WEY – Background
The WEY brand was born in 2016, and is named after Wei Jianjun, the chairman of the Great Wall Motors Group, to which the WEY brand also belongs, while focusing on the production of luxury crossover vehicles.
If the name Great Wall sounds familiar to you, and not only in the context of the Chinese wall but also in the automotive field, you are not wrong; The company, which was established in 1984, marketed mainly pick-ups in Israel for about 5 years (alongside a super mini model and a family model that were not successful locally), until it stopped its local activities about 8 years ago.
Now the group is returning to Israel with a number of brands it has under its belt, and this includes the playful family ORA and WEY, a brand marketed in Israel by Semlat Group.
Coffee 01
The WEY brand decided to give its models marketed around the world names of coffee after their types (cappuccino, latte, macchiato, etc.), and the Coffee 01, a model also known as “mocha” in some markets, arrived in Israel.
Several surprises are hidden in this model and several rabbits are hidden in it, some of them extremely fast, under the hat, or in the case before us – under the hood.
The unusual list of features that can be found in the basket of the Kofi 01 includes extremely high power from the three engines (476 hp to be exact), an unusually long electric range for a plug-in vehicle (no less than 146 km declared), equipment and material characteristics belonging to the worlds of luxury, and all of these are accompanied by a competitive price, certainly if you check it in relation to the prices of the plug-in models belonging to the premium brands, which WEY targets among its intentions.
Due to all these, the meeting with the monkey 01 was intriguing, and the expectations with which I approached the test were high.
Coffee 01 – design and dimensions
The dimensions of the Kofi 01 are quite respectable, with a length of 4.87 m, a width of 1.96 m and a height of 1.69 m. With these dimensions, it is closer to the large recreational vehicle category than to compacts.
In front, a huge grill with bright nickel scales and sophisticated LED headlights in the form of cubes.
From the side stand out the giant rims (21″), recessed handles in the doors, narrow windows (the rear ones are blackened) surrounded by nickel, thin beams and a dynamic general appearance.
On the back are narrow LED lights, with vertical stripes that give the model a signature in the dark, and a large WEY inscription between them.
The entire design is not unique in a way that immediately distinguishes it as a breakthrough compared to other new models on the road, but the overall result is quite handsome, harmonious, respectable and even impressive.
—
Coffee 01 – interior design and finishing
Upon opening the driver’s door (automatic locking and unlocking when approaching or moving away from the vehicle), it is immediately apparent that WEY took very seriously the feeling of luxury that the Kopi 01 wishes to give its owner. The combination of colors is interesting, the seats are dressed in diamond-studded leather combined (in the top version) with Alcantara, extensive leather surfaces with meticulous stitching spread across the burgundy flap, on the doors and on the central console, and nickel stripes and other materials that feel high-quality.
Beyond that, we have 3 LCD screens in front of us, one as a dashboard (9.2″), the central and large one, which serves as the main multimedia and command of the vehicle systems (14.6″) and another one below it, à la Range Rover models, which is mainly responsible for the split climate control, in size 9″.
The design includes many large storage compartments, including under the floating central console, where there are quite a few ports for charging devices.
It should be noted that after a more careful examination of the driver’s cabin, materials that feel durable are also revealed, but of slightly lower quality than corresponding parts in the driver’s cabins of premium European vehicles.
It can be in the internal plastic shelves of some of the storage compartments, in the clicks in the buttons on the steering wheel, or in the few buttons scattered in the board flap, mainly around the steering wheel, which are less convincing and accurate than the best of the competition.
—
Coffee 01 – accessory
The Kofi 01 is marketed in two trim levels, Premium (NIS 285,000) and Luxury (NIS 320,000).
Already in the entry version you get keyless entry, 360 cameras with many options and directions, an overhead view on the windshield, ambient lighting, heating in the steering wheel and in the electrically adjustable high front seats, gear shift levers from the steering wheel, electric handbrake with auto hold, driving mode selector, wireless charging for mobile phones, Front and rear parking sensors and more.
The multimedia system includes voice activation (Hey Wey) for opening a window, roof or audio control for example, active noise filtering and an audio system with 12 speakers from Infiniti.
The top version was put to the test, which in addition to the entry version also includes a panoramic roof, memories for the driver’s seat, heating in the rear seats as well, ventilation and massage programs in the front, retractable side curtains at the back, the top view is more detailed and receives an AR dimension (mainly alerts on the level of proximity and vehicle position in front and marking Path), the options in the ambient lighting are expanded and more.
