A sneak peek at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show: Intense competition among "Series 9" models and a battle of boxy SUVs. A comprehensive overview of the highlights of new cars.
From April 24th to May 3rd, the 2026 (19th) Beijing International Automobile Exhibition will be grandly held at the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall) and the Capital International Convention and Exhibition Center. There are as many as 17 exhibition halls in this auto show, displaying a total of 1,451 vehicles, including 181 debut models and 71 concept models. The reporting team of Dianchetong has rushed to the scene and will bring you timely and in - depth reports.
Considering that the total exhibition area of this exhibition is as high as 380,000 square meters and it takes tens of thousands of steps to visit all the halls, Dianchetong has specially selected ten popular models worthy of attention for readers to visit during the professional visitors' days (April 26th to April 27th) and the public visitors' days (April 28th to May 3rd).
These ten models are divided into three categories: traditional brands, new - force brands, and new products of joint - venture brands. From these products, we can see some trends in the development of the new - energy vehicle industry.
Traditional Brands Continue to Reach for the High - end, Competing in the High - end SUV Market
Perhaps due to their long - term operation in the mid - and low - end markets, which has left a too deep impression on consumers, traditional self - owned brand car companies have performed worse in the high - end market than new - force brands such as Wenjie, Li Auto, and NIO. However, traditional brand car companies have never given up their strategy of reaching for the high - end. At this auto show, car companies such as BYD, Great Wall, and Geely have all presented their latest masterpieces.
BYD: Use the Tang Dynasty to Restore the Glory of the "Tang Family"
At the beginning of their birth, the Han and Tang families were positioned as luxury cars. However, in order to increase market share, BYD continuously reduced the prices of the Han and Tang models, resulting in the luxury car status of these two families being less and less recognized. As the first D + - class flagship SUV in the Dynasty series, the Tang Dynasty is a crucial battle for BYD's Tang family to enhance its status.
The length, width, and height of the BYD Tang Dynasty are 5,263 (5,302) × 1,999 × 1,810 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 3,130 mm. It adopts a 2 + 2+3 seat layout, with dual zero - gravity seats in the front row, dual zero - pressure aviation seats in the second row, a 17.3 - inch rear ceiling - mounted screen, and a 7.1.4 - channel Devialet 27 - speaker system.
(Image source: BYD)
In terms of driving control, the million - level Yunliang - A + preview + two - stage stiffness intelligent adjustment allows the vehicle to drive smoothly on bumpy roads. The rear - wheel steering technology, which is the first to be installed in the Dynasty series, enables the vehicle to have a turning radius of only 5.2 meters.
The Tang Dynasty is available in plug - in hybrid and pure - electric versions. The pure - electric version is equipped with the second - generation blade battery, based on a 1,000V architecture, with a CLTC - rated range of up to 950 kilometers. It supports BYD's super fast - charging technology, which can charge to 80% in 5 minutes and fully charge in 9 minutes, and only takes 3 more minutes in an environment of minus 30°C. The zero - to - 100 km/h acceleration time of the pure - electric four - wheel - drive version is only 3.9 seconds.
Judging from the body size, comfort configuration, and pure - electric range, the price of the BYD Tang Dynasty will definitely not be cheap. Dianchetong predicts that the starting price of this vehicle will not be less than 300,000 yuan.
Previously, BYD seemed a bit lacking in confidence in the Dynasty series models, always relying on cost - effectiveness to win. Although the products were well - equipped, some configurations were not high - end enough, and the task of deploying in the high - end market was entrusted to Fangchengbao and Denza. The Tang Dynasty will be a game - changer for BYD's Dynasty series. Its various configurations are comparable to any 300,000 - yuan full - size SUVs, and it is expected to help the Tang family restore its glory and re - establish a foothold in the high - end market.
Great Wall: Establish a Foothold in the High - end Market and Promote the Guiyuan S
Approaching the Beijing Auto Show, Great Wall held the Guiyuan S technology release conference and the pre - sale conference of the Wei brand V9X, introducing the new high - end model, the Wei brand V9X. The configuration of this vehicle has been announced. With a 2.0T plug - in hybrid power, a large battery, high - level intelligent driving, and a series of comfort configurations, the Wei brand V9X still shows great sincerity even with a pre - sale price starting from 371,800 yuan.
After the release of the Great Wall Guiyuan S platform, while receiving a lot of support from netizens, it also attracted many netizens' doubts about its compatibility with five power forms, as some experiences may not be brought to the extreme.
(Image source: Great Wall)
As the first model equipped with the Guiyuan S platform, the Wei brand V9X also bears the heavy responsibility of demonstrating the Guiyuan S technology. In addition to the 4S stores, the Beijing Auto Show also gives netizens a chance to get up - close with the Wei brand V9X. Whether this vehicle is worth buying or not can be known after experiencing it on - site and then comparing it with products of other brands in the neighboring exhibition halls.
Geely: The Galaxy Battleship 700 Joins the Box - Shaped SUV Competition
The once - niche off - road vehicle market has become a hot spot for car companies in recent years, and more and more car companies are joining this box - shaped SUV competition. The Galaxy Battleship 700 is Geely's first hardcore SUV based on the full - domain AI technology. It is innovatively equipped with an integrated frame, a million - level three - motor four - wheel - drive system, and Geely's new - generation electronic and electrical architecture EEA4.0.
This vehicle is an exploratory work for Geely's Galaxy brand to enter the off - road vehicle category. It deeply empowers the product with AI, supporting practical functions such as crab - walking, in - place turning, and driving with a flat tire, taking into account hardcore performance, intelligent experience, and high safety.
