Introduction | Lead

JiYue Automobile's second model, the JiYue 07, has officially rolled off the production line. On August 28, the End-to-End AI Intelligent Driving Conference once again showcased this model on the stage of smart cars. JiYue Automobile announced at the conference that the JiYue 07 would be equipped with an advanced AI intelligent driving system, enabling autonomous driving and intelligent decision-making in various scenarios. Is JiYue 07, which claims to empower family cars with L4 autonomous driving, genuinely capable or just a show?

Produced by | Heyan Automobile Review Studio

Written by | Cai Jialun

Edited by | Heyan

Total word count: 1762

Reading time: 3 minutes

JiYue 07 is one of the promising new models in the field of intelligent driving.

On the eve of the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show, JiYue Automobile announced that the pre-sale price of JiYue 07 starts at 215,900 yuan. This new model will officially launch on September 10. Meanwhile, JiYue's newly released V2.0 software version will debut on this model, covering upgrades and optimizations to over a dozen major modules such as end-to-end large-scale model intelligent driving, intelligent vehicle networking, and large-scale intelligent cockpit. JiYue's predecessor, Jidu, branded itself as a "car robot." Although backed by industry giants Geely and Baidu, its journey has been bumpy. Can the upcoming JiYue 07 become the key to turning JiYue's fortunes around?

△ JiYue 07 will be launched on September 10

Has JiYue Automobile emerged from the 'ICU'?

JiYue Automobile shares many similarities with Xiaomi Automobile, but their respective journeys have been different. In March 2021, Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, announced with great enthusiasm that Xiaomi would enter the automotive industry. Lei Jun's charisma gave Xiaomi Automobile a promising start. However, in January of the same year, Jidu Automobile had already announced its establishment, preceding Xiaomi. Created by the internet giant Baidu and the independent automaker Geely, Jidu Automobile was once seen as a potential player in the future of intelligent driving. However, due to qualification issues, Jidu Automobile disappeared, replaced by JiYue Automobile. Although the brand logo and Jidu's mass-produced model ROBO 01 remained unchanged, the transition from Jidu to JiYue was a significant disappointment for Robin Li, CEO of Baidu.

△ The renaming of Jidu's mass-produced model ROBO 01 to JiYue was a significant disappointment for Baidu

Although JiYue 01 has been launched, the cost was that Baidu retreated from its leading role to become a technical solution provider, ceding control of car manufacturing to Geely. Sales of JiYue 01 were initially disappointing, with three-digit figures from January to April this year. Fortunately, sales began to rebound in May, reaching 2,117 units in August, prompting JiYue CEO Xia Yiping to choke up several times at the "End-to-End AI Intelligent Driving Conference." For JiYue Automobile, the journey has been bumpy, and its belated success is particularly valuable compared to Xiaomi Automobile's unbridled triumph. As sales of JiYue 01 begin to rise, it signals that JiYue has overcome a minor hurdle, but there is still a long way to go.

△ JiYue 01 sold 2,117 units in August

Is JiYue 07 self-congratulatory or confident?

The upcoming JiYue 07 is positioned as a C-segment pure electric AI intelligent driving sedan. Judging from its pre-sale price and overall positioning, JiYue 07 clearly targets Xiaomi SU7 and confidently introduces the ASD intelligent driving system, featuring the first end-to-end large-scale model for L4 autonomous driving.

Based on Baidu's AI technology and Geely's SEA architecture, JiYue 07's most appealing feature is its AI and autonomous driving technology. Currently, Baidu has accumulated over a decade of experience in AI technology and autonomous driving, leading the field technically. Baidu Apollo's L4 autonomous driving mileage has exceeded 100 million kilometers, and its safety and reliability are widely recognized.

JiYue 07 adopts a "pure vision + end-to-end large-scale model" intelligent driving solution. Compared to the traditional "LiDAR + high-precision maps + rule-based algorithms" approach, the former can continuously improve its best performance through the rapid evolution of AI large models. It is claimed that JiYue's pure vision high-level intelligent driving has superior perception capabilities to mainstream LiDAR, capable of recognizing mineral water bottles within 200 meters. In terms of the intelligent cockpit, JiYue has launched the industry's first native AI large-scale model cockpit, which, after integrating with Baidu Wenxin, has transcended the traditional rigid question-and-answer interaction of voice assistants and supports lip-reading functionality.

However, JiYue 07's design has also elicited criticism from some consumers. For example, Xia Yiping stated that JiYue spent 300 million yuan in engineering costs to move the A-pillar of JiYue 07 back by 6.5 cm for aesthetic purposes, but consumers argue that this design is inconsequential. Additionally, the hidden door handles and JiYue's unique U-shaped steering wheel have been criticized for their lack of practicality. The removal of traditional turn signal stalks and the integration of gear shifting onto the screen have also been criticized as counterintuitive. The elimination of physical buttons and the reliance on voice control for many functions have raised concerns among consumers. On the one hand, JiYue touts the convenience of intelligent driving; on the other hand, consumers' criticisms of the design create a stark contrast.

△ JiYue 07's complete elimination of physical buttons has sparked controversy

Commentary

For JiYue Automobile, being backed by industry giants Baidu and Geely is a significant advantage, giving it a head start. However, compared to Xiaomi Automobile, which was established in the same year, JiYue's journey has been bumpy, and its final models have not achieved impressive sales figures. This contrast has been a significant blow to JiYue Automobile. The new model JiYue 07 consistently emphasizes the cutting-edge nature of its intelligent driving system and AI innovations. However, the true test lies in whether it can truly consider the daily needs of drivers and grasp the psychology of consumers, which is what a good product should strive for.

(This article is originally written by Heyan Automobile Review and may not be reproduced without permission)