Huawei's intelligent assisted driving technology will be introduced to a new Baojun SUV model | Exclusive from 36Kr

Text | Li Anqi

Editor | Li Qin, Yang Xuan

36Kr Auto has exclusively learned that the Baojun brand under SAIC-GM-Wuling plans to launch a new model, which will be equipped with Huawei's ADS high-level intelligent driving solution.

Industry insiders have revealed to 36Kr that the new car is an SUV, equipped with lidar, and is expected to be launched as early as the end of this year, with a price range of approximately 150,000 - 250,000 yuan. By then, it will become the most expensive model of the Baojun brand.

On the other hand, this is also another automaker that Huawei has partnered with after collaborating with more than 10 domestic and foreign automakers such as Seres, Chery, BAIC, Dongfeng, Jianghuai, SAIC, Changan, Avatr, and Audi.

The new Baojun model may become one of the cheapest Huawei intelligent assisted driving cooperation models with lidar.

Regarding this, 36Kr Auto has verified the information with Baojun's official. As of press time, Baojun's official has not responded.

Baojun is a brand under SAIC-GM-Wuling, and it is a sibling brand to Wuling Motors. In order to shake off Wuling's "cheap" label, SAIC-GM-Wuling established the Baojun brand in 2010, with a market positioning and product pricing higher than that of Wuling. Relying on models such as the Baojun 510 and 730, Baojun achieved annual sales of one million vehicles in 2017. However, in the wave of the intelligent electric vehicle industry, Baojun failed to keep up in time, and its sales suffered a cliff-like decline, with only about 44,000 vehicles sold in 2024.

The core reason is that Baojun has long been equipped with relatively backward engine product technology, its intelligentization process has been slow, and its brand reputation has been dragged down by a large-scale recall event due to gearbox failures.

Xue Haitao, the general manager of the SAIC-GM-Wuling Brand Division, once summarized that through official surveys, people's perception of Baojun is more at the model level and has not risen to the brand level.

It was not until 2021 that Baojun truly focused on the new energy market and successively launched models such as the Baojun KiWi EV, Baojun Yueye, and Baojun Yunduo.

However, as established domestic automakers are becoming more aggressive with their "low price, high configuration" strategies, compact models such as BYD's 70,000-yuan Dolphin are constantly encroaching on the micro-car market. In the "tool vehicle attribute" field, Wuling has a more affordable price and a more obvious sales advantage than Baojun.

By betting on Huawei's intelligent assisted driving, Baojun hopes to enhance its brand image again. And the new Baojun off-road vehicle backed by Huawei also has the opportunity to obtain a higher product premium.

For Huawei, the 150,000 - 250,000 yuan price range targeted by Baojun's new product also provides an opportunity to verify the premium ability of its intelligent assisted driving technology in the affordable vehicle segment.

The cost of Huawei's intelligent assisted driving solution is not low, with the cost of a single set ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. Previously, it mainly targeted the vehicle market priced above 300,000 yuan. However, Huawei is also continuously expanding into lower vehicle price ranges, reaching down to the 200,000 - yuan level.

For example, the BAIC ARCFOX Alpha S6 is equipped with Huawei's Kunpeng Intelligent Driving ADS3.3 and three lidars, with a price of 225,800 yuan; the Huawei Kunpeng Intelligent Driving ADS3.3 version of the Avatr 06 is priced at 221,900 yuan. The "Shangjie" brand to be launched by SAIC and Huawei may even bring the price of Hongmeng Zhixing models below 200,000 yuan.

Huawei is also exploring and refining a more complete product matrix to tap into the vehicle market from entry - level to million - yuan luxury cars. Previously, Jin Yuzhi, the CEO of Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution BU, released a platform - based solution for ADS 4.0, dividing the system into four levels:

ADS SE Basic Edition: Provides basic active safety, high - speed NCA, and urban LCC+ functions;

ADS Pro Enhanced Edition: Equipped with in - cabin lidar vision sensors to enhance the ability to handle complex urban road conditions;

ADS Max Super Edition: Supports full - dimensional active safety, urban NCA, and valet parking, and will be standard on luxury models;

ADS Ultra Flagship Edition: Specifically designed for L3 high - speed scenarios, equipped with high - performance lidar and distributed millimeter - wave radar.

Among the four versions, only the basic edition is not equipped with lidar. Analyzing from the price range, the cooperation between Baojun and Huawei most likely corresponds to the ADS Pro enhanced version.

It is worth noting that Huawei has also released high - precision solid - state lidar and in - cabin lidar vision sensors and other hardware products. By increasing the proportion of self - developed hardware and strengthening vertical integration of resources, Huawei is expected to further reduce the cost of the solution and make the large - scale implementation of intelligent assisted driving possible.

Huawei previously stated that by the end of 2025, the number of vehicles equipped with its ADS system will reach 2 million.

However, in the highly competitive industry environment, Huawei also faces challenges from third - party intelligent assisted driving companies such as Momenta and Horizon. Both startup companies are also moving towards the integration of software and hardware, providing both algorithms and AI computing chips, and covering the mid - to high - level intelligent assisted driving market. Their competitiveness cannot be underestimated.

How to find an accurate balance between performance and cost will be the key to the continuous penetration of Huawei's intelligent assisted driving.