What does Zunjie rely on to venture into the million-yuan price range?

Huawei will hold the Huawei Mate brand event in the afternoon of November 26th. It has been confirmed that in addition to releasing multiple new phones, the new Zhinjie S7 and Zunjie brands will also be announced, and the first model of the Zunjie brand, the S800, will also make its debut at that time.

The new Zhijie S7 has started pre-sales on November 12th, and relevant information about the new product has also been released. Currently, consumers are more anticipating the Zunjie brand and the Zunjie S800. After all, during this Guangzhou Auto Show, although the Zunjie S800 was exhibited, the official did not disclose the exterior design to all visitors but only invited a small group of media to visit and film in advance. Most visitors' perception of Zunjie was limited to the brand logo.

Image source: Dianchetong Photography

Due to confidentiality agreements, the media that visited in advance could not disclose design details early. They could only reveal information orally. Some automotive design bloggers drew conceptual images of the Zunjie S800 in advance, but since this was not officially announced information, its authenticity is for reference only. Yu Chengdong revealed that the Zunjie S800 is about 5.5 meters long, which can only prove that the visual impact created by the entire vehicle will not be weak.

It was not until recently that Zunjie Automobile released teaser images of the Zunjie S800's taillight design and rear 45-degree view of the body, providing consumers with more valuable information about the new car.

Screenshot: Weibo @Zunjie Automobile

Before this, Dianchetong had interpreted the interior of the newly exposed car in advance. This time, we will combine the teaser images to see if this new car deserves the million-yuan level.

There are many 'classic elements,' and Huawei's 'lighting factory' approach remains unchanged

Image source: Weibo @Zunjie Automobile

The official has only revealed the rear and side views so far. The first thing we notice is the body color scheme. This two-tone design with different colors for the roof and body does have similarities with super-luxury brands like Maybach and Bentley, and the equipped 'big pie wheel hub' also gives it a luxurious feel.

Taking the Maybach S-Class as an example, not all regular models come with a two-tone body. If a user wants to opt for a two-tone body, they need to spend an additional few thousand to tens of thousands of yuan, creating the phenomenon that 'two-tone Maybachs are more prestigious than single-tone ones.' As for why Maybach models prefer to be equipped with 'big pie wheel hubs,' it is indeed because they have a unique shape and visual impact.

After enlarging the image, Dianchetong noticed that in the center of the wheel hub is the Zunjie Automobile brand logo. It is not yet known whether this logo has a hub-suspended emblem similar to Rolls-Royce, but since it is to be benchmarked against Rolls-Royce, it is entirely possible for the Zunjie S800 to apply a hub-suspended emblem, especially since this technology has already been applied to the AITO 011.

The Zunjie S800 is not equipped with electronic exterior mirrors, and a camera module is installed on the front fender, indicating that the new car will continue to use Huawei's Kunlun Intelligent Driving ADS 3.0 system. The rear roof section may be a camera to meet intelligent driving functions or a streaming media rearview mirror. A relatively unique design detail is the hidden door handle with a starry sky visual light group. Dianchetong speculates that when users open the door, there will be a corresponding projection on the ground, embodying a sense of elegance.

Image source: Weibo @Zunjie Automobile

Of course, the taillight group has relatively clear details. The Zunjie S800 adopts a relatively thick through-type light group, and there are also starry sky elements inside. It is expected that the taillight group also supports customizable functions.

I believe attentive friends have noticed that HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's flagship models seem to love this 'starry sky light' aesthetic. The AITO M9's intelligent interactive matrix headlights and the Enjoy S9's starry sky headlights can both achieve dazzling visual effects. Dianchetong believes that lighting is precisely the source of confidence for HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's flagship models to benchmark against super-luxury brands. It is also one of the few appearance configurations that can create a buzz.

Consumers are not stupid. For a product that suddenly enters the luxury brand market, they initially hold a skeptical attitude. Unlike product strategies in the mainstream market, high-end luxury models need to attract users at first glance. More importantly, traditional luxury models can still use design and brand stories as selling points, but HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving needs to do more. On the basis of continuing the luxury design, it also needs to provide consumers with a unique product experience.

Image source: HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving

No matter how loud the brand story is told, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is essentially a latecomer to the luxury brand market. The advantage of HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving lies in technology. Therefore, models like the AITO M9 and Enjoy S9 play up their lighting. In addition to visual effects, configurations like Huawei Smart Headlights have become the key for HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving to benchmark against luxury brands.

Among luxury brands, Audi is known as the 'lighting factory,' but when it comes to creating a buzz, it is indeed far inferior to HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving. Although the price of the Zunjie S800 is much higher than models like the AITO M9, it can be affirmed from the released teaser images that the new car will continue the approach of using technological configurations to create a sense of luxury.

