Der „kostengünstige Maybach“ im Preissegment von 140.000 Yuan ist ein Riesenverkaufserfolg.

One can already buy a high - quality SUV with three rows of seats for less than 280,000 yuan. The car is equipped with a refrigerator, a color TV, and comfortable seats, and it even allows for a battery swap in just three minutes. In the past, one had to spend 400,000 to 500,000 yuan on a C - class flagship sedan, but now automakers have pushed the price down to a little over 100,000 yuan. Automakers are building larger and larger cars and constantly lowering prices. This has proven successful in the automotive market in the past two years. Even brands with low recognition can succeed in the market this way.

The "affordable Maybach" for 140,000 yuan is selling like hotcakes

It's already nine o'clock at night, and the presentation of the Chery Fengyun A9L is already over. Yet, there are still several dozen mobile phones simultaneously in the livestream. In the humid and sticky air of this summer night, the salespeople are shouting at the top of their lungs to market the cars.

Their efforts have paid off. One hour after the presentation, 35,680 bulk orders for the Fengyun A9L were placed, and after 24 hours, this number rose to 50,287. Li Xueyong, the vice - chairman of Chery Automobile, announced in a release after the presentation of the Fengyun A9L: "In recent days, we have received over 2,000 new bulk orders every day."

The A9L is a flagship sedan developed by the Fengyun division of Chery. Although the selling price is only between 139,900 and 197,900 yuan (temporary special price), the body size, material selection, and various equipment meet the standards of a C - class sedan. According to the official statement, the biggest advantage is that it is the only vehicle in its class that is equipped with features in all configurations that are usually only found in luxury cars in the 500,000 - yuan price segment. In terms of luxury, performance, and safety, the Fengyun A9L is directly compared to the Maybach S480.

▲ Comparison between Fengyun A9L and Maybach S480. Photo / Chery Fengyun

The constantly increasing order numbers are reflected in reality: the test - drive vehicles are in short supply. A salesperson from Chery Fengyun told "Everyone's Car": "On weekdays, there is still enough time for test drives, but on weekends, one has to queue up." A potential customer said that he had signed up for a test drive on the weekend, but he had to wait for three hours.

On July 18, Li Xueyong personally apologized on social media for the poor experience that the "test - drive queues" had brought to the users. He suggested that all Fengyun dealers should extend their opening hours until 10 p.m. and provide more test - drive vehicles.

The high demand for the Fengyun A9L was unexpected for many. Initially, the dealers had little confidence in this model and didn't order many cars. Even the display models in the branches were reserved without any discount. If one places an order now, one usually has to wait about a month to pick up the car. In some cases, it may even take longer. A customer reported that he had to wait up to two months because of the additional installation of induction doors.

Among the existing orders, the base configuration is not the most popular option. Customers prefer the mid - and high - end configurations "Boyaa" and "Exclusive" because they are "the best in terms of price - to - performance ratio".

▲ Fengyun A9L. Photo / Officially from Chery Fengyun

Zhang Hao placed an order right after the presentation of the Fengyun A9L. He is from Wuhu, Anhui, and "wants to support the local company". Apart from this emotional aspect, Zhang Hao is very satisfied with the materials of the Fengyun A9L. He is particularly satisfied with Chery's "Three Major Components", as well as the chassis tuning and processing.

Naturally, most customers are attracted by the good price - to - performance ratio. "At this price and with this size, it is currently the best solution," said a potential customer who has already placed an order.

Currently, the price - to - performance ratio is the key to success in the automotive market. "With an affordable price and reliable quality, the A9L has made a good start," Zhang Hao even believes that the Fengyun A9L may "repeat the market success experience of the QQ".

The "Wuhu Maybach" – specialized in price - to - performance ratio

The official description of the Fengyun A9L is "a true global C - class flagship". To enhance the prestige of the vehicle, Chery has analyzed the Maybach S480 in detail. Therefore, this car is also referred to as the "Wuhu Maybach" by users.

The possibility of buying a C - class sedan with "Maybach status" for less than 140,000 yuan is the main reason why the Fengyun A9L convinces so many customers.

To get more orders, Chery has invested a lot in the technology of the Fengyun A9L. The vehicle is equipped with the luxury electro - hybrid platform E, which was developed over six years and with an investment of over one billion yuan. In addition, it has the Lingxi Smart Cockpit 2.0 and the Falcon Driver Assistance System. Besides the hard performance, Chery also strives to provide users with an appropriate C - class experience in terms of soft factors. For example, the "Boyaa Sound" AI stereo system was developed in cooperation with iFlytek, which has 23 speakers and a 7.1.4 panoramic sound system. The hardware is there, but the most important thing is the result. Chery has assembled a jury of nearly a thousand people who have listened blindly to the Boyaa Sound system and the Burmester system. The test results show that the sound quality of both systems is essentially the same.

