Driving Report MHero 1: Never back down!

If you miss real hardcore off-roaders and like to really let loose off paved roads, the MHero 1 could be an electric alternative to the EQG. To understand this car, you need to delve a bit deeper into its history, because its basis is actually of military origin. In China, there are indeed armored relatives of it that can be equipped with real weapon systems, while the MHero 1 once again indulges the Chinese play instinct with its pistol-shaped door handles, all the more so as you can set a sound that "reloads" after closing the door. The shot itself is then the solid slam of the door after you have climbed up the more or less well-extendable running board to enter the MHero 1: Even tall people have to climb it and are glad to have a handle to pull themselves in.

A lot of weight and space – little trunk

A 3,410 kg (!) empty weighing monster, its 142 kWh battery alone is supposed to weigh about 850 kg, and it can carry up to 510 kg and tow up to 2,500 kg. Interestingly, the MHero 1 appears larger than it is: At 2.08 meters wide, it is quite (too) broad and at about 1.93 meters roughly as high as a Land Rover Defender, but at just under 4.99 meters, it is shorter than a Kia EV9. However, if you add the 20-liter rear box for the charging cable (derived from the spare wheels of hardcore off-roaders), it stretches to just under 5.10 meters in length… a quick check of the interior space: Even for tall people, there is always more than enough space on all seats, despite "only" 2.95 meters wheelbase.

By the way, all seats are electrically adjustable, heated, and cooled and offer several massage programs, so all that is missing for spatial users is a longitudinal adjustment of the rear bench and a larger trunk, because the 452 to 1,137 liters of volume are – let's say – very modest for the vehicle category and size, but thanks to its cubic layout, at least well usable.

Almost everything can be set digitally – in comparatively clear and well-translated menu structures

What was important to the manufacturer were infinitely many adjustable options for all possible things, which in the MHero 1 is at least quite plausibly arranged and operable. And comparatively well translated! The font files alone would have encompassed three gigabytes for translation and still, small errors remain, which will be corrected before sales launch, explains an insider who sifted through these data volumes. Aside from countless interior colors, 16 speakers that create really good sound, or two dispensable sounds (one of them supposed to be a tiger's roar), it culminates in three(!) types of scents, which are emitted almost imperceptibly via the ionizer, so the flacons are supposed to last particularly long... you see - there are already advancements in detail here as well.

In Eco-Mode, the giant can also be frugal, but it charges slowly

We start the giant with a steering wheel button and shift into drive with the left monster control, which of course is modeled after a jet throttle lever. In the middle, you can adjust the height of the air suspension, on the right throttle lever you select the five off-road driving programs. The four for the road, on the other hand, are clicked through on the steering wheel. Strange, though, that the Eco-Mode, which reduces the power of drive and air conditioning, lies in a submenu, because a driver wants to have brought the MHero 1 down to 23.6 kWh/100 km net, that's about 26 kWh gross, in mixed use. Then instead of the alleged 450 km range according to WLTP, well over 500 km could be achieved, but generally, you might rather end up at 250 to 300 km, in winter and in hard off-road use even less. Charging? Rather slow: 11 kW AC, maximum 100 kW DC, so the jump from 30 to 80% already takes around 47 minutes...

And exactly that's what we're allowed to test now, on the off-road course of the Swiss TCS (equivalent to the ADAC) in Hinwil. And it is quite impressive: It offers rough stone crossings as well as a steep staircase and almost a 100% incline, plus a few corners and ramps where you can quickly dismiss the MHero by carelessness, or at least damage the rims or slit the tires. What's even more impressive is that the team at Noyo AG, who imports the car into Switzerland, only has three MHero 1s, but no spare wheels, tires, or parts… A familiarization lap with a sturdy Swiss expert, who could be the relaxed brother of Walter Röhrl, has to suffice, then you can drive the same route yourself... to confirm his statements.

The accelerator pedal still needs fine-tuning off-road – when up to 12,600 Nm suddenly fall upon the wheel...

To do this, we lift the suspension to the second-highest level and leave the rear and front axle locks disengaged for now, especially since the former also locks the rear wheels, which steer up to 10.6 degrees, a feature we will need several times for turning on the course. We start through an incredibly deep articulation pit, where the up to 335 mm of ground clearance are very much appreciated. This is followed by a course over incredibly large rocks, which one needs to "jump" over gently – not too far left or right, though, as it could easily slash the tires.

In both cases, a "low gear" or a much more delicate feel on the accelerator pedal would be desirable, because when the giant holes or stones bring the vehicle almost to a standstill, a very sensitive "gas foot" is needed, as initially nothing happens, and then a little bit: but that "little bit" is a "little bit" of 800 kW and 12,600 Nm per wheel! This causes the MHero 1 to free itself from its position with a (usually somewhat too) vigorous jump forward.

However, there is a promise to adjust this further, especially since it hardly changes across the different off-road programs. This also applies when traversing the partially tilted logs, where one should avoid stopping whenever possible and thus "jump" over these too a bit briskly – passengers are again happy to grab onto the sturdy handles...

The cameras help off-road, the hill descent control could engage sooner

Then, we engage the rear and front axle locks via a button (here, unlike elsewhere, one can lock the front axle first or alone) and then climb the sky ladder — under the warning not to release the accelerator pedal, because once you stop there, it only goes (too quickly) backward... the 360-degree cameras are very helpful, allowing you to better monitor the course and its edges, some of which drop steeply... at the top, we need to disengage the locks, steer slightly left, and utilize the full 10.2-meter turning circle to plunge down from the high plateau again. Climb up slowly, even slower down; that's the clear instruction, where the hill descent control should actually support us. It does, but even at 1 km/h entry speed, it quickly allows 3, 4, 5 km/h or more, which at almost 100% gradient (or 36 degrees) can quickly become much too fast – in the end, the vehicle does stabilize, but further programming adjustments are needed here as well. The suspension itself handles all the torments seamlessly, and the air suspension does its utmost to smooth out the roughest bumps. The chassis and body refuse to emit even the slightest creak or chirp, which speaks to their solidity. No wonder – the MHero 1 also scores points with massive spring reservoirs and a solid steel subframe. The steering is on the indirect side, desirable off-road, as are the rather high-profile 275/65 off-road tires.

Not water-shy: Up to 90 centimeters wading depth

A few numbers: both front and rear provide up to 37-degree approach angles, the breakover angle is 28 degrees, and the wading depth is 900 millimeters. And yes, after a few laps on the course, we feel that the MHero 1 is truly a hero here and, except for the somewhat rough electronic regulation, leaves nothing to chance.

It's time to test it on the road, where it is naturally not in its element, as the wheel off-road tire combination makes it rather spongy here, and the steering is then somewhat too indirectly translated. This brings it much closer to the equally rugged Jeep Wrangler than to the current Land Rover Defender or Mercedes EQG, both of which float over roads more like stiff but somewhat distant SUVs. The MHero, on the other hand, fully delivers on its hardcore promise, thanks but still remains very maneuverable thanks to rear-wheel steering, without ever denying its true purpose.

Also pleasant: it spares you constant warning chimes and know-it-all alerts, even if the driver assistants could intervene a bit more subtly. But we have experienced worse from Asia.

Optics? More American-influenced than British or Scandinavian detached, but (except perhaps for the revolver door handles) not descending into kitsch: all surfaces are finely and valuably designed, even if not as meticulously finished in detail as EQG and others. This is also noticeable in details like the mild wind noise starting at 80 km/h and a subtle hiss at one of the two sunroofs. Nevertheless, the designers managed to create a comforting atmosphere everywhere, which also includes smoothly locking ventilation grids and closing doors.