The "Electric Cullinan" is everywhere. Domestic brands are chasing the "old man's aesthetic". Can the knockoff Rolls-Royce really sell like hotcakes?

Recently, I came across a rather darkly humorous quip: "If a Rolls-Royce designer were to work in China, they probably wouldn't even make it through the probation period because there are too many competitors."

The incident stems from the collective debut of a batch of domestic new energy vehicles such as the Voyah Taishan and the Zeekr 9X. These quasi-flagship models priced between 400,000 and 600,000 yuan have all adopted a similar design language: a square and imposing body, a vertical chrome grille, a floating roof, wide C-pillars, and that inherent sense of "majesty" without looking angry. Simply put, they are imitating Rolls-Royce.

Image source: Voyah

Netizens have given this style a nickname - "old man aesthetics", and jokingly refer to the Voyah Taishan as the "Wuhan Cullinan" and the Zeekr 9X as the "Hangzhou Bay Cullinan".

Interestingly, the brands don't seem to mind these nicknames. In fact, they even seem to intentionally lean in this direction in their promotions, much like some mobile phone brands emphasizing a "strong Apple flavor". Different from the past, the protagonists of this wave of "tribute" to Rolls-Royce are not the knock-off products of small car companies, but the collective choice of mainstream brands. Why do leading brands embrace the "old man design" unanimously? Is it to cut corners and take shortcuts in design, or is it all about catering to users' aesthetic needs to achieve the so-called "aesthetic equality"?

Full streets of "Cullinans", domestic luxury cars collectively adopting the old man style

The so-called "old man" in the online context generally refers to middle-aged men with a certain social status, wealth accumulation, and family responsibilities. They need a car that can not only showcase their achievements but also maintain a sense of stability and dignity.

The square design of Rolls-Royce just meets the psychological needs of this group for a sense of "authority" and "status". A round and streamlined shape may be more technological, but square and imposing lines can better convey visual signals of power and stability.

Image source: Rolls-Royce

In the era of fuel vehicles, luxury brands formed design barriers through a century of accumulation. For electric vehicle brands to establish a luxury perception in a short period, the quickest way is to borrow widely recognized luxury design elements.

From this perspective, "old man aesthetics" is a shortcut for domestic new energy brands to break into the high-end market and also a transitional stage in the market education process.

Currently, "old man aesthetics" has formed an unwritten design formula in the automotive industry:

In terms of styling, abandon the streamlined, fastback, and low-drag designs and return to a boxy body. With a vehicle length of over 5,200mm and a width of over 2,000mm, once the size is sufficient, the aura will naturally follow. Even for a closed front face, use dense vertical chrome strips or LED light strips to create the "ritual sense" of the Parthenon; the wide, thick, and chrome-decorated C-pillar is the soul of the side view, showing stability and being able to hold up a 5.2-meter-long body.

Image source: Zeekr

In terms of configuration, whether it's a starry sky roof, power-closing doors, a 30+ speaker audio system, or a three-chamber air suspension, all aim to maximize the "visible and tangible luxury".

In a nutshell, the core lies in creating the visual sense of a Rolls-Royce. This design orientation may seem abrupt, but it actually has its internal logic.

In the early days of electric vehicle development, car companies pursued a low drag coefficient to improve the driving range, and the streamlined design became the only choice. However, with the progress of battery technology and the improvement of charging facilities, the range anxiety has gradually eased, and the influence of the drag coefficient on the range has decreased.

When the driving range of electric vehicles generally exceeds 600 kilometers, designers have more creative space. Sacrificing a little drag coefficient to obtain a more recognizable shape has become a viable option in the high-end market.

Meanwhile, the integration and miniaturization of the three-electric systems have also made the mechanical layout of cars more flexible, releasing more space for styling design. After the engineering constraints are weakened, the design of new energy vehicles begins to return to its essential functions of emotional expression and identity symbol - in the current popular saying, the new energy market has reached the stage where it needs to provide "emotional value".

Is "old man aesthetics" tacky? But the orders are booming

Although we are joking about "old man aesthetics", the fact is that models with this kind of appearance are selling well. The Voyah Taishan received over 5,000 orders on its launch day, and the Zeekr 9X exceeded 10,000 firm orders in just 13 minutes after its launch, which all prove the validity of this logic.

Image source: Zeekr

The reason for the good sales is actually quite simple: they "look expensive". In China, a car is not just a means of transportation. It's like a mobile real estate certificate. In specific social situations, it can speak for you.

However, in the era of smart electric vehicles, this standard no longer holds. An entrepreneur driving a NIO ET7 and a programmer driving a Model 3 don't have a fundamental difference in brand value. They are both "new forces" and lack a sense of historical depth.

At this time, "looking like a Rolls-Royce" becomes the most efficient solution for identity.

We have to admit that spending 500,000 yuan on a domestic Cullinan has a much higher recognition in social situations than an ordinary BBA model at the same price. It conveys the message: "I can afford a real luxury car, but I choose a more intelligent domestic one." Brands like Hongqi and Voyah, as part of the "national team", avoid the ostentation of BBA while maintaining the necessary dignity through their size and aura. Names like Taishan and Guoya themselves carry a sense of political correctness.

