On October 13, Lantu Zhiyin officially launched. The new car offers four models priced between 196,900 and 236,900 yuan (33280$). The Long Range Smart Edition has a limited discount price of 179,900 yuan (25280$), with only 3,000 units available. Lantu Zhiyin is the fourth car from Lantu. It is a mid-size pure electric SUV that the entire Dongfeng Group highly anticipates. The new car uses the ESSA intelligent electric architecture and the all-domain 800V silicon carbide platform. Under CLTC conditions, it achieves a maximum range of 901 kilometers.
The Lantu Zhiyin features a family design language. It retains the iconic light strip and illuminated Lantu logo. The car offers two front styles. One style has a body-colored closed grille. The other style features an inward-curved grille.
The Lantu Zhi Yin features a dual-channel design at the front. Air flows in from below the headlight strip. It exits through the vents on the hood. This design provides downforce and enhances stability. The dimensions are 4725mm in length, 1900mm in width, and 1636mm in height. The wheelbase measures 2900mm.
The Lantu Zhi Yin features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 vehicle chip. It has a 15.05-inch OLED display that slides to the passenger side. A hidden small table sits above the glove compartment. For intelligent driving, the Lantu Zhi Yin uses a self-developed visual driving system. It includes two Texas Instruments TDA4 driving chips with 16 TOPS of computing power. The system has ten cameras and five millimeter-wave radars. It supports high-speed NOA and urban LCC. The Lantu Zhi Yin offers two versions: the Long Range Smart Edition and the Four-Wheel Drive Global Edition. Both are built on a 400V platform. The Long Range Smart Edition has a 215 kW drive motor, achieving a CLTC range of 625 kilometers. The Four-Wheel Drive Global Edition features dual motors with a combined power of 320 kW and a CLTC range of 570 kilometers. The Long Range Supercharge Edition and the Ultra Long Range Smart Edition are based on an 800V platform. Both have a 230 kW drive motor. The Long Range Supercharge Edition achieves a CLTC range of 650 kilometers and supports a 5C charging rate. It can reach a peak charging power of 400 kW. Charging from 20% to 80% takes 10 minutes, adding 515 kilometers of range in 15 minutes. The Ultra Long Range Smart Edition boasts a CLTC range of 901 kilometers.
After understanding the Lantu Zhi Yin, let’s compare it to the current market. The Zeekr 7X surpassed 20,000 pre-orders on October 7. The Lido L60 did not disclose specific numbers, but Li Bin stated that orders surged. The new Zhiji LS6 exceeded 20,000 pre-orders by October 9. Additionally, the Avita 07 received 11,673 pre-orders within 20 hours of launch and 25,386 pre-orders in 17 days. The Zhijie R7 also crossed 9,600 orders during the October 1 holiday. Each model met ideal market expectations. Among these, the Zeekr 7X aligns most closely with the Lantu Zhi Yin in positioning. Both belong to high-end new force brands from traditional car manufacturers.
Next, we compare the Zeekr 7X and the Lantu Zhi Yin. We choose the Lantu long-range version and the Zeekr 7X long-range rear-drive version. Their prices and ranges are similar. The space in both is comparable. However, the Zeekr 7X offers more power. The Lantu Zhi Yin comes at a lower price.
The Lantu Zhi Yin lacks advantages in size and wheelbase compared to the Zeekr 7X. However, data shows their space is similar. Both vehicles offer comparable headroom and legroom. Seat support and comfort are also good in both cars. Family users seeking spacious vehicles will find both models satisfactory. Both cars are pure electric. The Lantu Zhi Yin has 80 kW less power and 45 Nm less torque than the Zeekr 7X. Their top speeds are nearly the same, but the Zeekr 7X accelerates faster from 0 to 100 km/h. In terms of energy consumption, the Lantu Zhi Yin uses only 13.6 kWh per 100 km, 0.7 kWh less than the Zeekr 7X. Their efficiency is similar. Regarding price, the Lantu Zhi Yin’s long-range version costs 236,900 yuan (33280$), 13,000 yuan (1830$) less than the Zeekr 7X’s long-range rear-drive version. Both models do not require a purchase tax. Thus, the Lantu Zhi Yin has a pricing advantage. The Lantu Zhi Yin leads in range and features CDC suspension, but the Zeekr 7X offers better handling.
In terms of range, both cars use CATL’s ternary lithium batteries. However, the Lantu Zhiyin has a larger capacity battery pack. It offers an additional 130 kilometers compared to the Zeekr 7X, reaching an impressive 901 kilometers. Both vehicles feature a rear-mounted single motor and rear-wheel drive, along with an 800V high-voltage platform. Looking at the chassis, the Lantu Zhiyin has a MacPherson front suspension, while the Zeekr 7X uses a double-wishbone setup. This is the biggest difference between them. The Lantu Zhiyin also comes with larger tires and a CDC variable damping suspension system. This significantly enhances comfort, especially on bumpy roads. However, the Zeekr 7X excels in handling compared to the Lantu Zhiyin. Both vehicles have similar smart cabins, but the Zeekr 7X offers better intelligent driving features.
In the smart cockpit, the Lantu Zhi Yin features a smaller central control screen, AR-HUD, and LCD instrument panel compared to the Zeekr 7X. Both cars use the Qualcomm 8295 vehicle chip. The Zhi Yin’s central screen can slide to the right. In our initial experience, both systems performed well. The voice response speed, UI interface, and smoothness were practical and met daily needs. In smart driving, both cars support L2+ level assistance. However, the Zhi Yin only offers highway NOA, while the Zeekr 7X provides both highway and city NOA navigation. The hardware differs. The Zeekr 7X includes one LiDAR, five millimeter-wave radars, eleven perception cameras, and twelve ultrasonic radars. It uses two NVIDIA Orin-X chips with a computing power of 508 TOPS. The main difference is that the Zhi Yin lacks LiDAR. It relies on Lantu’s self-developed pure vision driving solution, with only five millimeter-wave radars and ten cameras, and has lower computing power. In conclusion, the Lantu Zhi Yin is a highly anticipated model. It offers a maximum range of 901 km and features 800V technology with 5C ultra-fast charging. It has a spacious interior, comfortable chassis, and highway NOA. While these highlights may not stand out, they provide high practicality that meets user needs. With a lower price than competitors, it is likely to generate market interest and achieve stable monthly sales.