Great Wall has taken the lead in the family-oriented revolution of the MPV market.
The increasing demand for family cars is reshaping the market landscape of China's new energy vehicle industry.
Li Auto has rapidly risen with its extended - range "mobile home", with its annual sales exceeding 500,000 units. Wenjie, anchored by intelligence and high - end positioning, has repeatedly created miracles in large single - car orders. Leapmotor, on the other hand, topped the sales list of new - energy vehicle startups for the first time in March with its cost - effective mid - to large - sized SUVs.
The first - time car - buying group for family cars is shifting to third - and fourth - tier cities, while the replacement demand is concentrated in first - and second - tier cities. This has allowed new - energy vehicle startups to seize the opportunity and quickly rise in the market.
This niche market not only provides sales volume but is also the most profitable and competitive segment in the current Chinese auto market with the highest average vehicle price.
Therefore, mid - to large - sized SUVs generally target family needs, and MPVs with larger space have also become a new choice for family users.
Different from the luxury positioning and high prices of traditional MPVs like the Toyota Alphard, new - energy MPVs are launched at more affordable prices, targeting a wider range of family groups.
Automobile manufacturers such as Voyah and Zeekr have achieved initial success. Great Wall Motor, with its long - term accumulation, has launched three MPVs at once, providing the most comprehensive choices for family users.
On May 13th, the new WEY Gaoshan was officially launched, and the final prices and launch benefits of the new Gaoshan 8 and Gaoshan 9 were officially announced.
Among them, the new Gaoshan 8 is priced at 309,800 yuan, and the new Gaoshan 9 is priced at 353,800 yuan. Currently, there are seven launch benefits, including a cash expansion of 5,000 yuan off 8,000 yuan, a maximum replacement subsidy of 30,000 yuan, or three - year zero - interest loans.
Compared with the million - yuan price of traditional MPVs and the general price of over 320,000 yuan for domestic competing models, the new Gaoshan series shows great sincerity this time.
Moreover, Mu Feng, the president of Great Wall Motor, also presented an Easter egg after the press conference - the new Gaoshan 7.
"Great Wall Motor has decided to equip the new Gaoshan 7 with the same intelligent assisted driving system, super intelligent cockpit, and Hi4 performance version as the new Gaoshan 8 and Gaoshan 9. Due to the configuration adjustment, the new Gaoshan 7 is still undergoing final testing and calibration. Soon, it will meet everyone."
The emergence of the new Gaoshan series provides a new choice for large Chinese families. Its launch is not just a product event but also a testimony of domestic MPVs overwhelming joint - venture brands and a key turning point for MPVs to fully enter the family scenario.
309,800 yuan for a fully - equipped MPV for Chinese families
"The Toyota Alphard is the best MPV. To make the new Gaoshan, we bought five Alphards, one for each new model launched."
At the launch conference of the new Gaoshan, Wei Jianjun, the chairman of Great Wall Motor, said so.
Obviously, the new Gaoshan series is designed to compete with the Alphard. As an MPV in the new - energy era, the new Gaoshan has everything the Alphard has and more.
Moreover, in the era of the Alphard, business travel was the main demand for MPVs. In today's Chinese market, the proportion of family users in the MPV market is gradually increasing. The new Gaoshan series clearly aims to seize this opportunity and reshape the competitive landscape of the MPV market.
The traditional demands for space, entertainment, and comfort in MPVs are also the key concerns of family users. The new Gaoshan series has achieved the best in these obvious configurations.
The overall length of the new Gaoshan 8 is nearly 5.3 meters, and that of the new Gaoshan 9 is 5.4 meters. The former is the mainstream size of MPVs, competing head - on with models such as the Denza D9, Voyah Dreamer, and Zeekr 009 in the market. The latter is a mass - produced MPV with an extra - large size. The six - seat design can maximize the comfort of each seat.
Both cars adopt a co - rail design for the second and third rows, which means the seats in the second and third rows can move forward and backward flexibly to adjust the space. During the new - car live broadcast a few days before the launch, Wei Jianjun sat in the third row of the new Gaoshan 8 without feeling crowded at all.
The higher interior space utilization rate is mainly due to Great Wall Motor's exclusive platform for new - energy MPVs. Mu Feng, the chairman of Great Wall Motor, introduced that the most core feature of this platform is "flatness".
A completely flat floor is the basis of "flatness". This requires the rear suspension module to match the four - wheel - drive electric axle and ensure handling stability. For this reason, Great Wall Motor has carried out special development and matching for the rear suspension, adopting a layout with separate shock absorbers and springs. At the same time, the shock absorbers are placed lower and more outward. This provides the basis for a flat floor and ultimately results in a high space utilization rate and flexibility in the new Gaoshan series.
When space is satisfied, entertainment and comfort become the obvious configurations of MPV models, and the so - called "refrigerator, color TV, and big sofa" start to come into play.
This is the secret to the success of "new - energy vehicle startups". The two new models of the Gaoshan series not only come standard with these features but also upgrade them all. For Great Wall Motor, which has 35 years of car - manufacturing experience, these configurations that do not require excessive technological R & D are easy to achieve.
First, let's look at the super refrigerator. Its temperature range is from 0°C to 50°C, and its net volume reaches 12.5 liters. It has multiple modes such as cooling, heating, and fresh - keeping. The double - opening design for the front and rear rows also makes it more convenient to access items.
Second is the super cinema. The 12.3 - inch 2K high - definition instrument screen, together with the dual 15.6 - inch 2.5K ultra - high - definition connected screens on the center console and the passenger side, as well as the 17.3 - inch 3K large rear - row entertainment screen, form the "color - TV set" of the new Gaoshan.
