JiYue 07 is finally launched.

This "culmination" that brings together the resources of Baidu, Geely, and CATL is finally entering the market for real competition.

The pricing of JiYue 07 is very sincere, with 3 models and 6 color options, and a limited-time purchase discount price ranging from 199,900 to 289,900 yuan. This "rice-flavored" pricing target is very clear, aimed directly at Xiaomi.

CEO Xia Yiping said at the press conference, "We're putting everything on the line."

Just ten days before shouting "put everything on the line," Xia Yiping cried in an interview.

"As you all know, we sold over 200 in January and over 100 in February. I feel terrible about it," Xia Yiping said at the time.

Crying doesn't help, and the automotive market competition doesn't believe in tears. Xia Yiping cried, but why stir up the heat again? Even if JiYue's PR desperately wants to gain sympathy through "crying," ultimately, the market speaks through sales figures.

Of course, building cars is difficult, and both the CEO speaking on stage and the engineers working overtime behind the scenes have put in a lot of effort, deserving of respect. However, as industry competition intensifies, it's hard to say whether JiYue 07 can carry the hope for the brand's future survival.

JiYue 07, "Admirable from afar but not to be trifled with"?

On August 22, just before Xia Yiping cried, JiYue's PR head Xu Jiye was still "bombarding" Xiaomi on WeChat Moments, even using descriptions like "dumping" and "the worst kind of merchant." Afterwards, as CEO, Xia Yiping issued an internal letter instructing relevant departments to severely criticize Xu Jiye...

Criticism is criticism, and crying is crying. Criticism expresses attitude but can't replace accountability. Crying expresses feelings and is an attitude of shareholders: "Look, although sales are not good, I recognize my mistakes and feel guilty." However, this may not serve as a reflection on the past "monthly sales of hundreds of units."

After all, regarding JiYue's sales figures, Xia Yiping has no grievances and shouldn't have any.

Survival of the fittest. The market is cruel and unforgiving. Mistakes lead to passivity, and passivity requires standing at attention.

The question is, if one remains indifferent to past failures and ignores enthusiastic user feedback, what good is crying? What good is criticism? Who should be held accountable for JiYue 01's dismal sales?

JiYue 01, a product born with a golden spoon, had both technology and funding. Geely had top talent in manufacturing, and Baidu had outstanding software engineers, but in the end? Sales were below 200 units in the lowest-selling month.

The so-called "a poor general tires out the whole army."

Perhaps from the outside, the reason for JiYue 01's poor sales wasn't a lack of ability but rather decision-making.

Such as product decisions.

Whether an internet company or an automaker, arrogance is the original sin when creating products for users.

JiYue 01's hardware capabilities are actually not bad, positioning it in the mid-to-large SUV market and comprehensively competing with Model Y. In terms of product capabilities, it offers a range of 580-780km, a high-end version with 544 horsepower, 0-100km/h acceleration in 3.8 seconds, and 10%-80% fast charging in just half an hour...

The biggest problem with this product is that it adopted Tesla's "anti-human" design, such as screen shifting and button turn signals.

Of course, design has no right or wrong, but users have the power to choose not to buy. Dismal sales figures are the most appropriate footnote.

Perhaps Xia Yiping saw Tesla's success and wanted to replicate it. But Tesla has a strong brand appeal and channel strength, so it doesn't have to worry about sales. Therefore, Tesla can be more aggressive in product definition, although this comes at a cost: losing some user groups.

As a new brand, for JiYue to "define" user habits may seem somewhat "arrogant" to many users.

What's "touching" is that this arrogance still seems to exist in JiYue 07.

JiYue 07 has many advantages, with an 800V dual-motor system capable of reaching a maximum total power of 530kW, peak torque of 653N·m, and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.5 seconds.

In terms of charging, it uses CATL's Qilin battery, which charges from 10% to 80% in just 10 minutes.

However, JiYue 07 still uses screen shifting and button turn signals, and has eliminated door handles. Still, with its competitive pricing, sales performance will likely be much better.

