all I can say is that I wish we had a Dream back in the day. But as much as I appreciate the Dream, it remains to be seen whether consumers will be able to fall in love with the charms of a big, premium MPV when it hits European markets late this year.

Specifications

Voyah Dream PHEV

Engine: 1.5L Turbo 4-Cylinder

Transmission: Single-speed

Motor: Front + Rear-mounted

Power: 420 kW, 840 Nm (563 HP/622 lb-ft)

Battery: 43 kWh

EV Range: 236 km CLTC

0-100 km/h: 5.9-seconds

Size: 5315*1985*1820

Wheelbase: 3.2 mm

CDM Price: 58,000 USD

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