The most comfortable feature is the super sofa. The front - row NAPPA leather seats are definitely standard with ventilation, heating, and massage functions. The second - row dual zero - gravity seats have six massage modes and three levels of ventilation/heating, bringing a sense of luxury. For the third row, you can choose the 1.3 - meter - wide super sofa in the new Gaoshan 8 or the two independent seats in the new Gaoshan 9.
In addition to the three major components, the standard - equipped assisted driving and intelligent cockpit in both new cars fully demonstrate their intelligent and technological attributes.
Both models come standard with Great Wall's third - generation intelligent assisted driving system - Coffee Pilot Ultra, which uses 27 high - precision sensors to provide point - to - point pilot - assisted driving without high - precision maps and with full - scenario coverage.
In February this year, Wei Jianjun drove the new Gaoshan 8 and completed a live - broadcast challenge of "from parking space to parking space" in Chongqing. This nearly 5.3 - meter - long MPV drove autonomously through the steep slopes and narrow alleys of Hongyadong, leaving the starting parking space and passing through the complex "8D maze" of Chongqing without any manual takeover.
Whether it's various complex road conditions, scenarios with a mixture of people and vehicles, or sharp bends with large blind spots, the new Gaoshan 8 can pass through easily without any hesitation. This is also the ability of the entire new Gaoshan series.
Of course, the new Gaoshan also comes with the Coffee OS 3.2 intelligent cockpit system, which has ranked first in vehicle - machine performance for 11 consecutive months and supports voice interaction, multi - screen linkage, etc.
From the external features of the refrigerator, color TV, and big sofa to the internal core of assisted driving and intelligent cockpit, all these obvious configurations can be standard at a price of 309,800 yuan, which is only one - third of the price of the Toyota Alphard. Great Wall Motor aims to enable Chinese families to use fully - equipped MPVs.
Great Wall Motor has a belief in safety and technical confidence
As mentioned above, the obvious demands for family cars are entertainment and comfort, while the hidden demand is safety. This is also the most important demand for family users traveling with multiple people.
In the current over - competitive industry, the safety bottom - line of cars has been frequently challenged. Whether it's the exaggeration of intelligent driving or the false labeling of technology, consumers always end up paying the price. Car - owner rights - protection cases are common, and the quality red - line in the price war is on the verge of collapse.
Wei Jianjun has repeatedly called on the industry not to sacrifice safety and quality to gain cost advantages. As a tech - savvy person, Great Wall Motor has also proven with practical actions that safety is the bottom - line when building a good car.
Great Wall Motor has always attached great importance to passive safety. For example, the proportion of high - strength steel in the body of the new Gaoshan exceeds 81.96%, and the strength of the A/B pillars reaches 2000 MPa. At the same time, the lower body of the vehicle adopts a grid - type structure with four longitudinal and seven transverse beams, which can significantly reduce the possibility of the collision intruding into the passenger safety space.
The Tank brand under Great Wall Motor has proven countless times in the market that Great Wall Motor builds "really tough" cars, and the new Gaoshan also has this toughness in its DNA.
Mu Feng is very confident. "In terms of material usage, every car of Great Wall Motor is of the best in the industry. You can compare and disassemble them as you like!"
Compared with the commonly used and cheaper cast - iron parts in the industry, high - strength steel is obviously more expensive. So, being "tougher" requires not considering the cost, which shows Great Wall Motor's determination to protect passengers' safety.
There is high - strength steel on the outside, and there is a side air curtain with a long - lasting six - second pressure - maintaining function inside. This side air curtain is unique in the industry, with an inflation volume of over 110 liters, which can effectively protect the safety of passengers in the front, middle, and rear rows.
Mu Feng shared at the press conference, "This long - side air curtain is really difficult to make."
Because for a side air curtain over 3 meters long, many issues need to be considered, such as whether it can be fully and timely deployed during a collision, how much energy is released during deployment, how to control the inflation volume, whether it can maintain pressure for more than six seconds, and whether it can effectively prevent secondary injuries.
To develop this air curtain, Great Wall Motor conducted thousands of tests. Mu Feng also showed a video at the press conference.
When a new Gaoshan was hit on the side by a trolley traveling at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour, it still maintained a complete structure, the cockpit was not invaded, and the doors could be opened smoothly. Even the small - sized dummy in the third row had its head effectively protected by the air curtain.
This simulates a side - impact when a vehicle passes through an intersection. A conventional - height air curtain may not be able to protect the heads of small - sized passengers, but Great Wall Motor extended the side air curtain to provide effective protection.
This long - side air curtain, which ensures the safety of the whole family, is standard in the entire new Gaoshan series.
Great Wall Motor is also serious about active safety. The Coffee Pilot Ultra assisted driving system of Great Wall comes standard with a lidar, has more than 20 intelligent assistance functions and a comprehensive safety management strategy. Its AEB can brake to a stop at a maximum speed of 100 kilometers per hour for stationary vehicle targets.
Of course, the core of Great Wall Motor's intelligent driving assistance is to improve safety rather than show off skills. Its function is not to replace humans but to protect them.
In terms of the power system, Great Wall Motor's concept of "never doing range - extended vehicles" is also continued in the new Gaoshan. Mu Feng once again shared the design concept of Hi4. He said, "Hi4 has all the advantages of range - extended vehicles and can easily solve their disadvantages."
The Hi4 performance - version intelligent four - wheel - drive hybrid technology also adds an extra layer of guarantee to the safety performance of the two new cars.
