Chinesische Automobilhersteller kämpfen um die Fahrzeuge der "9er-Serie".
Chinese car brands that sell luxury cars were not very popular in the past.
However, with the continuous increase in the penetration rate of electric vehicles in the Chinese automotive market and thanks to the leading technologies in the field of electromobility, Chinese domestic brands have created their own brand value, rewritten the definition of luxury cars, and begun to conquer the pricing power in the premium market. They have sneaked into the luxury segments dominated by foreign brands on a new path and achieved the top position in some premium segments of electromobility.
Even today, Chinese automakers are competing for the luxury market and have found their own rhythm. They not only compete with foreign brands like BBA but also among themselves. A typical example of this is the race for the market of the "Series 9" cars.
DoNews has noticed that signs of a conflict over the Series 9 market became visible as early as 2025. And in the first five months of 2026, announcements about the upcoming market launch of more than a dozen Series 9 cars from Chinese automakers have already been released. The race for the luxury market is getting fiercer.
01. Betting on the "Series 9"
What are "Series 9" cars?
Strictly speaking, the "Series 9" is not an official term but a designation that has naturally emerged in the Chinese automotive industry due to the industry's development. It is a collective term for the flagship models in the Chinese electric market whose names contain the number "9". However, it should be noted that some models whose names do not contain the number 9 are still included in the Series 9.
Generally speaking, Series 9 cars have several characteristics: In terms of vehicle size, they are longer than 5 meters and are mostly large SUVs or MPVs. In terms of equipment, they have a high degree of intelligence, such as intelligent driving and intelligent cockpits, and are usually the sum of the advanced technologies of the automakers. In terms of price, they are mostly more expensive than 300,000 yuan and belong to the premium models in the automakers' product portfolios. In terms of the target group, they are aimed at high - net - worth customers and are designed for business trips or upscale family outings.
In 2026, the Chinese automotive market reached a peak in the release of Series 9 cars. Statistics show that at the Beijing Auto Show alone, more than a dozen Series 9 cars such as the Li L9 Livis, the new world - class segment AITO M9, the NIO ES9, the Volkswagen ID.ERA 9X, the Zeekr 9X, the Yijing X9, and the BYD Datang (Tang 9 Series) were presented.
As a new player in the automotive industry, Dongfeng Motor Group, together with Huawei, founded the mid - to high - end intelligent car brand Yijing and bet its first model on the Series 9. On April 24, the Yijing X9 was globally presented at the Beijing Auto Show and is expected to enter the market in the third quarter of 2026. Zeng Qinglin, the general manager of the Yijing car brand, described the Yijing X9 as "the king of the nines" to emphasize its value and position and pointed out that it will enter the premium price range above 500,000 yuan.
What supports the premium image of the Yijing X9 are obviously the advanced technologies provided by Dongfeng and Huawei. According to reports, the Yijing X9 is the first mass - produced vehicle carrier for the Huawei Kunlun ADS 5.0 intelligent driving technology and the Hongmeng Cockpit 6.0. In the field of intelligence, it is equipped with an 896 - line laser radar, which brings the high - end mass - produced vehicles to a new level. In terms of safety guarantee, the entire model is equipped with the latest Huawei Kunlun CAS 5.0 collision avoidance system. The vehicle body is mass - produced for the first time with 2,400 MPa ultra - high - strength steel and has an industry - first three - layer battery armor system.
Zeng Qinglin explained that Yijing wants to position itself as a "tech freak" in the Huawei family. Currently, Yijing is building its own sales network and has already established branches in 80 cities in China, of which 80% are former BBA branches.
Great Wall Motor also bets on the Series 9 to implement its premium strategy. On April 17, the AI luxury six - seater flagship of Great Wall WEY, the WEY V9X, started its global pre - sale phase. The vehicle is longer than 5.2 meters and offers three versions: the luxury long version, the luxury family version, and the executive long version. The pre - sale prices are 371,800 yuan, 381,800 yuan, and 411,800 yuan.
Source: DoNews Photography
The WEY V9X is a "tech showcase" of Great Wall Motor. It is the first flagship model of the Guiyuan S platform and combines all the self - developed technologies of the platform. It deeply integrates the multiple - drive technology, the Super Hi4, the super intelligent chassis, and the native AI cockpit control system. The vehicle is not only characterized by high body strength and excellent safety properties but also has a turning circle of less than 5 meters, although it is almost 5.3 meters long. In the field of intelligence, the WEY V9X has an integrated perception system with a laser radar, three millimeter - wave radars, twelve ultrasonic radars, and eleven 5MP HD wide - angle cameras. It is equipped with AEB, RAEB, AES emergency steering systems and even has an industry - independent 160 km/h high - speed double - tire panic control system.
It is remarkable that Wei Jianjun, the chairman of Great Wall Motor, personally acts as the spokesperson for the WEY V9X. "We have invested a lot of time and money in the development of the Guiyuan concept, and now the V9X has finally entered the market. I'm sure it will be the best - selling product in the six - seater category, and in the future also in the five - seater category," said Wei Jianjun confidently.
