The domestic new energy medium and large MPV market has always been relatively hot, among which the best performing model is the Denza D9, but the starting price of the Denza D9 has reached 339,800 yuan, which is beyond the affordability of ordinary consumers, so those more cost-effective models also have good prospects, and the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version of JAC Refine is one of them.
The Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version is priced at 219,900-239,900 yuan, which is obviously a people-friendly type compared with the Denza D9, so can this car snatch some customers from the Denza D9?
Similar style?
Medium and large MPV is really accepted by ordinary consumers, starting from Buick GL8, although Buick GL8 is not as strong as before in the past year, but the design style it created has been popular to this day, Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version and Denza D9 are relatively close in style.
The Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version provides a total of three front faces, which are aimed at different user groups, which can be recognized by home users while meeting the needs of business users. Considering the lower price, the Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version will have many home users.
The DENZA D9 adopts a central mesh composed of a complex scale-like structure, which is relatively recognizable. Judging from the market feedback, most of the users of this car are business users, and the recognition among family users is not high.
The Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version has a body length of 5215mm, a wheelbase of 3100mm, and a 2+2+3 seat layout, with two independent seats in the second row, which can create different space combinations through the folding and sliding of the seats to meet various daily car needs.
The Denza D9 has a body length of 5250mm and a wheelbase of 3110mm, which is not much different from the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version, and both cars have good performance in terms of space.
At the same time, the two cars are also relatively close in the design of the side of the body, and both use the common suspension body.
In terms of interior, the styles of the two cars are also relatively similar. The Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version is equipped with a 12.3-inch central control screen, using horizontal air conditioning outlets, eliminating most of the physical buttons, and also retaining the traditional gear handle, which is a more conservative type as a whole.
The interior of the Denza D9 is also relatively conservative, with the steering wheel, large screen, and gear knob styling all looking decent. The design of the two cars is based on the consideration of the user group, which is mainly used by business users and family users, and the design that is too unconventional may not be popular.
Is Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version more cost-effective?
From an objective point of view, the overlap between the users of the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version and the Denza D9 is not high, because the price difference between the two cars is relatively large. The overall sales volume of the DENZA D9 is higher, but the Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version can provide performance no less than the DENZA D9 at a price of more than 200,000 yuan.
Taking the entry models of the two cars as an example, the price of the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version of the 2024 Zhiling version of the 1.5T 150km premium is 219,900 yuan, and the price of the Denza D9 2024 DM-i 970 luxury model is 339,800 yuan, and the price difference between the two cars is close to 120,000 yuan.
In terms of intelligent driving, the performance of the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version is relatively average, only providing 360-degree panoramic image, transparent chassis, cruise control, reversing side warning, parallel assistance and other driving assistance functions, the degree of intelligence exceeds that of fuel vehicles at the same price, but there is a certain lack of high-end functions.
The DENZA D9 provides high-end functions such as active braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centering, road traffic sign recognition, and remote parking. After all, the price difference between the two cars is more than 100,000 yuan, so the Denza D9 still has a certain advantage in terms of high-end configuration.
In terms of conventional configuration, the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version provides intelligent voice recognition, Internet of Vehicles, 4G network, OTA upgrade, leather steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, rear seat air outlet, temperature zone control, car air purifier, PM2.5 filter device in the car, fragrance in the car and other configurations, and the overall performance is still good.
The Denza D9 is more expensive, and offers high-end configurations that are not available in the Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version, such as rear sunshades, 5G network, 50W mobile phone fast charging, second-row seat heating and ventilation massage, Dynaudio brand speakers, and car refrigerator, and performs better in terms of comfort.
In terms of power, the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version is equipped with a 1.5T engine with a maximum power of 120kW, and a front-mounted single motor with a maximum power of 160kW, with a pure electric range of 150km under CLTC working conditions.
The Denza D9 is equipped with a 1.5-liter engine with a maximum output of 102 kW and a front-mounted single motor with a maximum output of 170 kW, giving it an all-electric range of 103 km in CLTC mode. Compared with the Refine RF8 plug-in hybrid version, the DENZA D9 is slightly behind in terms of power performance, and there is no advantage in terms of practicality.
How does Refine RF8 Plug-in Hybrid Stack compete with DENZA D9?
In the short term, it is difficult for the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version to reach the level of DENZA D9 in terms of sales, but the market demand for medium and large MPVs in new energy has always been relatively strong, and the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version can still bring some pressure to the DENZA D9.
The starting price of the Denza D9 has reached 339,800 yuan, while the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version is only 219,900 yuan, which can attract some family users with a low car purchase budget. For these users, the fancy high-end configuration may not be attractive, large space, low fuel consumption, and high appearance are what they want, and the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version only needs a price of more than 200,000 yuan to meet their needs, which is also the survival of the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version.
The market capacity of medium and large MPVs for new energy continues to expand, and both the Denza D9 and the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version have good prospects. For the Ruifeng RF8 plug-in hybrid version, it can achieve good results as long as it captures a part of the family users with a car purchase budget between 20-250,000 yuan.