Beyond the back seat reveals a very spacious seat, both for the passengers’ feet (wheelbase of 2.91 m), and with an almost flat floor – the middle seat is not expected to complain either, both for the head and shoulders of three adults sitting there.
Here there are rear air conditioning vents, ports for charging, comfortable and pleasant seats and the feeling of luxury is not absent here.
The trunk door opens electrically, where a not particularly large volume for the segment (371 L) awaits, and the loading threshold is a little high. Under its floor there is not much room for additional storage and is hidden from view.
—
Coffee 01 – Safety
Both trim levels are rated 7 out of 8, with 8 airbags, active lane departure prevention system, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and intelligent speed control, independent emergency maneuvering, pedestrian and two-wheeler detection, blind spot vehicle detection, automatic high beam control , speed sign detection, driver fatigue warning, cross traffic monitoring, warning before opening a door and more.
In the senior model, there is also a warning about leaving a child in the car, automatic parking and also a Track back reverse system, which is able to move backwards independently, according to the route and obstacles that it remembers from the last tens of meters. This is especially good in reverse when you reach a dead end or a blocked road.
—
Coffee 01 – drive system
The Kofi 01 model comes as a plug-in hybrid version only. This version is equipped with a gasoline engine to which a turbocharger is attached, an electric motor responsible for the front axle and another one, responsible for the rear axle, and by the way a dual drive is created in the 01 Kofi.
The gasoline engine has a volume of 2.0 liters, its power is 201 hp, and the torque is 32.6 kgm. The front electric motor adds 161 hp with a torque of 23 kgm. The rear – 181 hp and 33 kg.
Combining the forces of the three engines creates a respectable power of 476 hp and a tremendous torque of 86.4 kgm. The engines are mated to a gearbox with 9 front transmission ratios.
The performance? Despite a respectable curb weight of 2,365 kg, the Way Coffee 01 accelerates to 100 km/h in 5 seconds. This is a quick coffee break. very fast
—
Coffee 01 – passengers
In the city, they start in electric mode and the handling is silent. In urban traffic, the suspensions calibrated to a soft position work well, provide a high level of comfort, and save the passengers from feeling most of the hardships of the road. The reaction of the 2 pedals is a bit artificial and not always linear, a phenomenon known from some electric vehicles, and you have to get used to their mode of operation.
Urban driving is easy, much thanks to peripheral cameras and sensors, when the camera image appears too frequently on the main screen, with a signal to cross a lane or with a not really dangerous approach to another vehicle.
Already at this stage, you discover human engineering that is mostly good, but sometimes not perfect, such as the two central displays, which may be dazzled by the sun and not be completely readable, the dashboard includes important information, especially in the right part, only it appears on a display that is too small.
A small matter but a little puzzling – the signal lever also requires adaptation, since a manual signal interruption can sometimes occur after several attempts of a short signal by mistake in the opposite direction and God forbid, which may confuse the drivers behind a little.
The WEY engineers did a good job, that in addition to the operation of certain functions such as opening the sunroof and the awning, opening the trunk, etc. that exists here through the displays, an operation that is becoming more and more popular in the industry – the center everything through the large main display, there are also physical buttons for the operation of these and other operations.
Moreover, on the main screen there is quick access to the center screen with the most useful functions. smart.
The active safety systems
The battery of active safety systems works here in hyper, and it is worth it that they will be detailed in their responses and at the stage when they come into action, in the updates of the next versions.
The correction of the deviation from the lane is somewhat aggressive and tends to act much too early and in many cases – unnecessarily, to the point that the one with me felt as if I was not in control of what was happening on the road.
The ambient lighting, which until a moment ago jumped to the rhythm of the song playing in the background while changing colors, turns out to be the one that too dominantly warns of danger on the road, all accompanied by annoying beeps.
The Kopi 01 really scolds the driver to keep his eyes on the road even when they are there (there is a unit located on the left A-beam, which follows the driver’s pupils), and the driver’s belt also surprises with short and determined pulses, which put the driver in a “deer black” state, even if The reason for this is not really clear to him.
The multitude of warnings threw me back thirty or so years, and made me feel a bit like a driving student, and not just one, but one who doesn’t really listen to his teacher’s instructions.
Only that, as far as I remember, even if I received comments from the teacher, they were constructive and I understood the rationale behind them.
When the frequency of warnings is so high, and especially during moderate and non-dangerous driving, this may create disregard on the part of the driver, even where the warning is appropriate and prevents risk. A bit like in the story “Wolf, Wolf!”
—
Outside the city, some of the outstanding qualities of the Kofi 01 are revealed.
Already at the beginning of the test, in motion using only the electric motors, the large vehicle accelerates with great determination, which is intensified when driving that also incorporates the gasoline engine.
