In July this year, China's new energy vehicle penetration rate exceeded 50% for the first time, successfully surpassing traditional fuel vehicles.

Obviously, new energy vehicles have become the mainstream in the market, with an endless stream of new vehicles and a fierce price war. For traditional brands, life is getting increasingly difficult.

But the more difficult it gets, the harder they need to push. At the upcoming Chengdu Auto Show, both independent brands and traditional brands attach great importance to it, sparing no effort to launch new vehicles in a tight schedule, aiming to show their best side to the market and consumers.

So what are the hot models worth paying attention to at this year's Chengdu Auto Show? Today, we will take a look at some of them.

Sedan

XPeng MONA M03

Less than 120,000 yuan, XPeng has gone crazy!

On August 27th, XPeng's first model in its new MONA series, the MONA M03, was officially launched with a price range of 119,800 to 155,800 yuan, positioning it as an intelligent pure electric sports sedan.

The new car does not continue XPeng's family design language but adopts a brand-new design language. It features split headlights in a "010" style, and an active front grille that can adjust according to speed. The rear end adopts a hatchback design.

In addition, there are multiple aerodynamic optimizations throughout the vehicle, which bring the MONA M03's drag coefficient down to 0.194Cd, making it the lowest among globally produced vehicles. The previous holder of this title was Xiaomi SU7.

The vehicle's dimensions are 4780/1896/1445mm (length/width/height), with a wheelbase of 2815mm. The interior design adopts a minimalist style similar to Tesla, with a central control screen that integrates all functions. Equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon SA8155P automotive-grade cockpit chip, it supports card-style interaction, multi-finger flying screen, and other interactive methods.

The new car is also equipped with over 20 intelligent sensing hardware, including 2 mm-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, and 7 cameras, integrating advanced AI intelligent driving technology and a series of urban intelligent driving functions.

Comment: As the inaugural model of the MONA series, the M03 is indeed highly anticipated by XPeng. When the price was announced, the cheers at the launch event proved that XPeng has succeeded in its first step.

He Xiaopeng said that XPeng invested 4 billion yuan over 4 years in developing the MONA M03. A price below 120,000 yuan is indeed challenging for XPeng. However, the market is increasingly competitive, and consumer demand is escalating. Cars are no longer just a means of transportation; without offering something truly valuable, it's unlikely to gain customers' favor.

BYD Seal 06GT

Industry's First Hatchback Rear-Wheel Drive Pure Electric Hot Hatch

Remember the OCEAN-M concept car that BYD showcased at the Beijing Auto Show? At this year's Chengdu Auto Show, BYD brings its production version – the Seal 06 GT.

Positioned as a pure electric mid-size car, the BYD Seal 06GT is the first GT model under the Ocean Network. It adopts the Ocean Network's family design for the front face, with dimensions of 4630/1880/1490mm (length/width/height) and a wheelbase of 2820mm. It features hidden door handles and sharp body lines, earning it the title of "Industry's First Hatchback Rear-Wheel Drive Pure Electric Hot Hatch" by BYD.

The interior also adopts a family design, featuring a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, a floating full-LCD instrument panel, a floating central control screen, and a lever-type electronic gearshift, similar to the layout of the Seal 06.

In terms of power, the rear-wheel-drive single-motor versions offer 160kW and 165kW, respectively. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive version has a maximum power of 310kW. It is equipped with BYD Blade Batteries, available in two capacities: 59.52kWh and 72.96kWh.

Comment: With the Denza Z9 GT preceding it and the Seal 06 GT following, it seems that BYD is launching a fierce attack on the GT market!

Volkswagen Passat PRO

Has This Been a Successful "Facelift"?

Apart from the dazzling independent brands at this year's Chengdu Auto Show, joint-venture brands are also vying for attention. This time, SAIC Volkswagen brought its all-new Passat PRO to the show.

The new car adopts a brand-new family design language, offering two exterior options. One is a more business-oriented style with a chrome-plated grille, while the other is a sportier look favored by younger consumers, featuring a blackened grille with an R-Line sports package, a distinct lower grille, and unique wheel designs.

With its "two faces," the Passat offers consumers more choices.