The exterior upgrades of the new Zhijie S7 are not significant. At the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving booth on the media day of the auto show, Yu Chengdong revealed that the new Zhijie S7 mainly has four upgrades: one is the addition of multiple paint colors; the second is the interior materials, which will include ultra-fiber suede and eco-friendly water-based leather; the third is the replacement of Huawei Kunlun Intelligent Driving ADS 3.0; and the fourth is performance improvements, although no details have been released. As for the price, Dianchetong speculates that the price range of the new Zhijie S7 will not differ significantly from that of the currently sold models.

Image source: HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving

It is not difficult to guess that at the press conference on November 26th, the Zunjie S800 will be the absolute protagonist in the automotive sector, and the interpretation of the new Zhijie S7 will not take up too much time. However, the sales performance of the Zhijie S7 in the domestic market is not particularly outstanding, with a significant gap compared to the similarly positioned Xiaomi SU7. Of course, the sales data of the Zhijie S7 is gradually increasing, with 7,397 units sold in October, outperforming the Zeekr 001. If the official provides corresponding limited-time benefits and discounts during the product launch event, Dianchetong believes that the new Zhijie S7 still has growth potential.

HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's 2025 Strategy: 'The More Children, the Better the Fight'

The Zunjie S800 and the new Zhijie S7 are most likely the last two new products released by HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving this year. After the release of these two new cars, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's 'Four Worlds' will be officially launched. In summary, the current sales mainstay of HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is still the AITO M7 and AITO M9. Although the Zhijie S7 has potential, it has not yet demonstrated top-level performance in its market segment. The prices of the Enjoy S9 and Zunjie S800 are such that they will be difficult to become high-volume models in the future. It will be good enough if they can become benchmark products recognized by the market.

To address the issue of a relatively single sales composition, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving will adopt a multi-car strategy next year. According to 36Kr Auto, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving will launch over 10 new models next year, including the AITO M8, Enjoy S9 Extended Range/Long Wheelbase/Travel versions, the second mass-produced model of Zunjie, and other new models. Other models currently on sale will also undergo facelifts and upgrades.

Screenshot: @36Kr Auto

In Dianchetong's opinion, the models that are likely to further increase brand sales are the AITO M8 and Enjoy S9 Extended Range versions. It is understood that the AITO M8 will be launched in the first half of 2025, with the goal of benchmarking the Li Auto L9. Frankly speaking, there is a price difference of about 100,000 yuan between the AITO M9 and the Li Auto L9. To benchmark the Li Auto L9 more directly, AITO Automobiles indeed needs to come up with a corresponding product.

The AITO M8 is currently only in the spy shot exposure stage. Combining previous information, the AITO M8 adopts a front face and taillight group similar to the AITO M9 but does not have the same 'watchtower-style' LiDAR as the AITO M9. HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving adheres to the LiDAR faction. The AITO M8 does not have LiDAR, which is more likely because the official aims to lower the purchase threshold by equipping the low-end model with the Huawei Kunlun Intelligent Driving Basic version.

Regarding configuration capabilities, the AITO M8 is positioned between the AITO M7 and AITO M9. Therefore, both models offer configurations such as the HarmonyOS cabin and zero-gravity seats, which the AITO M8 will also have. The AITO M7 and AITO M9 have both sold well, and the AITO M8 is expected to achieve good results after its launch. However, the only potential downside for AITO Automobiles is that the AITO M8 may cannibalize the original market share of the AITO M9, as more consumers tend to 'get more for less,' similar to Li Auto's L series, where the best-selling Li Auto L6 and Li Auto L7 are not much worse positioned than the Li Auto L9.

Image source: HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving

It is no secret that the Enjoy S9 plans to launch an extended-range version. To be honest, in the 400,000-yuan mid-to-large-sized new energy vehicle market where the Enjoy S9 is positioned, relying solely on the advantages of pure electric vehicles does not provide much competitiveness. Not to mention the competition with traditional luxury models, even compared to domestic models like the Denza Z9GT and AITO 12, their sales data are higher than that of the Enjoy S9. The secret to their success, besides ensuring their configuration advantages, lies in their hybrid power systems.

Although HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is a latecomer to the luxury market, the sales data of multiple products under its brand have already surpassed those of star models under traditional luxury brands, such as the AITO M9 and AITO M7. Undoubtedly, according to the current product planning, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's product system will be significantly strengthened, especially with the introduction of extended-range versions, allowing products that originally only had pure electric powertrains to smoothly enter mainstream market segments, thereby truly meeting user needs.

(Cover image source: Weibo @Zunjie Automobile)

Source: Leitech