Two days before the launch of the WEY V9X (on April 15), Xpeng Motors presented an "atypical Series 9" car: the first full - size flagship SUV, the Xpeng GX. Although the name does not contain the number 9, it is still assigned to the Series 9 by the public.
Source: DoNews Photography
Regarding the competitiveness of the Xpeng GX in the Series 9, He Xiaopeng, the chairman and CEO of Xpeng Group, said: "I think the GX and other Series 9 models in the industry can learn from each other and grow together. Why can the Xpeng GX be different? It's because it is our first full - size model. We have fewer restrictions and don't have to build on the basis of the old modularity. We build on the overall capacity of all vehicles and all flight - style automotive models. For example, the three - row folding seats are an improvement based on the one - piece casting technology and the X9 Series."
In summary, this is only the tip of the iceberg of the Series 9 cars that entered the market in 2026. We cannot describe all the advantages of the Series 9 cars of each automaker. But it can be seen that Chinese automakers place their hopes on brand upgrading in the Series 9 cars. They invest their most advanced technologies in the vehicles and present them to the public. Even the company leaders put their personal reputations on the line to promote their products, showing their greatest commitment to the premium market.
02. The demand confirmed by sales figures
Behind the wave of market launches of Series 9 cars lies the certainty given by the real sales figures.
Let's take the sales figures of the representative models of the Series 9 as an example. According to information released by Li Auto on March 25, the Li L9 has already had more than 270,000 owners since the start of deliveries in August 2022 and is still in the top group of the sales charts.
The sales figures of the AITO M9 are also impressive. By March 3, the total delivery of the AITO M9 had already exceeded 280,000 vehicles, and it has proven itself as a "triple champion" in terms of sales, reputation, and value retention in the 500,000 - yuan luxury class over a long period. On May 1, Hongmeng Zhixing announced that the number of small reservations for the new AITO M9 had already exceeded 25,000 vehicles. It is remarkable that the first MPV model of Hongmeng Zhixing, the Zhijie V9, has also achieved good results and reached more than 22,500 pre - sales in 72 hours.
Source: DoNews Photography
From the overall situation of the automotive market, the two characteristics of the Series 9, "premium" and "large vehicles", have achieved good results on the sales side. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the cumulative sales volume of electric vehicles in the price range of 400,000 to 500,000 yuan in 2025 was 300,000 vehicles, representing an increase of 43.6% compared to the previous year. The cumulative sales volume of electric vehicles above 500,000 yuan reached 352,000 vehicles, representing an increase of 17.4% compared to the previous year. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the sales volume of large SUVs in the first quarter of 2026 reached 110,000 vehicles, representing an increase of 169% compared to the previous year.
The high demand for a certain vehicle model means that there is real consumer demand behind it.
Looking at the products, Series 9 cars have several commonalities, such as a very large passenger and cargo space, very high safety, strong intelligent driving capabilities, strong performance, long range, and a comfortable and luxurious interior.
The very large passenger and cargo space as well as the comfortable and luxurious interior meet the requirements for driving comfort for multi - person families and upscale business trips. The active and passive safety devices such as the very strong vehicle body meet the users' requirements for vehicle safety. The advanced intelligent driving assistance systems and the drive system meet the users' requirements for the driving experience.
In summary, Series 9 cars combine the advantages of luxury cars from the era of internal combustion engines and electromobility and reflect the latest values of Chinese premium car buyers. This also means that automakers have shifted from a producer - oriented thinking to a user - oriented thinking in product development.
03. The existential question for automakers
From the perspective of the development of the automotive industry, the intensive launch of Series 9 cars means that the power in luxury market dominance is gradually shifting from foreign brands to Chinese domestic brands. This is also an important sign for the Chinese automotive industry to enter a new phase.
In the era of internal combustion engines, the standards for luxury cars were set by foreign brands. The key in the competition lay in the three core technologies of the car, namely the engine, transmission, and chassis, in which foreign brands had a leading position. The brand awareness and historical traditions built over more than a hundred years by foreign brands were also the focuses of luxury car buyers.
But in the era of electromobility, the core technologies of the car have changed to the Three - Electric Technologies (battery, electric motor, electronics) and intelligent technologies, in which Chinese automakers have a leading position. In particular, intelligent technology plays an increasingly important role in promoting vehicle replacement and the upgrade of automotive consumption and has changed from a "plus point" to a "must - have point", while the influence of the brand on the purchase decision for luxury cars is gradually decreasing.
According to the "Research Report on Automotive Assisted Driving in Urban NOA Environments 2025" of the CAAM, the penetration rate of vehicles with L2 or higher driving assistance function reached 66.1% in 2025, which means that more than two - thirds of new vehicles had this function as standard. The "China Automotive Consumer Insight Report 2025" by McKinsey shows that the ADAS function (Advanced Driver Assistance System) became the third most important factor in vehicle selection in 2025.
With the gradual transfer of power in luxury market dominance, the users of traditional luxury cars are also shifting to Chinese domestic brands. According to a research report from the Tengyi Institute, the proportion of potential repeat buyers of AITO...