I'm also a car enthusiast. When I first saw JiYue 07 in a camouflaged photo online, even though I couldn't see the logo, the lines on the side of the car gave me the feeling of a dream car. I believe many people will have the same feeling when they first see JiYue 07.

In terms of design, JiYue 07 is stunning and impressive, and I personally think it has more design flair than Xiaomi SU7.

Simple, elegant, and aesthetically pleasing.

This aesthetic is both "real" and "illusory."

Real in that as an automotive product of the new era, JiYue 07 is a success. Illusory in that, aside from aesthetics, if we examine JiYue 07 as a "car," it may not satisfy the needs and pain points of most people.

An essential factor in Xiaomi SU7's success is that it provides users with the features they want, while JiYue stubbornly and arrogantly chooses the opposite path.

From a product manager's perspective, Xiaomi SU7 almost fulfills all user needs in terms of functional pain points. It even offers expansion ports and physical buttons, which are very "internet-focused" features, unlike JiYue 07.

Of course, product managers tend to be "obsessive" and full of "elitism."

However, under this "elitist" product definition, ordinary users have no choice but to passively accept. But a good product manager, under the definition of "elitism," can still accurately discern needs and balance design while meeting user pain points.

After all, building cars isn't like crafting art or making digital products. Insisting on Sony-style romance may only deprive the brand of future opportunities.

Competition in the automotive market is brutal, a "do-or-die" scenario.

In the mainstream market of 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, products that can truly serve as sales pillars need to meet the greatest common denominator of user needs.

Regrettably, Xia Yiping may not have deeply understood this point after JiYue 01's failure.

Whether popular or not, JiYue 07 could be a "swan song"?

The launch of JiYue 07 cannot fail, as there aren't many cards left to play.

At the press conference, Robin Li, Zeng Yuqun, and Li Bin were present to lend support, adding a sense of momentum. However, Li Shufu, the actual helmsman of Geely and another major player, was absent, only releasing a congratulatory video to boost the new car's launch.

Today's press conferences are like pre-battle drumming, with louder fanfare adding confidence.

Although Li Shufu's absence is regrettable, upon reflection, it makes sense. After all, an adopted "stepson" isn't as valuable as a "real son." Excessive enthusiasm might not be a good thing. Moreover, JiYue's future is uncertain, and JiYue 07 likely faces a "life-or-death" situation.

Will JiYue 07 be Xia Yiping and JiYue's "swan song"?

This question requires time to answer. As a car enthusiast, from a personal perspective, I hope to see "08, 09" in the future.

After all, the road to building cars hasn't been easy for JiYue and Xia Yiping.

From the company's name change last August to JiYue 01's poor post-launch sales, Xia Yiping faces a chaotic situation. From "Jidu" to "JiYue," the brand needs to start anew, completing the entire process of brand definition and promotion.

According to Tianyancha APP, Geely currently holds 65% of JiYue, while Baidu holds 35%.

Despite relying on Geely, one of the most powerful automakers, and Baidu, a tech giant with a strong technological label, Xia Yiping still seems destined to stumble over the same pitfalls.

"JiYue wasn't born with a billion users," Xia Yiping said. "JiYue has only been around for 12 months since its debut last year. It's a completely new brand."

I believe Xia Yiping is sincere in saying this.

JiYue wasn't born with a billion users, nor did NIO have a billion users when it was founded. Xiaopeng and Li Auto are even further behind. Among the new forces in the automotive industry, aside from Xiaomi and HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving, probably no one else can confidently say they had hundreds of millions of users from the start.

JiYue's dilemma isn't a lack of users or its 12-month existence; it's that until now, JiYue Automobiles hasn't established a genuine user label of its own.

Look at the top-selling brands in the automotive industry, each with a firmly established label.

NIO's user label is social, Li Auto's is family, AITO's is smart technology, Xiaomi and ZEEKR are tech-sporty, Leapmotor is all about extreme value-for-money...

What is JiYue's label? An automotive robot?

