China new models September 2022: LI L9, NIO ET5 and Xpeng G9 arrive
LI L9
After analysing September 2022 Chinese wholesales, it is now time to detail the new locally produced models for the month. This way you can stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the largest and most dynamic market in the world. This month we have no less than 15 new models hitting Chinese roads (a record), 14 of them Chinese which confirms the trend towards domestic manufacturers (hitting 50% of all passenger vehicles sold this month). To thoroughly understand the dynamics at play in China, make sure you consult our Exclusive Guide to all 192 active Chinese Brands
1. LI L9 (10,123 sales)
LI, for Leading Ideal, has been one of the success stories of recent years, hitting a best of 14,087 units last December, all with a single model, the One. The L9 is therefore the 2nd model of the brand and it is an Extended Range EV, meaning its 1.5L ICE only powers the battery. It has two electric motors for a combined 449 hp, giving it a total range of 1,100 km. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. The LI L9 is full size SUV with 6 seats. Interior-wise, the it has a large touch screen as well as a 15.7 in screen for the 2nd row located in the roof. The L9 has 25 sensors including a LiDAR, 11 cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars.
Priced at 459,800 yuan (63,200€ or US$62,900) compared with 349,800 yuan for the One, LI wants the L9 to compete with the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7. Unfortunately, rather than adding to the One sales, it looks like the L9 has cannibalised the previous model as the One is down -80.2% year-on-year to just 1,408 sales in September. This may have to do with the fact that when ordering the L9, owners of the One get a discount of US$ 1,500 to 4,500. 50,000 units have already been booked. We consider that the L9 has already reached its bar for success and would qualify as one if it stays at the same level in the long term.
Bar for success: 10,000 monthly sales
2. Dongfeng Aeolus Haoji (4,579 sales)
Dongfeng has been a little discreet in terms of launches recently, and the Aeolus (Fengshen) Haoji is here to rectify this trend. It is available in two versions: an ICE one powered by a 204 hp 1.5T engine mated to a 7-speed DCT and a PHEV adding a 245 hp electric motor and mated to an electronically controlled E-CVT. The interior features a linked twin screen setup, one for instruments and one for infotainment.
Priced from 126,900 to 146,900 yuan (17,400-20,200€ or US$17,400-20,100), the Haoji sites above the Aeolus AX7 (95,900-129,900). It enters a crowded segment and will compete with the likes of the Changan CS75 Plus (117,900-154,900 yuan), the GAC Trumpchi Emkoo (119,800-169,800 yuan) which we cover below and the Haval H6 (98,900-157,000 yuan). The AX7 peaked at 10,677 units in January 2017 so we want at least 6,000 monthly sales to call the Haoji a success.
Bar for success: 6,000 monthly sales
3. GAC Trumpchi Emkoo (4,310 sales)
After the Empow sedan, GAC Trumpchi now launches the Emkoo compact SUV, featuring a spectacular grille. This launch is a little old-fashioned these days as the Emkoo doesn’t offer any PHEV or EV variant. It is available as a 177hp 1.5T, a 252hp 2.0T and a 238hp HEV 2.0. The Emkoo is 4.68m long. Note it has hidden door handles a la Tesla. The interior is classy and sober with black and silver tones, including two touch screens. Priced between 119,800 and 169,800 yuan (16,500-23,300€ or US$16,400-23,200), the Emkoo will compete internally with the GAC Trumpchi GS4 Plus (126,800-149,800 yuan) and with the likes of the above Dongfeng Aeolus Haoji (126,900-146,900 yuan), Geely Xingyue L (137,200-185,200 yuan), Changan CS75 Plus (117,900-154,900) and Geely Boyue L (129,800-175,800 yuan). Its start is solid already but we want more to be successful.
Bar for success: 7,000 monthly sales
4. BAW Yuanbao (3,650 sales)
Here we have yet another Wuling Hongguang MINI EV fighter. The Yuanbao is a micro EV produced by BAW, once a division of Beijing. It is targeted at women and therefore has a pastel colour palette. It is a 3.16m long two-door and sits four. There is also a four-door version in the works. The interior is very impressive for the price which we’ll detail further down. It feature a 10.25-inch twin screen unseen in its competitors and giving it an extra edge. The car is limited to city travel with 120km and 170km ranges depending on the model. Priced from 33,900 to 49,900 yuan (4,700-6,900€ or US$4,600-6,800), it competes with the likes of the Wuling Hongguang MINI EV (32,800-99,900 yuan), Chery QQ Ice Cream (39.900-57,500 yuan), Dongfeng Fengon MINI EV (32,600-59,100 yuan) and Changan Lumin (48,900-63,900 yuan). Looking at bar for success, we’d want it to reach 5,000 monthly sales.
