Chery’s attempt at a high-profile off-road feat in China has resulted in a high-profile embarrassment.
On November 12, Chery sent a Fengyun X3L – an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) version of the iCar 03 electric SUV – up the stairway at the Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province.
This was a feat accomplished by Ho-Pin Tung in a Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid SUV back in 2018, with the racing driver making it up all 999 steps of the staircase – which has an average gradient of 45 degrees – to the famous Heaven’s Gate.
Chery wasn’t so lucky, and the internet is now full of images and videos of its Fengyun X3L getting roughly halfway up the staircase before things went awry.
In footage of the incident, something can be seen dropping from underneath the vehicle before it loses traction and slides down several stairs. Once it gets to a landing, the driver is seen being unable to stop the vehicle in time before it ploughs backwards into a railing and damages it.
According to Car News China, the staircase – referred to as the Heavenly Ladder – was closed for November 12 and 13 for the event. After the incident on November 12, a witness reportedly said the SUV was left there for two hours before it was moved.
Chery has explained why its SUV failed, and apologised for the damage caused.
“We extend our sincerest apologies to Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area, tourists, partners, and all friends who were concerned about this matter,” Chery said in a statement shared with Chinese media, which has been translated to English.
“Preliminary investigation confirms that the direct cause of the accident was the accidental detachment of the safety rope fixing point of the testing device, which caused the safety rope to become entangled in the right wheel, obstructing power output, causing the vehicle to slide down and crash into the guardrail, resulting in partial damage to the guardrail.
“Fortunately, this accident did not cause any injuries or damage to the natural environment.
“We acknowledge that our planning and execution of this test revealed insufficient anticipation of potential risks and oversights in handling details. We deeply regret the public concerns raised by choosing to conduct the test in a public scenic area.
“We sincerely apologise for the damage caused to the Tianmen Mountain site by this test and promise to do our utmost to repair it, assume liability for compensation, and handle all follow-up matters properly.
“We are deeply disturbed and apologetic for the extensive online discussion and the use of valuable public resources in this incident. We thank the public for their oversight and criticism, and we will learn from this experience and move forward with a more solid and stable approach.”
Despite the embarrassing mishap, Chinese outlet NF News reports Chery will attempt the challenge again on November 25 and may fit the vehicle with different tyres and upgrade the torque distribution algorithm of the four-wheel drive system.
The Chery Fengyun X3L, which isn’t sold in Australia, has an approach angle of 22 degrees and a departure angle of 30 degrees, with 225mm of ground clearance.
Depending on the variant, it weighs between 1842kg and 2000kg, and is offered with a choice of 20.64kWh and 33.68kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries.
While it can be had with rear-wheel drive, the four-wheel drive variant mates a 115kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with 130kW/205Nm and 185kW/300Nm electric motors.
This also includes special Snow, Mud, Sand, Gravel and All Road drive modes, plus hill descent control and low-speed crawling and tank turn functions.
It’s unclear how much Chery prepared for the event.
JLR constructed a test model in the UK of some of the 45-degree angle steps to ensure its SUV could handle them, before it sent a Range Rover Sport up the steep climb.
The luxury brand’s Dragon Challenge included not only the stair climb, but also a drive along the 99 hairpin bends of the 11.3km Tianmen Mountain Road.