But the question is, can this brand label stand the test of time? In terms of products, JiYue is quite radical, nearly eliminating all physical buttons and relying on voice interaction and screens, which looks technological but lacks sufficient differentiation.

Voice interaction is available in almost all car models on the market, and some automakers are integrating large models. The difference in user experience is not obvious.

Nowadays, a truly valuable brand label for automotive products is one that offers sufficient differentiation. Just as Audi once represented technology, BMW represented sports, and Mercedes-Benz represented luxury.

JiYue's "automotive robot" label seems more like a "self-defined label." Whether the market accepts it remains to be seen.

As for intelligent driving, let alone AITO and other brands under HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving, in the current context where Xiaopeng MONA has brought intelligent driving into the 160,000 yuan price range, claiming intelligent driving as JiYue's label may not convince many people.

Objectively speaking, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither are brand labels with just two models. JiYue still has time regarding branding. Of course, whether it has time also depends on whether JiYue 07 can achieve solid sales and bring positive financial returns.

Beyond branding, JiYue's most pressing issue is channel development.

If we compare automakers to water plants, dealership channels are like pipeline networks. No matter how much water a water plant stores, without proper pipelines, how can it sell the water?

JiYue hasn't publicly disclosed the progress of its channel layout and expansion, but it plans to increase to over 250 by the end of this year.

What does over 250 mean?

Xiaopeng has 611 dealerships (as of the end of June), Leapmotor has 653, and even Nezha Automobile has 539. In terms of channel development, JiYue lags far behind.

From this perspective, whether JiYue 07 becomes popular or not is awkward.

If it gains popularity but fizzles out, relying on subsequent market strategies like price adjustments, can the existing channels persist? For how long?

If JiYue 07 sells as well as Xiaomi SU7, with so few dealerships, how can it fulfill the tens of thousands of early orders and digest them all?

These are thorny issues.

If not handled properly, potential customers who have placed orders may turn to Xiaomi or ZEEKR, or delivery delays could lead to widespread cancellations.

Currently, this awkward problem seems almost unsolvable.

This issue is also one that Xiaomi Automobile, with insufficient channels, is experiencing. After placing orders, many potential Xiaomi customers eventually switched to ZEEKR due to delivery delays.

Channel development in the automotive industry is slow and requires significant resources and effort, yet it's essential. While many joint venture dealership owners are considering withdrawing or switching brands, switching also carries risks.

Many successful new energy brands exist, from high-end players like NIO and Li Auto to lower-end ones like Leapmotor. What can JiYue offer to impress investors?

Regarding this, an investor expressed concerns: "If JiYue 07's subsequent order growth is insufficient, it may affect the expansion speed of dealership channels. With only two models for sale and JiYue 01's poor sales, it's uncertain whether the newly launched JiYue 07 can support the operation of a dealership."

Realistically, although JiYue 07's pricing is competitive, it doesn't have an overwhelming advantage over Xiaomi or its sibling brand ZEEKR.

In today's automotive market, if your product doesn't have an overwhelming advantage, it's likely to get dragged into a protracted "price war."

Therefore, it's foreseeable that Xia Yiping and JiYue will face a fierce "war" on branding, channels, and pricing in the future.

Regarding the future, JiYue also has its own judgments.

At the JiYue 07 press conference, Xia Yiping predicted that 2025 will be the year when non-high-level intelligent driving vehicles are eliminated. Next year, with Tesla FSD entering China and Xiaopeng MONA truly taking off, intelligent driving capabilities may become JiYue's last trump card in market competition.

From this perspective, if the newly launched JiYue 07 can maintain its popularity, it won't be without cards to play in the upcoming "sales war."

Ultimately, it comes down to winning over customers' minds. Why did joint venture brands lose so badly? Not only did they lose in technology and products, but also in minds.

Whether JiYue can capture customers' minds is worth watching.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the company's statutory disclosures and publicly available information, but the author does not guarantee the completeness or timeliness of this information. Additionally, investing in the stock market carries risks, and investors should proceed with caution. This article does not constitute investment advice, and investors must make their own decisions regarding investments.