Bar for success: 5,000 monthly sales
5. Jetour Dasheng (3,050 sales)
Chery’s Jetour hadn’t launched any new model since its very successful launch in 2019 and had therefore seen its sales thaw. The Dasheng inaugurates a new nomenclature and a completely new exterior design language with, once again in this month’s launch, a very striking grille. It is a sporty SUV aimed at young buyers all the while keeping a tight pricing as is the case for all Jetour models. For now it is only offered as a 197hp 1.6T ICE but three additional versions will be released later: 2.0TGDI, a 1.5T mild hybrid) and a 1.5T PHEV. It features Huawei’s L3 autonomous driving assistance system and a 15.6 inch infotainment touch screen. Priced between 99,900 and 135,900 yuan (13,700-18,700€ or US$13,700-18,600), it will compete internally with the Jetour X70 Plus (77,000-140,000 yuan) and with vehicles such as the COS Z6 (99,900-129,900 yuan), Haval H6 (98,900-157,000 yuan) and Changan CX75 Plus (117,900-154,900 yuan). We have a pretty high bar for success for the Dasheng given the popularity of the Jetour brand.
Bar for success: 7,500 monthly sales
6. Dongfeng Fengxing/Forthing Yacht (1,207 sales)
This is Dongfeng’s second launch this month, a 4.85m long mid-size MPV available in six or seven seats. It is powered by 197hp 1.5T engine. The main feature of the Yacht is its enormous Lexus-like grille and strangely shaped headlights, giving the front of the model a slightly unbalanced feel. The interior features a twin digital screen but is on the smaller side for a current Chinese model. Also, round air vents make the interior look older and the bottom of the dash is made of questionable quality plastics. Priced from 119,900 to 154,900 yuan (16,500-21,300€ or US$16,400-21,200), the Yacht will face the likes of the Maxus G50 (87,800-165,800 yuan), Geely Jiaji (119,800-142,800 yuan) and GAC Trumpchi M6 (109,800-159,800 yuan) and competes in size with the Hyundai Custo (169,800-218,800 yuan). Dongfeng has a long history of successful MPVs with the legendary Future, still on sale now, but this format isn’t as popular as it used to be, meaning its bar for success is relatively low.
Bar for success: 4,000 monthly sales
7. Geometry G6 (986 sales)
8. Geometry M6 (542 sales)
After a slow start, Geely’s EV brand Geometry has been kicking goals lately, hitting an all-time high for the 2nd month in a row in September at over 15,000 units. The G6 sedan arrives to further better this score, and the M6 is the small crossover version. The range is 480 or 620 km. The exterior design is rather bland but with Geometry’s late success it shouldn’t be an issue. Notice the hidden door handles which are starting to be a standard feature on newly released Chinese models. The interior features a 10.2 inch instrument screen and a 14.6 inch touchscreen but it has rectangular-shaped section at the bottom of the dash which bring the quality feel way down.
Also, the Steering wheel, dash trim and seat are matched with the exterior colour of the car, in the case above turquoise blue which is an acquired tasted to say the least. Priced between 152,800 and 174,800 yuan (21,000-24,000€ or US$20,900-23,900), it starts above the Geometry A (126,800-207,800 yuan) and competes with the BYD Qin Plus (111,800-175,800 yuan) and GAC Aion S Plus (163,800-191,600 yuan). The M6 small crossover is at the exact same price range and competes with the GAC Aion Y (137,600-202,600 yuan) and BYD Yuan Plus (137,8000-165,800 yuan). The Geometry A peaked at 6,307 units in September and the E at 6,314 in August, we’d want a little more than half that to call the G6/M6 successes.