In addition to the "facelift," the all-new Passat PRO has also been upgraded in size, with dimensions of 5006/1850/1489mm (length/width/height) and a wheelbase of 2871mm. Except for the unchanged wheelbase, all other dimensions have been increased.

Power-wise, the Passat PRO offers two options: 1.5T and 2.0T, with maximum powers of 118kW and 162kW, respectively, demonstrating sincere efforts.

Comment: This time, the Passat PRO can be considered a successful "facelift," appealing to both young and old in terms of appearance and power. As for the price, it may be higher than the current Passat PRO. Will you be willing to pay for it?

SUV

AITO R7

The SUV with the Lowest Drag Coefficient in Global Production?

At the upcoming Chengdu Auto Show, HarmonyOS Auto's first coupe SUV, the AITO R7, will make its debut.

In terms of appearance, the AITO R7 adopts the same family design as the AITO S7, featuring a rounded overall body shape with dimensions of 4956mm in length, 1981mm in width, 1634mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2950mm.

The new car is available in single-motor and dual-motor versions, all equipped with Huawei's "Whale" 800V high-voltage battery platform. All models come standard with CDC continuously variable damping shock absorbers, air suspensions, and a fully-loaded chassis, providing a more stable and comfortable driving experience.

It is worth mentioning that during the AITO M7 PRO launch event a couple of days ago, the AITO R7 made a surprise appearance. Yu Chengdong also stated that the AITO R7 achieves the lowest drag coefficient among globally produced SUVs.

Comment: The AITO R7 doesn't surprise us much in appearance, and the interior has not been released yet. However, based on the information that has been exposed, the AITO R7 excels in materials, configurations, and hardware, especially with the support of Huawei's ADS 3.0 advanced driving assistance system, its intelligent driving capabilities are worth anticipating.

AVATR 07

Extended Range + Huawei Intelligent Driving = Invincible?

The success of Li Auto and AITO in the extended-range market has caught the attention of many automakers, who are now focusing on this segment. At this year's Chengdu Auto Show, AVATR also brings its third model – the AVATR 07.

Positioned as a mid-size SUV, the new car offers both pure electric and extended-range power options.

It adopts the AVATR 2.0 design concept, featuring highly recognizable C-shaped LED light strips and rounded body lines that exude a sporty vibe.

The interior is futuristic, equipped with a 15.6-inch central control screen, a 35.4-inch 4K integrated remote screen, a flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel, and a lever-type shift mechanism. Additionally, it features electronic exterior mirrors and a Meridian sound system.

In terms of power, the extended-range model is equipped with a 1.5T engine as a range extender, available in both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions, with pure electric driving ranges of 230km and 220km, respectively. The pure electric models come in rear-wheel-drive single-motor and all-wheel-drive dual-motor configurations, with driving ranges of 650km and 610km, respectively.

Comment: The advantages of this car are evident, offering both pure electric and extended-range options for consumers to choose from based on their needs. The interior design is luxurious and futuristic. However, whether it can achieve good sales performance after its official launch depends on its pricing strategy.

ZEEKR 7X

The "SUV Version" of the ZEEKR 007?

If everything goes as planned, ZEEKR will have another hit on its hands.

As we all know, ZEEKR is undoubtedly a "hit-maker," with the ZEEKR 001 preceding it and the ZEEKR 007 following. At this year's Chengdu Auto Show, ZEEKR will introduce its first potential mid-size SUV – the ZEEKR 7X.

Unlike the ZEEKR X, the ZEEKR 7X is a family SUV. Its exterior and interior designs continue the language of the ZEEKR 007, and you can think of it as the "SUV version" of the ZEEKR 007.

With dimensions of 4825/1930/1666mm (length/width/height) and a wheelbase of 2925mm, it is built on the SEA Grand Architecture and comes standard with an 800V high-voltage platform and silicon carbide rear electric drive.

The new car is available in single-motor rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions. The single-motor version has a maximum power of 310kW, while the all-wheel-drive version has maximum front and rear motor powers of 165kW and 310kW, respectively, for a total power of 475kW and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of just 3 seconds.

Comment: Both the ZEEKR 001 and ZEEKR 007 have established a solid reputation for ZEEKR. In the automotive market, SUVs tend to sell better than sedans. Moreover, the ZEEKR 7X is a family SUV with a broader audience. Coupled with its superior product capabilities, it is believed that it will perform well in sales.

