Barking and Burping Through Traffic
Courage means guts – and that’s what’s expected of you. Because would you let your car burp at the traffic light? Fun or lame? That’s up to you to decide. The new Voyah model otherwise makes a serious first impression.
Yet Another New Chinese Car?
The Netherlands seems like a testing ground for Chinese brands. In recent years, we’ve seen countless ones pass by, and for the unsuspecting consumer, it’s difficult to get to know them all and appreciate their value. Voyah, a brand of the Chinese conglomerate Dongfeng, is targeting major players like the Tesla Model Y, Skoda Enyaq and Peugeot 3008 with the new Courage. During an initial test drive, it already makes a decent impression.
We like to categorize car brands, and almost everyone knows by now how Volkswagen and Audi relate to each other, or Citroën and BMW. But with these new brands, that’s difficult. Who knows how BYD compares to Toyota, or how to position this electric Voyah Courage relative to the Tesla Model Y? We’re going to investigate.
How Should You Position the Voyah Courage?
The Voyah Courage is an electric SUV in the mid-size segment. It’s already very crowded with many models: the Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID4 and ID5, Renault Scenic, Ford Explorer and Volvo EX40 and EC40 are just a few types. Following good Chinese practice, Voyah wants to distinguish itself with, among other things, a sharp price, or at least with lots of equipment. The Courage comes in two versions. A rear-wheel drive Business Edition. This has 292 hp and a WLTP range of 476 km. This model will be available later in 2025. The Performance Edition is already available, and this has all-wheel drive, 435 hp and goes 440 km according to the WLTP measurement. The first model costs €44,990, the second €49,990. There are small differences in equipment.
What About the Technology?
The Voyah Courage always has an 80-kWh LFP battery and can fast charge up to 200 kW. The Business Edition has a 292 hp motor on the rear axle. The Performance version has two motors: one on each axle of 218 hp. The Courage is suitable for V2L charging, so you can connect another device to the car to power it.
What’s Life Like On Board the Voyah Courage?
There’s plenty of space for occupants. In the front, you sit spaciously and the seats are actually quite good. A downside is that the seat cushions are somewhat short. But they are otherwise well (electrically) adjustable and can be heated and cooled. There’s even a massage function. For the passenger, there’s a pull-out table where you can place a laptop, for example. A unique gimmick is the screen in the center console that is shiftable, so it comes to stand in front of the passenger seat. There’s a kind of cinema mode where the seat reclines somewhat, the sunshade for the roof is slid forward, and you can nicely watch a movie. During charging, for example.
In the back, there’s more than enough space for legs and head, only in this EV you also sit somewhat with your knees raised.
The luggage space offers on paper well over 500 liters, but it’s not entirely clear how that was measured, because that sounds very optimistic. In reality, the car slopes down quite steeply at the back and the floor is quite high. As a result, it’s not a very practical space. Under the floor, there’s still space for the charging cable; it doesn’t have a frunk.
Material usage is completely fine. On the seats, there’s something leather-like on the sides and the middle is made with a softer alcantara-like material.
The multimedia system provides access to the control of various functions of the car. From ADAS to jokes like the speakers on the outside of the car. The Courage can, if desired, bark like a dog, burp like a Chinese person, or play music of your choice. They’re fun gimmicks. The lighting can also put on a matching light show. Notably, there’s no built-in navigation, so you have to navigate via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Nice detail: the screen is rounded at the sides, and by sliding your fingers over the right edge, you control the audio volume. Along the left edge, you control the screen brightness in that way.
How Does the Voyah Courage Drive?
What immediately stands out is the firm feeling in the steering. Many competitors steer very lightly, but the Courage provides quite some resistance. It doesn’t excel in precision, but all in all, it steers quite well. The car is fast – when it’s in performance mode – and sits pleasantly on the road. The Performance Edition is equipped with active dampers. We couldn’t compare it with a version that doesn’t have them, but the suspension and damping are quite firm, yet comfortable. Better suited to European taste than we’ve sometimes seen with other Chinese brands. The Performance sits on Pirelli tires that provide good grip.
On the highway, the Voyah Courage is calm and quiet, and the adaptive driving assistants do a good job. It stays neatly in the lane and doesn’t react very nervously to other traffic. The only little system that leads to real irritation is the driver attention warning. If you take your eyes off the road for just a moment, it sounds a big alarm. Fortunately, it can be turned off. Well, that’s what you think, because even when it’s off, you’re being monitored. With prolonged loss of attention, it will still remain.
In Short, What’s the First Impression?
The Voyah Courage seems to fit well among the other cars in this segment and doesn’t make any mistakes. The specifications are neat, the equipment is perfectly fine, it’s well put together and the newcomer drives well. It’s not really distinctive though, unless you fall for the jokes and pranks of the multimedia system.