▲ The Fengyun A9L is equipped with the "Boyaa Sound" AI stereo system. Photo / Officially from Chery Fengyun

However, the launch of the Fengyun A9L was not smooth from the start.

In November 2023, the Fengyun series was officially launched as a product line of Chery for the new energy sector, and it was determined that hybrid models would be the focus. That's how the Fengyun A9 came onto the market. One year later, the Fengyun A9 became the 15,000,000th vehicle of Chery Automobile worldwide. The vehicle was offered for pre - order in March 2025, and then at the Shanghai Auto Show, the Limited Edition "Founder's Version" of the Fengyun A9 with 5,000 units was released for small - scale orders.

Surprisingly, Chery suddenly announced one month later that the Fengyun A9 would be renamed Fengyun A9L. According to market analyses, this measure is not only to strengthen the brand position and restructure the product portfolio but also to respond to a new model – just before the presentation of the Fengyun A9L, the Geely Galaxy Xingyao 8 was launched on the market. The Xingyao 8 is a B + class electro - hybrid sedan with a starting price of only 115,800 yuan (temporary presentation price).

The Xingyao 8 is not much smaller than the Fengyun A9, and the price is even lower. Therefore, Chery had to work out the differences between the products to remain competitive. That's why the "L" was added to the name of the Fengyun A9, which stands for a longer wheelbase and a larger interior space. Thus, a higher price is also justified.

Naturally, Chery has also made adjustments in the price range.

The original pre - sale price of the Fengyun A9L was between 159,900 and 229,900 yuan, but customers were not completely satisfied. There was even a small wave of "cancellations". Since the base configuration of the vehicle was too "basic" and many features were only available in the mid - and high - end models, and since the officially announced pre - sale price did not meet expectations, some customers who had placed small - scale orders cancelled their orders. "In a group of over three hundred potential customers, most of them cancelled their small - scale orders after the pre - sale price was announced."

After Chery noticed the feedback from potential customers, it immediately adjusted the product concept. After discussion and evaluation by Chery's marketing and engineering teams, it was decided to improve the current configuration of the vehicle. For example, all configurations now come standard with electrically foldable exterior mirrors, an electric tailgate system, double - layered sound - insulating glass in the front area, mirror memory function, automatic mirror lowering when reversing, and automatic mirror shrinking when parking the vehicle.

▲ The interior of the Fengyun A9L. Photo / Officially from Chery Fengyun

After these changes, the Fengyun A9L may be the cheapest C - class vehicle on the market.

The market reactions are much more realistic. Some customers who had cancelled their orders when the pre - sale price was announced placed new orders after the official presentation.

"The current price is very reasonable. The original price was too high, which is why the final prices were not announced for a long time. Only after the competitors lowered their prices could we also make adjustments here," said a salesperson from Chery Fengyun.

By referring to the Maybach to enhance prestige and at the same time using the price - to - performance ratio as the main argument, the Fengyun A9L has made a good start in the market.

Large cars at low prices – the new trend in the automotive market

What kind of C - class vehicle can one buy for 140,000 yuan?

If one had asked this question a few years ago, one would probably have received a disdainful look from a salesperson. But today, it is a reality.

So far, the market for C - class sedans has been mainly dominated by the BBA brands. The main selling models were the Audi A6L, the BMW 5 Series, and the Mercedes - Benz E - Class, whose recommended selling prices averaged between 400,000 and 700,000 yuan. They were absolute "luxury cars" in people's minds.

▲ Audi A6L. Photo / Officially from Audi

With the continuous improvement of the technological R & D capabilities of domestic brands, the maturity of the industrial chain, the decreasing costs, and the intense competition, a new trend has emerged in the automotive market: cars are getting larger and prices are getting lower.

The Fengyun A9L and the Xingyao 8 follow this trend, and even joint - venture manufacturers have learned this trick.

In the first half of 2025, Dongfeng Nissan presented the mid - sized electric sedan N7 with C - class space, whose starting price is only 119,900 yuan. 18 days after the presentation, over 10,000 bulk orders were received, and after 50 days, it was already over 20,000. Thus, it set a record for the fastest achievement of over 10,000 bulk orders for electric models of joint - venture brands.

NIO has also used this concept as a weapon for its comeback. On July 10, the LeDao L90 was offered for pre - sale. As a large SUV with three rows of seats, the total purchase price starts from 279,900 yuan, and with the battery - leasing option, it starts from only 193,900 yuan.