Recently, Xingtu Automobile officially released its first medium and large pure electric SUV - Star Era ET, which will compete directly with popular models such as Ideal ONE, and its pre-sale price range is 199,000-329,000 yuan, which can be said to be directly aimed at the mainstream market.
As a new masterpiece in the passenger car product matrix of Xingtu Automobile, the release of the Epoch ET undoubtedly makes the originally competitive medium and large electric SUV market ambitious.
The exterior is simple and the interior is high-end
In terms of appearance, the Star Era ET continues the consistent design style of Xingtu and adopts a simple and atmospheric line design. The front face is equipped with integrated LED daytime running lights and a Lincoln-style radiator grille.
The side view shows typical SUV proportions, with large wheels and concealed door handles further enhancing the car's sporty look. The rear of the car continues the family design language of the front face, and the shape of the lamp group echoes the front face, while showing a certain sense of hierarchy.
In terms of interior, Epoch ET uses a lot of soft materials, with a central control screen of 15.6 inches and a variety of smart mode functions. The front row has a through-line design with a control panel that slides back and forth in the center, creating a sense of spaciousness.
In addition, the interior of the car also uses a large number of high-quality materials such as Marble rock slabs and real wood trim to improve the ride comfort.
The powertrain offers a variety of options
In terms of power system, the Epoch ET provides two options: pure electric power and range extender. The all-electric version is mated to a permanent magnet synchronous motor and is available in single and dual motor configurations, with a power range of around 230 kW and a range of up to 760 km.
The extended-range version is mated to a 1.5-liter engine and electric motor, with a range of up to 200 km. By providing a variety of power options, Epoch ET is undoubtedly able to meet the needs of different users.
Straight to the top competitors
Obviously, in terms of positioning and price, the Star Era ET is more to compete with popular models such as the Ideal ONE.
Compared with the ideal L7 and L8 models of the same level, the Star Era ET still has a certain gap in intelligent driving assistance and human-computer interaction experience, but its hardware configuration and endurance performance are not inferior to its opponents.
Considering that Xingtu Auto is slightly inferior to ideal in terms of brand recognition, it remains to be seen whether Xingtu ET can quickly open the market.
However, from Nissan Ariya, Great Wall Lenu FL to Dongfeng E35L, it has become an inevitable trend for medium and large intelligent electric SUVs to become the key direction of each factory.
In this context, the debut of Epoch ET provides consumers with more choices and helps accelerate the progress of the industry.
The mid- and large-sized SUV market under the wave of electrification
In fact, driven by the global wave of vehicle electrification, medium and large intelligent electric SUVs have become a booming segment. Well-known domestic car companies have invested in this field, bringing many new product choices.
The BYD Han series is a typical representative, and the new Han DM-i and Han DM-i Hybrid will be released successively in 2023, as BYD's twin heroes in the medium and large SUV segment.
Models such as the Ideal ONE and Zhenmei L9 Pro also showed strong competitiveness. Driven by hot-selling models, the domestic smart SUV segment grew by more than 50% in the first half of 2022.
In fact, compared with compact SUVs, medium and large SUVs have more advantages in space and practicality, which also meets the needs of domestic family travel.
At the same time, the sense of wide vision and road sportiness brought by the medium and large body can also better meet the emotional demands of consumers. Therefore, in terms of function and emotion, the mid-to-large SUV market has a broad room for growth.
At present, the product matrix of medium and large SUVs is constantly enriched, and internationally renowned brands are also accelerating their layout. For example, models such as the Cadillac Lyriq, Audi e-tron, and Tygas Highlander are all competitive.
This indicates that the mid-to-large SUV market will be fiercely contested in the next few years. Whether Xingtu can seize the opportunity and gain an advantageous position remains to be tested by time.
Xingtu's strategic layout under the wave of electrification
From the perspective of Xingtu Auto itself, its passenger car business is also in a period of rapid transformation. In the context of the abundant supply of fuel models, Xingtu is not too early in the transformation of electrification, but it is not too lagging behind. Since the beginning of this year, Xingtu has successfully launched a number of electric models and established a relatively complete product matrix.
In terms of A-class cars, Xingtu launched the Xingli S1, which is a high-positioning intelligent electric SUV with a price range of 15-200,000 yuan.
In the field of B-class cars, there are two compact SUVs to choose from, Xingli T3 and Xingli T5, both of which use a small number of power battery packs, and the price can reach about 100,000 yuan, which is a product positioning to attract more consumers.
As a flagship masterpiece, the Epoch ET has further improved the layout of Xingtu in the mid-to-high-end SUV segment. Combined with the Xingli M8 mid-size SUV launched in the early stage, Xingtu has established a bottom-up product system.
There are electric vehicle models in each market segment, which can better adapt to the needs of different consumers.
Of course, the transition to electrification requires long-term accumulation, and relying on products alone is not enough to open up the market. In terms of promoting network construction, after-sales service improvement, user experience improvement, etc., Xingtu has a long way to go.
However, as long as we unremittingly promote the electrification strategy, Xingtu will definitely be able to stand out in the industry competition and become a mainstream electric vehicle company in the future.