Image source: Hongqi

Moreover, a full-size SUV serves as both a face for business receptions and a tool for weekend family outings. Under the practical logic of using one car for multiple purposes, the "old man style" is indeed the most universal.

From the perspective of consumers, that's the situation. If we look at it from the perspective of car companies, the "old man aesthetics" is also the business decision with the least risk.

First, there is a path dependence on the perception of luxury. A century of the automotive industry has proven that square shapes, large sizes, and a sense of heaviness equal luxury. From Rolls-Royce and Bentley to American full-size SUVs, this visual language is universal around the world. Instead of spending a decade educating the market, it's easier to directly borrow the existing visual assets.

In the era of fuel vehicles, Chinese car companies couldn't produce real full-size luxury cars mainly because their core components couldn't keep up. However, electrification has changed the rules of the game and solved the core pain points of building large cars in the past:

First, there is more freedom in the chassis. With the battery laid flat on the chassis, the center of gravity is naturally low, which solves the problem of large cars "feeling like a boat when driving". The combination of a three-chamber air suspension and rear-wheel steering makes the turning radius of a 5.2-meter-long large car comparable to that of a Class A car. Technology has eliminated the handling disadvantages caused by size.

Second, there is redundant power. Dual motors can easily reach over 400kW, and the 0-100km/h acceleration can be achieved within 5 seconds. After horsepower becomes more affordable, "big power with big size" has become the simplest and most straightforward luxury solution. The larger the size, the more the smoothness and quietness of the motor can be reflected.

Third, there are more space utilization tricks. The wheelbase of over 3 meters on a pure electric platform solves the problem of interior space. Only a full-size SUV has a large enough stage to stack up the "new luxury trio" of a refrigerator, a TV, and a big sofa.

Of course, the most important thing is the cost reduction. Although the battery price is not low, compared with traditional luxury car core components such as a V12 engine, a complex transmission, and a mechanical four-wheel drive system, the cost structure of electrification is actually simpler. This makes it possible to create a "million-yuan aura" at a price range of 400,000 - 500,000 yuan.

In other words, cars with the old man aesthetics are an inevitable product of the development of new energy to a certain stage. New energy has given them the confidence to redefine luxury. In the past, when we built large cars, it was like a small horse pulling a big cart. Now, it's the era of equal rights for electric drives.

Resembling Rolls-Royce doesn't mean becoming Rolls-Royce

Undoubtedly, young people also need "aesthetic equality". Imitating the designs of world-class classic cars is not a path pioneered by old luxury brands. Once, the "Porsche look-alike" created by Zotye was so similar that even Porsche executives had a hard time telling the difference. Now, the great success of Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 also owes a lot to the so-called "aesthetic equality" design: their product appearances are directly benchmarked against Porsche and Ferrari. Although the official may claim that there is not a single identical detail, to the outside world, they all look quite (probably nine out of ten, with ten being a perfect match) similar. Spending over 200,000 yuan to own a good-looking car that used to cost 2 million yuan has become the choice of many young people. From this perspective, the so-called "aesthetic equality" design is a rigid demand regardless of age and class.

The so-called "existence is reasonable", and aesthetics is subjective. The problem is that the joke of "XX version of Cullinan" is shifting from user word-of-mouth to official marketing. When a brand really uses "electric Cullinan" as a marketing gimmick, it means that it has completely given up on building its brand personality.

The old man aesthetics is essentially a form of "youth compensation" for those born in the 1970s and 1980s. They couldn't afford luxury cars when they were young, and now that they have the money, they want to buy back the feeling they once looked up to.

The question is: Do car companies want to serve an aging market or capture the future of young people?

Fortunately, not all brands have fallen into the "old man" trap. There are already two different paths in the market:

One is the minimalist and modern style, represented by the NIO ET9 and the XPeng X9. Instead of relying on size, they use smooth lines and minimalist designs to convey the taste of "new money". The flying body design of the ET9 and the starship concept of the X9 are both trying to define luxury in the digital age.

Image source: NIO

The other is the cultural confidence style, represented by the Yangwang U8. Although it also has a strong "old man flavor" in terms of size, its design language is completely original, featuring the concept of a "time and space gate", and the interior has an energy aesthetic above the extreme realm. Its large body encapsulates Eastern philosophy, avoiding the embarrassment of direct copying.

Image source: BYD Yangwang

In the short term, "old man aesthetics" will still be popular. As long as China's newly rich class still needs the fastest identity card, as long as there is still a market vacuum left by BBA in the 400,000 - 600,000 yuan market segment, the "electric Cullinans" will have a place to survive.

In the medium term, there will be a gradual differentiation. The market will evolve from the "old man style" to the "old man plus" style. Some will add Chinese fashion elements to the "Cullinan face", while others will strengthen the technology label. The next two years from 2026 to 2027 will be a critical window period for design differentiation.

In the long term, it must fade away. A real luxury brand ultimately needs to be built on a unique design language, an irreplaceable technological moat, and time. BYD was able to turn things around with its "DragonFace" design, and the new XPeng P7 became popular with its cyber design. This proves that there is a market for original design in China. Imitation is always just a stage, and innovation is the ultimate answer.

For car companies, they must always remember one thing: When you use "resembling Rolls-Royce" as a selling point, you will never have the chance to become Rolls-R