The Wanjie M9, which made its debut at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show as “the best SUV under one million yuan,” has just been officially launched. Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong, when introducing his own product, always had a confident smile on his face. When comparing it to its competitors, he directly ignored China’s largest competitor: the Ideal L9. Instead, he benchmarked it against a variety of models such as the Bentley Bentayga, Maybach GLS, and Rolls-Royce Cullinan. This move inevitably raises doubts: is the Wanjie M9 also going to be sold at a ridiculously high price? In fact, the final price of the Wanjie M9 is only 469,800 to 569,800 yuan (79740$). The reason for daring to compete with a group of luxury cars is that the Wanjie M9 is indeed equipped with advanced, technological, and luxurious configurations.
The all-new Wanjie M9, based on a new D-class platform, retains family elements in its design, while adding new features such as skyline design, floating roof, and 3.1-meter long flat side windows. In addition, due to the overall streamlined body, its minimum drag coefficient is only 0.264Cd, which is extremely rare in large SUVs.
In addition, the most eye-catching feature of the car is its self-created HUAWEI XPIXEL Huawei million-pixel smart projection headlight, which uses a unique dual-reflection spatial optical system. In addition to having a very futuristic and modern lighting effect, the system can also achieve 3-meter ultra-close range intelligent welcome, precise shading without disturbing oncoming vehicles, wide light blanket, 100-inch outdoor giant screen projection, and many other rich intelligent functions. It can be said that the lighting configuration of the WENJIE M9 completely achieves the level of being unique and superior to others.
The interior space of the WENJIE M9 is the most impressive advantage. With a maximum flat floor design of 3.04 square meters, the passenger space in the WENJIE M9 reaches 2725mm. In the second row, the WENJIE M9 features new zero-gravity seats with heating, ventilation, massage, 14-way power adjustment, and a creatively added horizontal adaptive dual armrest function. In addition to maximizing relaxation, it also solves the problem of cup placement when lying flat. In the 3, 4, 5, and 6-seat flexible seating modes, all rows of the WENJIE M9 can enjoy first-class treatment. In the future, family trips will no longer have to worry about priority.
Compared to previous models, the WENJIE M9 boasts even more intelligent features inside the car. It has a total of 10 screens, including the industry’s first car-grade projection system and a 32-inch retractable projection screen, providing a theater-level viewing experience. The car’s three-screen interactive display, paired with the new HarmonyOS 4, promises a smooth and enjoyable multi-screen operation, even though we have not yet experienced it hands-on.
The M9 is equipped with a 25-unit professional sound system with an output of 2080W. Paired with Huawei’s leading technology and algorithms, it features unique functions such as super sense spatial sound, smart sound field, privacy sound shield, and smart sweet spot. The intelligent chassis of the M9 uses high-performance aluminum alloy and integrated aluminum alloy die-cast frame. It also comes with intelligent closed-loop air suspension and CDC variable damping shock absorbers. With 5-level intelligent height adjustment, it achieves a balance between comfort and handling. In addition, with the support of four major technologies such as HUAWEI ADS intelligent road perception, iVSE intelligent vehicle status perception, new HUAWEI DATS dynamic adaptive torque system, and HUAWEI xMotion intelligent vehicle body cooperative control system, the M9 can achieve all-round perception. According to Yu Chengdong, “The M9 can go anywhere.”
For safety, the Wey M9 also achieves luxury level. It includes 9000 tons of integrated die-casting technology, 12 areas of 2000MPa nuclear submarine-grade hot-formed steel, and fully wrapped 9 airbags. In terms of the most crucial core battery, there is also the Huawei “Whale” 800V high-voltage battery platform, which provides all-weather protection through cloud-based BMS battery management.
In addition to passive safety protection, the Wanjie M9 has also made many advancements in active safety. HUAWEI ADS 2.0 achieves powerful AEB capabilities. When facing stationary vehicles and pedestrians, the automatic braking speed can reach up to 120km/h. The first ESA emergency steering assist is launched to automatically control steering to help drivers avoid collisions. The rear active safety capabilities are further enhanced, and braking will occur if the accelerator is mistakenly pressed.
In terms of power and endurance, it goes without saying that the configuration of the WENJIE M9 is still top-notch. Depending on the different versions and specifications, the pure electric version is equipped with front and rear dual motors with a maximum power of 390kW. The extended-range version, on the other hand, features a powerful combination of a 1.5T range-extending engine and dual motors with a peak power of 365kW. In terms of endurance, the pure electric version is equipped with an 800V high-voltage silicon carbide platform, with a range of 150 kilometers after 5 minutes of charging and a range of 630 kilometers under CLTC conditions. In the case of the extended-range version with full fuel and full power, the comprehensive range can reach 1402 kilometers. In conclusion, in the comparison with the Ideal L9, Yu Chengdong directly chose to ignore the opponent and directly elevated the benchmark model to the level of tens of millions. Faced with luxury cars such as the Cayenne and the Cullinan, the WENJIE M9 has indeed demonstrated its own characteristics and advantages. Certainly, brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce are still considered divine in people’s minds. However, the emergence of the WENJIE M9 has forced people to consider a question: is the premium of luxury cars just an intelligence tax? Perhaps one day, after the evolution of practical luxury cars like the WENJIE M9, the rules of the luxury car market may truly need to be rewritten.