NIO Le Dao L60

Cheaper and Better Than the Tesla Model Y?

Like XPeng, NIO has also launched a second brand this year – Letao. Its first model, the Letao L60, will make its debut at this year's Chengdu Auto Show.

Positioned as a pure electric mid-size SUV, the Letao L60 measures 4828mm in length, 1930mm in width, 1616mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2950mm, claiming to be longer, wider, and with more space than the Model Y.

The new car adopts a closed front grille paired with split headlights, featuring smooth and coordinated body lines and a fastback design.

Furthermore, NIO officially claims that the Letao L60's low-drag wheels have the lowest drag coefficient among globally produced SUVs, at just 0.229Cd, similar to the XPeng MONA M03.

In terms of power, the new car is built on a 900V high-voltage platform and offers both single-motor and dual-motor versions. For intelligent driving, it adopts the same pure vision approach as Tesla, equipped with an NVIDIA Orin-X chip with a total computing power of 254TOPS.

Of course, the biggest highlight of this car is NIO's signature battery swap technology. It is reported that the new car will share NIO's third- and fourth-generation battery swap stations.

Currently, the Letao L60 has officially started pre-sales with a pre-sale price of 219,900 yuan.

Comment: In fact, Letao faces considerable pressure. As the second brand, while XPeng's MONA has already been launched with a very competitive price, consumers undoubtedly have high expectations for NIO's Letao. With features comparable to the Tesla Model Y in all aspects and NIO's signature battery swap technology, if the pricing is attractive, it could become another hit.

BMW X3L

Longer Wheelbase, More Space!

Compared to new energy automakers launching new models, traditional fuel vehicle manufacturers at this year's Chengdu Auto Show mainly focused on upgrades and replacements. BMW's all-new BMW X3L will also make its debut at the show.

The "L" in the new car's name indicates changes in size. With dimensions of 4865mm in length, 1920mm in width, 1664mm in height, and a wheelbase extended by 110mm to 2975mm (the same as the standard-wheelbase BMW X5), it offers a more spacious interior.

It continues BMW's classic family design elements, with an enlarged double-kidney grille and highly recognizable double-L angel eye headlights.

The interior has also been upgraded, adopting the latest digital cockpit design with a larger touchscreen and a more intuitive human-machine interface, enhancing the driver's operability and infotainment experience.

In terms of power, the all-new BMW X3 is expected to offer multiple options, including fuel and plug-in hybrid versions, to meet the needs of different consumers. It is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 211kW.

Comment: The arrival of the all-new BMW X3L addresses a pain point of the previous-generation BMW X3. Coupled with upgrades to the cockpit and other aspects, it is expected to surprise consumers with its intelligence. BMW X3 has always had a strong presence in the luxury SUV market, and this upgrade will further enhance its influence among vehicles of the same class.

MPV

BYD Dynasty Network's First MPV

MPV "Game Changer"?

Here it comes, the first MPV model from BYD's Dynasty Network has finally arrived.

At this year's Chengdu Auto Show, BYD's first MPV model under the Dynasty Network made its official debut. Before its official unveiling, many spy shots of the model had already been circulating online, demonstrating its high popularity.

Judging from the spy shots, the vehicle features a boxy and rugged design, with dimensions approaching those of the Denza D9. It boasts a large front grille and dual electric sliding doors. Inside, it adopts a 2+2+3 seven-seat layout, equipped with a floating central control screen. The second-row seats come with independent armrests, leg rests, and small tables. A control panel is located behind the front central armrest, with space reserved for a car refrigerator below.

In addition, the car is expected to be equipped with BYD's fifth-generation DM technology, which should deliver excellent performance in terms of battery life.

Regarding the naming, many people speculate that the model may be named "Tang MAX", while some netizens guess that it may adopt a brand new naming convention, such as "Zhou".

Comment: It is rumored that the estimated price of BYD Dynasty Network's first MPV falls within the range of RMB 200,000 to 300,000. If this price can indeed be achieved, it will undoubtedly pose a formidable challenge to other MPV models in the market. After all, this car is highly competitive in terms of both configuration and power. As BYD has already shaken up the sedan and SUV markets, the arrival of its brand-new MPV model is expected to deliver a powerful blow to the MPV market.