Bar for success: 3,500 monthly sales each
9. Leap Motor C01: 561 sales
BEV brand Leap Motor sales are up 214.9% over the first 9 months of 2022. It broke its all-time volume record for 4 consecutive months between May and August this year, lifting it to 12,525 wholesales. The C01 stylish large sedan is the brand’s fourth model after the S01 coupe, the T03 small hatch and the C11 SUV. Interestingly, Leap Motor offers a lifetime warranty for the first owner. There are two electric engine versions for the C01: a 272hp single motor or a 544hp dual-motor. The C01 offers four different ranges depending on the variant: 525, 606, 630 and 717 km. It has a very aerodynamic silhouette with a gently falling roofline and the obligatory hidden door handles, resulting in an extra low drag coefficient of 0.226.
The C01 has 11 cameras and 12 ultrasonic radars. Inside, the dashboard is very impressive with a triple screen panel with a 12.8 in central touchscreen and two 10.2 in screens on each side. Priced between 193,800 and 286,800 yuan (26,600-39,400€ or US$26,500-39,300), the C01 is slated above the C11 (179,800- 239,800) and competes with such vehicles as the Neta S (199,800-338,800 yuan), BYD Seal (209,800-286,800 yuan) and BYD Han (214,800-329,800 yuan). 100,000 reservations reportedly have been made for the C01, but it’s free to reserve a car so sales may be lower. In any case it’s a good sign for the future success of the car. For comparison, the C11 hit a peak of 6,582 units in July so our bar for success is slightly lower.
Bar for success: 5,000 monthly sales
10. NIO ET5 (221 sales)
NIO is the only brand coming close to Tesla in term of cult-following in China. It reached a high of 12,961 wholesales in June and has maintained itself above 10,000 monthly units since. After launching the ES7 last month, here is the ET5, the brand’s second sedan after the ET7. It is still assembled by JAC and was unveiled at the NIO Day in December 2021. Three different battery packs give it ranges of 550, 700 and 1000 km. As a 4.79m mid-size sedan (10 cm more than the Tesla Model 3), the ET5 is the smallest and cheapest NIO so far and an attempt by the brand at becoming more mainstream. Its exterior design features the narrow headlights that have made it to all NIO models so far, and a fastback silhouette as well as the mandatory hidden door handles.
The interior is almost a piece of art with the dashboard lining continuing onto the doors, hidden air vents and a large 12.8 in centre touchscreen. Let’s not forget the NOMI virtual assistant which turns its head towards whoever is speaking in the car. The ET5 is priced between 328,000 and 386,000 yuan (45,100-53,100€ or US$44,900-52,800) and logically slots well below the ET7 (458,000-536,000 yuan). It will face such models as the Zeekr 001 (299,000-386,000 yuan) and the famed Tesla Model 3 (277,000-349,900 yuan). In terms of sales potential, for comparison the ES6 peaked at 5,260 sales in September 2021, the EC6 at 3,482 in November 2021, the ES8 at 3,349 in November 2018 and the ET7 at 4,349 in June 2022. Given it is much cheaper than the latter, we anticipate the ET5 could quick become the brand’s best-seller.
Bar for success: 4,000 monthly sales
11. Xpeng G9 (184 sales)
Xpeng is one of a handful of Chinese EV startups to have managed to cross the symbolic 10,000 monthly sales milestone, hitting 16,000 wholesales in December 2021. The G9 is a mid-size SUV and the brand’s fourth model after the G3 compact crossover and the P7 and P5 sedans. It is the first Xpeng model to be conceived with international markets in mind. It has a plethora of driver assistance features including lidar sensors cleverly embedded in the headlights. It is capable of L4 autonomous driving. There are two versions of the G9: a 310 hp rear wheel drive and a 543 hp AWD.
Three ranges are available: 570, 650 and 702 km. The exterior design is rather classic with the customary split headlights and hidden door handles However a strange and large silver band completely surrounds the bottom of the car, giving off the impression of a heavy vehicle. The interior features three screens including two massive 15 in ones in the centre and passenger side. Priced from 309,900 to 469,900 yuan (42,600-64,600€ or US$42,400-64,300), the G9 is the most expensive Xpeng model so far. It competes price-wise with the VW Talagon (299,900-407,900 yuan), the Ford Edge (309,800-399,800 yuan), Tank 500 (335,000-395,000 yuan) and VW Teramont (295,000-405,000 yuan). The P7 sedan peaked at a stellar 9,183 wholesales back in March this year, but let’s be conservative on the bar for success given the G9’s price.
