The BYD Hiace 07EV was officially launched
Keywords: mid-size pure electric SUV / 189,800 to 239,800 yuan / BYD's new platform
On May 10, BYD's all-new mid-size electric SUV, the Hiace 07EV, was officially launched. The car is based on the all-new e-platform 3.0 Evo, and it is also the first model equipped with BYD's own high-end intelligent driving, with a price of 189,800 to 239,800 yuan.
In terms of appearance, the Hiace 07EV borrows the design elements of the Ocean X concept car, showing a sporty style that is different from the previous Dynasty series. The car is larger in size and has a more slender profile than rivals Tesla Model Y and Xpeng G6, but with a lower body height.
The interior design uses a variety of elements of the Ocean Net model and a high proportion of soft materials, and the center console is equipped with a large touchscreen and integrates functions such as gesture control for air conditioning and a 3D car control system.
The powertrain is available in a variety of configurations, including a dual-motor all-wheel drive version with up to 530 hp and a 000 km/h acceleration time of as little as 4.4 seconds. In terms of charging, except for the basic version, which is a 400V platform, all other models have a full-range 800V architecture, and all support fast charging functions.
The Hiace 07EV will compete with models such as the Xpeng G6 and Tesla Model Y. At present, except for the Model Y, which has a relatively bright sales performance in the market, the rest of the models have not achieved monthly sales of more than 10,000 units. BYD, with its relatively average configuration performance and brand appeal, may pose a certain threat to the Model Y.
Geely Panda has added a special Karting model
Keywords: micro electric vehicle / 45,900 yuan / sports style design
Geely Automobile's new mini car, the Panda Karting, was officially launched on May 9 with a price tag of 46,900 yuan, and 45,900 yuan after the early discount.
The car is a new derivative of Geely's Panda mini and Knight, with key competitors including the Wuling MINI EV and Chery QQ Ice Cream, especially Wuling's special edition model, the GAMEBOY.
On the outside, the Panda Karting maintains the design style of the Panda family, with a larger body than the rest of the models, equipped with 14-inch two-tone rims and wide-body front and rear surrounds, emphasizing its sporty style. The model is available in three exterior colours: black, white and grey.
Inside, Panda Karting continues to follow a uniform interior style, offering two color schemes, pink and white. The center console is equipped with an 8-inch floating touchscreen and a 9.2-inch instrument display, which supports a variety of intelligent interconnection functions, such as wireless screen projection and voice control.
In terms of powertrain, the Panda Karting adopts a rear-mounted rear-wheel drive layout, with an electric motor with a maximum power of 41 horsepower, a peak torque of 110 Nm, and a maximum speed of 100 km/h. The vehicle is equipped with a 17.03 kWh battery pack, which provides a range of up to 200 kilometers and supports 22 kW DC fast charging and 3.3 kW AC slow charging.
Xingtu Star Era ET was officially launched
Keywords: medium and large SUV / 189,800 to 319,800 yuan / large model assistant
The ET, the first SUV model of Xingtu Automobile, was officially launched on the evening of May 9, and the new car provides two power options: pure electric and extended range. The price range of the new model is CNY 229,800 to CNY 319,800 for the BEV version and CNY 189,800 to CNY 225,800 for the extended-range version. The Epoch ET is built on Chery's E0X electric platform and is positioned in the mid-to-large SUV market.
The exterior design adopts a minimalist style, equipped with the popular through-type LED light strip, and the body length is close to 5 meters, and the wheelbase is about 3 meters, ensuring ample interior space. Inside, marble and real wood are used, with a large floating screen in the centre console and a through-feed design in the front for added convenience.
In terms of power, the EV version has a peak power of 313 to 562 horsepower, depending on the configuration, and has a range of between 625 and 760 km under the CLTC standard. The extended-range version is equipped with a 1.5T range extender with a maximum power of 265 horsepower and a pure electric range of 200 km.
In addition, in order to cater to the current level of intelligence that the industry is focusing on, Chery Star Epoch ET has introduced MateGPT, a large-scale AI voice assistant for smart cabins, to provide intelligent driving assistance in all scenarios of city, highway and parking. Choosing a longitudinal distance between the steering wheel, instrument cluster and HUD will avoid frequent focus changes and improve driving safety.
The official order volume of the Epoch ET has reached 22,000 units, but in the price range of 20 to 400,000 yuan, compared with popular models such as the ideal L7, L8 and Wenjie, the relevance of the Epoch to Chery is still slightly insufficient, which poses a challenge to promote the new model with Chery's market reputation.
Subaru WRX is introduced in limited quantities
Keywords: compact performance car/369,800 yuan/manual transmission
Subaru announced on May 10 that the domestic price of the new WRX model will be CNY 369,800. The car will be introduced to the domestic market through parallel imports, with a limited edition of 200 units, and deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024. Newly introduced is the 2025 Mexican version, with power expected to remain in sync with the international market, offering a very traditional manual transmission.
The new model is the first-generation WRX model to be introduced after Subaru discontinued STI. However, similar to its predecessors, the WRX emphasizes a sportier feel than the average Impreza, which has become a separate model, with a small wide-body design and black side skirts and wheel arches to highlight its status as a performance car.
Inside, the Subaru WRX is equipped with an 11.6-inch vertical screen, and the central control system supports the original Chinese option and CarPlay and other smartphone connectivity functions. Interior features include multi-directional power-adjustable seats, dual-zone independent climate control, Bluetooth system and Harman Kardon audio. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with the EyeSight driver assistance system, which provides essential safety and convenience features such as anti-collision braking, emergency steering assist, and adaptive cruise control.
The WRX is powered by a 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer engine that makes 271 hp and 349 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox that traditional enthusiasts prefer.
In the domestic market, there are not many models that are close to the positioning of the WRX, and the Honda Civic Type R is its main competitor, both of which maintain the tradition of Japanese cars, especially in the configuration of manual transmissions. Considering WRX's limited-edition sales strategy, its uniqueness and collectible value may attract sentimental consumers to buy at a higher price.