(Image source: Geely Galaxy)
The success or failure of the Galaxy Battleship 700 may affect the future planning of Geely's off - road vehicle product line, and its importance is self - evident. For this reason, Geely has devoted a lot of effort to the Galaxy Battleship 700, and it is worth experiencing this vehicle up - close at the auto show.
Dianchetong believes that one of these three vehicles is the first D + - class SUV in the Dynasty series, shouldering the heavy responsibility of restoring the glory of the Tang family; one comes with the Guiyuan S platform, aiming to show the strength of the Guiyuan S to global consumers; and one is Geely's first AI all - terrain hardcore SUV, which is related to Geely's strategic layout in the off - road vehicle category.
The technologies they are equipped with are the best and latest technologies that BYD, Great Wall, and Geely can offer at this price range, and they are also important pillars for BYD, Great Wall, and Geely to compete in the high - end market.
The "Series 9 Battle" is Intensifying, and New - Force Brands are Showing Their True Skills
In the domestic high - end market, car companies are competing head - on with their "Series 9" models. However, with the intensification of industry competition, the original Series 9 models are becoming increasingly struggling. At this auto show, car companies have presented stronger products, pushing this battle to a new climax.
Wenjie: A 5.4 - meter - long Body Tells You What True Luxury Is
At the HarmonyOS Smart Mobility Spring New Product Launch on the evening of April 22nd, the new - generation Wenjie M9 was unveiled. In addition to the standard version, the Wenjie M9 also brought the Ultimate Extended Edition, with a length of 5,402 mm and a wheelbase of 3,236 mm, which is even larger than the Rolls - Royce Cullinan.
Besides the size, there is an important upgrade in this vehicle, which is a 2.0T range extender + three - motor system. Although the range extender is only used for power generation and a 1.5T displacement is more than enough, many netizens believe that luxury cars should have a large displacement, and the Wenjie M9 Ultimate Extended Edition meets the requirements of netizens.
(Image source: Shot by Dianchetong)
Of course, the large - displacement range extender has a higher power - generation output, and its starting speed in a low - battery state is higher than that of a 1.5T range extender. This advantage in experience cannot be ignored. While the power is enhanced and the vehicle length and wheelbase are increased, the pre - sale price of the Wenjie M9 has also reached 669,800 yuan.
Since its launch, the Wenjie M9 has won the sales championship of luxury cars priced over 500,000 yuan in the domestic market for 21 consecutive months. However, 500,000 yuan is not the end of the price range for high - end models. The markets in the 600,000 - yuan, 700,000 - yuan, 1 - million - yuan, and 10 - million - yuan price ranges are still waiting for Wenjie to explore. This is the significance of the birth of the Wenjie M9 Ultimate Extended Edition. It will bear the heavy responsibility of Wenjie to explore the high - end market, with a larger size, stronger power, and paired with Huawei's intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving technology, to reach a new peak.
Li Auto: Let AI Dominate the Car, and Embodied Intelligence is the Ultimate Goal
Li Auto and Wenjie are old rivals. Their products are mainly range - extended SUVs, and both target the luxury family - use market. However, the prices of Li Auto's products are slightly lower than those of Wenjie, and the price of the L9 is within 500,000 yuan. In February this year, Li Auto officially announced that the ultimate version of the L9, the Livis version, would be released in the second quarter, with a price of 559,800 yuan. Recently, Li Auto confirmed again that this vehicle will be unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show and will be officially launched and delivered on May 15th.
Different from the significant size upgrade of the Wenjie Ultimate Extended Edition, the Li Auto L9 Livis only has a minor upgrade, with the length increased to 5,255 mm and the wheelbase increased to 3,125 mm.
(Image source: Li Auto)
The truly remarkable thing about this vehicle is that it represents Li Auto's thinking in the era of AI - powered cars. It is not just a car but also an embodiment of embodied intelligence. The Li Auto L9 Livis is the first vehicle priced within 600,000 yuan to be equipped with a fully active suspension system and the first complete line - controlled chassis. It is also equipped with two self - developed Mahe 100 chips by Li Auto, with a total computing power of up to 2,560 TOPS, which can serve as the "brain" of the intelligent driving system.
The Li Auto L9 Livis does not blindly explore the high - end market but makes a regular upgrade on the basis of the L9. With a stronger intelligent driving chip, paired with a fully active suspension, a line - controlled chassis, and multiple lidars, it aims to become an embodiment of embodied intelligence, focusing on the intelligent experience.
XPeng: Enter the L4 Era Starting from the GX
Among the "Big Three" new - force car - making brands, XPeng has performed slightly less well in the high - end market compared with NIO and Li Auto. The "Series 9" SUV models of other car companies are generally priced over 400,000 yuan, while the price of the 2026 XPeng G9 is less than 300,000 yuan. For this reason, XPeng recently released the GX with a pre - sale price of 399,800 yuan.
Putting aside its size and comfort configurations that are comparable to other SUVs in the same price range, the biggest highlight of the XPeng GX is that it is China's first full - stack self - developed and pre - installed mass - produced Robotaxi prototype, built entirely according to the L4 - level autonomous driving standard. In terms of hardware, this vehicle has a computing power of up to 3,000 TOPS, providing a solid foundation for the continuous upgrade of the intelligent driving system. In terms of software, the second - generation VLA can accurately avoid obstacles even in extreme scenarios.
(Image source: XPeng)
Considering XPeng's high - profile entry into the Robotaxi industry, the XPeng GX is not only a high - end SUV model for the C - end market but also a product that can be directly used for Robotaxi. After XPeng's Robotaxi business is launched