Bar for success: 4,000 monthly sales
12. Soueast DX8 Plus (160 sales)
Soueast is a dying brand, selling only 532 units in September and down -18.1% so far this year to 4,839 units. The brand hasn’t launched any model in years and little is known about this DX8 Plus apart from its price from 86,900 to 89,900 yuan (11,900-12,400€ or US$11,900-12,300) and the fact that it is based on the Jetour X70.
Bar for success: 1,000 monthly sales
13. Wuling Xingchi (133 sales)
Wuling wholesales have roughly followed the market this year at +5.4% to 530,395 units, kept afloat by the tremendous success of the Hongguang Mini EV. The Xingchi is the third and smallest SUV for the brand after the Hongguang S3 and Xingchen/Asta. It displays the silver Wuling logo which means it is destined to international markets atop the domestic one. The exterior design is clean and angular, following the “dynamic wing” design DNA. It is 4.35m long and is powered by a choice of two engines: a 99hp 1.5 and a 147hp 1.5T delivering a 0 to 100km/h in just 8.7 seconds, so pretty sporty SUV to boot. Inside, customers can enjoy a 10.25 in central control touchscreen.
But the main asset of the Xingchi is its impossibly tight pricing: 56,800 to 86,800 yuan (7,800-11,900€ or US$7,800-11,900), making it one of the cheapest SUVs on the Chinese market. As a reminder the Xingchen/Asta is priced from 69,800 to 109,800 yuan and the Hongguang S3 from 60,100 to 82,800 yuan. The Xingchi competes with the likes of the Baojun 510 (53,800-80,800 yuan), Geely Binyue (75,800-119,800 yuan) and Chery Tiggo 5x (69,900-101,900 yuan). As for sales potential, the Xingchen/Asta peaked at 19,073 wholesales in December 2021 but has been evolving at markedly lower levels since then. We’d want at least 10,000 monthly sales to consider the Xingchi a success.
Bar for success: 10,000 monthly sales
14. Buick Envista (125 sales)
Unveiled at the Chengdu Motor Show last August, the Buick Envista is the sole foreign model of this list. It departs from the brand’s traditional design with split headlights and a coupe SUV silhouette. It almost looks like a Chinese car! It’s supposed to feature the brand’s new front face so we may see further clones appearing on the market shortly. It also displays Buick’s new logo. The Envista is the 6th Buick SUV on sale in China after the Encore, the Encore GX, the Envision S, the Envision Plus and the Enclave. It slots in the range between the Encore GX and the Envision S.
It is powered by a 184hp 1.5T engine and, surprisingly, doesn’t offer any New Energy variant. In fact the Envista is a twin of the recently launched Chevrolet Seeker (which we covered in last month’s China new models article), sharing the wheelbase and engine. The interior includes a bizarre trapezoidal digital tile split into two screens, one for instruments and one for infotainment. The Envista is priced from 152,900 to 178,900 yuan (21,000-24,600€ or US$20,900-24,500) compared to a noticeably lower 139,900-164,900 for the Seeker. It competes in price with the much larger Geely Xingyue L (137,200-185,200 yuan) but one of its main rivals will be the Honda ZR-V (159,900-195,900 yuan). We’ll set the bar for success at the same level as the Seeker.
Bar for success: 3,500 monthly sales
15. Hongqi HQ9 (23 sales)
The HQ9 is luxury brand Hongqi’s first foray into the MPV market. It is a 7-seater. This type of vehicle is traditionally used by luxury hotels to transport VIP guest so the second row seats always get special treatment. In case of the HQ9, they are separate with large armrests and footrests and are adjustable in 16 different ways through one large digital tile per seat. Passengers can also enjoy a foldable table on the back of the front row seats. The HQ9 is powered by a 252hp 2.0T engine enabling the 0-100 km/h in 9.5 sec. Priced between 358,800 and 538,800 yuan (49,300-74,100€ or US$49,100-73,800), the HQ9 slots in-between the HS7 (275,800-463,300 yuan) and the E-HS9 (509,800-779,800 yuan) in the Hongi lineup. It will compete with the Buick GL8 (232,900-533,900 yuan), Denza D9 (329,800-459,800 yuan) and the Mercedes V-Class (478,800-646,800 yuan).
Bar for success: 1,000 monthly sales
