Now, the domestic new energy market is receiving increasing attention, especially the new energy passenger car segment. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, in the period from January to September 2023, the cumulative sales of new energy passenger cars basically equal the total sales of new energy SUV/MPV, with the market share of pure electric cars reaching as high as 39.4%. Furthermore, from the second half of this year, the market heat of pure electric cars has significantly increased.
In the 200,000-level pure electric car market, the popular models in this segment were mainly the BYD Han EV and the Tesla Model 3, so they have strong development potential. Major car companies are also eyeing the prospects of this market and have successively launched pure electric models. For example, the recently launched Luxeed S7 is one of them. So, does this large and medium-sized pure electric car, jointly developed by Huawei’s Smart Selection Car and Chery Automobile, have the potential to be a hot seller? The brand-new OneBox design is a hit with young people.
In terms of appearance, the Luxeed S7 adopts a new OneBox design, with an extremely simple and straightforward impression. The front end features a closed design with a seamless connection between the light strip and the rounded headlights. The headlights also include a wide-angle lighting system, with a beam width of 50 meters for safer nighttime driving. On the side of the car, the lines are very concise, with hidden door handles and a sleek design that exudes a sporty vibe. The 21-inch five-spoke wheels feature red Brembo brake calipers, adding to the sporty atmosphere.
In terms of body size, the length, width, and height of the Luxeed S7 are 4971mm, 1963mm, and 1474mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2950mm. In the same class of vehicles, these dimensions do not have any particular advantage. However, thanks to the OneBox design concept, the interior cabin space of the Luxeed S7 has been longitudinally extended, with an actual seating space length of 1910mm and a rear legroom of 945mm, making the space very spacious.
At the rear, the popular through-style taillight design is equipped, with a smoky black spoiler added to the upper side, plus a slightly exaggerated black diffuser, making the sportiness more prominent. In terms of appearance, the Luxeed S7 is not overly radical, but rather adds sporty elements to its simple and stylish design, making it targeted at young people and young families, effectively expanding its audience. The novel “yacht cockpit” is equipped with the HarmonyOS 4 car system for the first time.
In terms of interior, the simple style of the exterior continues. The design, officially called the “yacht cockpit,” divides the central control area. The flat front deck provides a clearer driving view, and the raised 12.3-inch dashboard makes information viewing more intuitive. The leather-wrapped oval three-spoke steering wheel has an outstanding grip, making it easier to handle, and users can easily view or operate the information on the 15.6-inch floating screen.
The flat design of the front end of the co-pilot’s dashboard not only can temporarily serve as a desktop, but also can be opened upwards to place small items. In terms of comfort and practicality, the front seats of the Luxeed S7 can be ventilated/heated to ensure comfort in all seasons, the co-pilot seat is a zero-gravity seat, ensuring comfort, and the new car also includes features such as a cold and warm refrigerator, three 66W super fast charging ports, and two 50W wireless super fast charging ports.
Of course, the biggest highlight of the intelligent cockpit of the Luxeed S7 is its intelligent configuration. It is the first model to be equipped with the Hongmeng 4 car system, with the built-in intelligent voice assistant Xiaoyi accessing the Huawei Pangu large model, achieving a higher level of intelligence. It can engage in more natural car conversations, such as directly asking it “Xiaoyi, what’s wrong with my car now?” if there is an abnormal icon on the vehicle’s dashboard. If Xiaoyi answers that it’s a tire pressure issue, you can then ask “What is the tire pressure now?”
Additionally, the intelligent voice assistant Xiaoyi also acts as a thoughtful butler. If the weather quality is poor or the temperature drops suddenly, Xiaoyi will remind or suggest opening the air purification system or the constant temperature adaptive mode to ensure a healthy and comfortable driving environment. Furthermore, during the driving process, Xiaoyi will learn from user preferences, collections, and other information to recommend nearby beautiful scenery or food to the user, without the need for the user to make the choice. It can be said that this new intelligent voice assistant is much “smarter” than language recognition models that can only engage in mechanical Q&A.
In addition to Hongmeng 4, the Luxeed S7 also comes with the HUAWEI ADS 2.0 advanced intelligent driving system, which integrates perception solutions through 28 sensors including 1 laser radar, 12 ultrasonic radars, 3 millimeter wave radars, and 11 cameras. Compared to models that create high-precision maps, the recognition of driving scenes can be updated in real time, and the scene perception is very comprehensive and accurate, ensuring travel safety.
At the same time, the Luxeed S7 has a city elevated entrance and exit success rate of over 99%+, which is absolutely leading in the industry, significantly reducing the frequency of users needing to take over the steering wheel and naturally freeing up their hands. Incredible performance, ultra-long battery life, and a powerful chassis.
In terms of power, the Luxeed S7 is equipped with the new generation DriveONE 800V silicon carbide motor, with the option of rear single motor and dual motor all-wheel drive versions. The rear-wheel drive version has a maximum power of 215 kW, while the all-wheel drive version has a total power of 365 kW and a total torque of 679 Nm, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 3.3 seconds.
The performance of the all-wheel drive version is very competitive in the same class of vehicles, but the guide price of the Luxeed S7 all-wheel drive version reaches 349,800 yuan (49020$), which is significantly higher than the price of the same class all-wheel drive version. In terms of range performance, the Luxeed S7 uses the Huawei “Whale” 800V high-voltage platform, with CLTC working condition pure electric range of 550km, 705km, 630km, and 855km.
In terms of charging efficiency, the Luxeed S7 uses Huawei super fast charging technology, with a 5-minute charge adding 200+ km of range, and a 15-minute charge adding 400+ km of range. It can be said that in terms of maximum pure electric range and charging efficiency, the Luxeed S7 has a competitive advantage in the same class or price range.
In terms of chassis, the Luxeed S7 is equipped with the Huawei Tuling intelligent chassis, which uses front double wishbone independent suspension + rear multi-link independent suspension, and also includes suspension softness and hardness + height adjustment, as well as air suspension. Its multi-modal fusion perception system can judge road and vehicle conditions through sensors, and with the assistance of CDC electronic control shock absorbers, it can provide a more sporty or comfortable driving experience according to the driver’s driving intention.
At the same time, it is also equipped with the Huawei DATS dynamic adaptive torque system, which can automatically distribute the torque of the front and rear motors according to the road conditions, improving driving comfort. The addition of the Huawei xMotion intelligent body coordination control system can keep the body parallel to the ground at all times, and suppresses the vehicle’s starting and braking movements, preventing passengers from feeling dizzy.
It can be said that the intelligent level of this chassis is quite competitive in the same class. However, only the top-of-the-line model of the Luxeed S7 has the air suspension function, and it cannot be selected for other configurations, which is indeed a bit of a downside.
Overall, the Luxeed S7 not only has a high level of attractiveness, but also has intelligent configurations that are a major “killer move”, definitely “beautiful and capable”. In terms of space, performance, endurance, and chassis, this new car also has significant advantages in the same class. However, it should be pointed out that the price of the Luxeed S7 is not particularly affordable, with a starting price close to 250,000.
The base model does not support optional advanced smart driving functions such as valet parking and track reverse parking, and features like unmanned valet parking and remote summoning are only available as optional extras on mid-range and above models. However, overall, if the budget is sufficient and you want to buy a pure electric car without obvious shortcomings, then the Luxeed S7 is a good choice.