The Kofi 01 is very fast, and on any road, flat or uphill, it has very impressive overtaking and acceleration capabilities, with the speedometer indicating how deceiving the calm feeling is, and how much higher the actual speed is than it seems.
The active noise filtering system, along with excellent acoustic insulation, maintain exemplary silence in the passenger compartment, even at three-digit speeds.
The soft suspensions create a saloon driving and a sort of levitation, and only on the undulating road does the chassis enter a kind of sway on its axles, even there, quite moderately.
A mountain road reveals a high grip due to dual drive and large tires (265 mm wide), the Kofi 01 gives the driver great confidence, and you can move quickly with it even there, even if the Kofi’s purpose is to be fast, but not sporty.
It is also important to remember that, although the Kofi’s driving modes also include several off-road modes, the ground clearance here is only 16 cm, so this is not a vehicle intended to leave the asphalt, except for short trips on fast paths in nature.
—
Coffee 01 – electricity and fuel consumption
The Wi-Fi 01 has a particularly large battery, considering the fact that it is a plug-in vehicle and not a 100% electric vehicle, with a capacity of 36.67 kWh.
Beyond that, the Kofi 01 also has the option of fast DC charging, which is also often absent from other plug-in vehicles.
The manufacturer’s specifications speak of an unprecedented electric range of 146 km, and a general range of 800 km (gasoline plus electricity).
In practice, driving in electric mode revealed that the real range is 120 km using electricity alone, and the overall average of the test, only a quarter of which was carried out on pure electricity, was set at 11.7 km per liter of gasoline.
It should be noted that the electric battery does not tend to be completely discharged, and in urban traffic it will be possible to move with a combination of gasoline and electricity, in almost any state of charge.
—
Coffee 01 – Summary
WEY Coffee 01 comes with several statements and lines.
The most sensational of which tell about an extremely wide electric range, a combination of high power and torque engines, rich and luxurious accessories and everything is folded into a price that is not the price of a car for every worker, but it is a car that aims to offer a really worthwhile deal, in the face of competition in the form of leading European luxury cars, which give a package similar benefits.
Indeed, the reality test reveals a very handsome, large and spacious car, properly equipped that offers a rather luxurious atmosphere, thanks in large part to the quality materials it uses.
The Way Coffee 01 is a fast vehicle. very fast It doesn’t pretend, and shouldn’t pretend, to be sporty and sharp like a lightweight hot hatch. It is quiet, salon-like, comfortable and offers suspension softness that hardly affects the qualities of a long drive on the highway.
The array of active safety systems must be refined, as you do not want to replace the relaxed, peaceful and luxurious atmosphere with the tension and stress that are created due to the overactivity of hyperactive safety systems.
The WEY Kofi 01 passes the product test and the question of value for money in an excellent way, as the value per shekel is very high, and the Kofi 01 finds itself priced significantly lower, compared to those it has set itself as a goal and target to conquer – the leading plug-in vehicles belonging to the European premium manufacturers.
At the same time, the higher hurdle that the Wi-Fi 01 will have to pass will be in the form of a test of its positioning as a status symbol, since luxury vehicles are tested in this as well, and not only in the test of the product itself.
To what extent WEY will be established in the local market as a car and as a legitimate and desirable luxury brand, only time will tell.
WEY COFFEE 01 – Luxury
| price (NIS) | 319,900 |
| Length (NIS) | 4.87 |
| Width (NIS) | 1.96 |
| height (m) | 1.69 |
| Wheelbase (m) | 2.91 |
| self weight (kg) | 2,365 |
| Trunk volume / with the rear seats folded (L) | 371 / 1,250 |
| Belly space (cm) | 16 |
| 100% electric range (declared / actual) | 146 / 120 |
| Average combined consumption – gasoline (test average – km / liter) | 11.7 |
| Engine, volume (type of fuel, cc) | Gasoline, 2,000 |
| Engine configuration (number of cylinders, electric boost) | 4, 2 electric motors |
| Gearbox, drive | 9 gears, 4×4 |
| Combined gasoline engine power and 2 electric motors (hp) | 476 |
| Combined torque (kgm) | 86.4 |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h (sec) | 5.0 |
| Electric battery capacity (kWh) | 36.67 |
| Maximum charging rate AC 0-100% (kWh / duration in minutes) | 11 / 230 |
Maximum charging rate DC0-80% (kWh / duration in minutes) | 50 / 53 |
Duration of general warranty (years / km – whichever comes first) Battery warranty duration (years / km – whichever is earlier) | 5 / 100,000 8 / 100,000 |