The success of Honda P7 does not depend on Guangzhou and Wuhan, but on the headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

On March 3, 2025, GAC Honda held its Technology Experience Day. Under the spotlight and in front of the large LED screen, the Ye P7 made a low-key appearance. The reason why it was called low-key was that its volume was completely drowned out by the hot afterglow of Xiaomi Lei Jun's release of the SU 7 Ultra and Seres' release of the new M8.

Except for the battery which comes from CATL, all other important components of this pure electric SUV are self-developed, carrying Honda's pledge to fully electrify the Chinese market by 2035.

However, when the "Honda" logo flashes in the cold light of the electronic exterior rearview mirror, people see not only technological iteration, but also the staggering back of a fuel empire struggling to turn around in the wave of new energy.

Honda's sales in China plummeted by 30% year-on-year in 2024, and GAC Honda's sales in January fell by as much as 57% year-on-year. The Accord, which once cost an extra 30,000 yuan to buy, now sells less than 1,000 plug-in hybrids per month; the sales of the e:NP series electric vehicles have long been hovering in the three digits, and netizens have dubbed them "new energy Akalin".

Obviously, the debut of the Ye P7 is Honda's final counterattack against the changing times, and also a battle to defend the dignity of the joint venture brand in the new energy battlefield.

The pricing of Ye P7 is between 160,000 and 220,000 yuan, which is exactly the Shura field in the new energy market.

Tesla Model Y starts at 249,900 yuan, and will sell 450,000 units in China in 2024; BYD Song L EV enters the market at 179,800 yuan, equipped with the Eye of God intelligent driving system; Leapmotor C11 has lowered its price to 148,800 yuan, opening up a gap with its extended-range hybrid.

None of these competitors are easy to deal with. They have built a triple encirclement of brand, market and cost-effectiveness. Honda wants to break through with just one car, which obviously ignores the user's ability to think.

On the other hand, although the Ye P7 is equipped with Honda Yunchi pure electric platform and Honda Intelligent Link system, its intelligent auxiliary driving system Honda Sensing 360+ has not yet realized the city navigation function. With an electric body and a fuel brain, such a car cannot be said to have no appeal to young people in the current Chinese market, but it can only be said that it may not be very attractive.

On the other hand, Honda executives continued to emphasize at the press conference: "We conducted 402 vehicle tests and 372 collision tests," and even said, "There is no talk of good driving pleasure for 60 years."

This discourse system from the era of fuel vehicles will inevitably encounter value dislocation in the new energy battlefield - young consumers are more concerned about whether the car is trendy and intelligent enough, and they are more willing to pay for laser radar and urban NOA. I am afraid that these are not the answers of Ye P7, at least in terms of its appearance design, it does not seem to have anything to do with the word "appearance".

The more fatal crack appeared in the price system. When Model Y reduced the cost of parts to the extreme through the Shanghai Super Factory, and BYD made almost everything except tires by itself, Honda's proud global procurement system has become a huge burden. The price of the four-wheel drive version is expected to reach 220,000 yuan, which is at least one Wuling Hongguang more expensive than the domestic cars of the same level, but its appearance, battery life, intelligent driving and charging speed are not better than those of its competitors.

Faced with the inescapable cost dilemma, Honda's choice is to emphasize the "driving control" gene.

The Ye P7 is equipped with a front double wishbone and rear five-link suspension, a 50:50 axle load ratio, and ADS electromagnetic shock absorbers. It ran 83km/h in the moose test, 7km/h higher than the Model Y. This combination of punches attempts to replicate the handling myth of the Civic Type R, but the performance standards of the electric car era have long been rewritten. These data are almost nothing compared to electric cars. Using this set of rhetoric to promote sales is tantamount to using the sword of the previous dynasty to kill the officials of the current dynasty. The sword is a real sword, and it is a good sword, but the opponent has not been found.

The success or failure of the Ye P7 is related to the time window for Honda's electrification transformation in China. According to the plan, Honda will stop selling fuel vehicles after 2027 and complete full electrification in 2035, which means that at least 6 new cars will be launched in the next three years. But the reality is cruel. Judging from the past communication efficiency between Honda headquarters and Guangben and Dongben, it is really too difficult for them to launch a new car with sufficient competitiveness every six months.

Honda's predicament is essentially a microcosm of the generational change of industrial civilization. As Chinese automakers continue to capture cities and strongholds, this war has long gone beyond the scope of product competition. The Ye P7 may be able to harvest some sentimental users by relying on its past reputation, but if it wants to truly break through the siege, the problem is not in Guangzhou or Wuhan at all, but at 2-1-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The decision makers at this address must first walk out of the door and take a look at the outside world.

Going out and taking a look is crucial for Honda at the moment.