Who will be the next "GAC Mitsubishi"?

The new energy market continues to grow at a visible rate.

According to sales data released by the China Passenger Car Association, the new energy penetration rate in May has reached 47.0%, gradually matching the traditional gasoline-powered vehicle market.

Amid this new energy market frenzy, domestic brands are the most eye-catching, with BYD, AION, Hongmeng Zhixing, Lixiang, and other brands showing stable growth. Only Tesla, a foreign brand, can hold up the scene, while other joint venture brands seem to be able to attract users only through price cuts.

These cold data give a sense of the complete collapse of joint venture brands. As the saying goes, "practice is the sole criterion for testing truth." After visiting several joint venture brand dealers in Guangzhou, we found that each brand has a distinct attitude towards its own pure electric vehicles.

Yueda Kia: Giving the C position to EV5, but it's not enough to break the deadlock

When we first arrived at Yueda Kia's dealership, the first thing we saw was the Kia EV5. This model is Kia's only domestically sold pure electric vehicle in the Chinese market. From product preheating to launch, to subsequent new models and price adjustments, we can see the high degree of importance the official places on the Kia EV5.

During the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show, the Kia EV5 was launched, with the announced starting price being cheaper than the pre-sale price by 10,000 yuan. Moreover, the subsequent launch of the Kia EV5 long-range version had a purchase threshold of only 184,800 yuan. Looking at the domestic compact pure electric SUV market, only the Kia EV5 has a CLTC pure electric range exceeding 700km, and this purchase threshold is quite cost-effective.

After the launch of the Kia EV5 long-range version, sales of the series did increase, but the sales data never reached the forefront of the same-level market. After chatting with sales personnel, we found that many customers who came to see gasoline-powered cars discovered that Yueda Kia had such a pure electric vehicle. Finally, some of these customers, after weighing their needs, chose to switch from "gasoline-powered cars" to the pure electric vehicle camp.

In terms of design, the Kia EV5 closely adheres to the minimalist design style of new forces. However, in other aspects, Kia adheres to pragmatism. Retaining physical buttons preferred by "old drivers" is one aspect. The Kia EV5 may be the model with the most physical buttons in the new energy market. In addition, features like an on-board refrigerator and a pull-up trunk floor, which are not available in the same class, indeed greatly enhance the overall practicality of the vehicle.

We test-drove the Kia EV5 long-range version, and its power output left a deep impression on us. It has