Chery Jetour's ambition to conquer high-end off-road

In recent days, Jetour has made a breakthrough and released a new series of luxury electric hybrid off-road products - Jetour Zongheng. The first batch of three new cars, G700, F700 and G900, based on the Zongheng architecture, were unveiled.

An off-road brand that used to focus on "cost-effectiveness" and "ecological services" is now joining the "high-end market", which will still attract some doubts. For the industry, what ecosystems will be changed by the addition of Jetour?

First of all, it should be made clear that the participation of Jetour will definitely boost the development of China's high-end off-road tracks. You know, even by 2025, Chinese car companies still have little say in this area.

On the one hand, off-road is a niche market in China. Although consumer perceptions have changed in recent years, the demand for off-road vehicles is still not very large. According to statistics, in 2023, the output of my country's hard-core off-road vehicle industry will be 263,500 vehicles, an increase of 53,300 vehicles from 2022; although the demand has increased by 61,300 from 2022, it will only be 293,000.

On the other hand, users in the high-end off-road field often have higher requirements for vehicle technology and quality. Although Chinese automakers have made significant progress in the field of new energy vehicles, traditional fuel vehicle technology still dominates the field of high-end off-road vehicles. For most Chinese automakers that focus on new energy technology, it is okay to meet the simple needs of general users who can "go to the city or the wild", but it is obviously difficult to win over those "high-end users" who travel through mountains and rivers.

Judging from the relevant information already revealed by Jetour Zongheng, it has certain technical highlights.

For example, its core technology vertical and horizontal architecture uses the Kunpeng Super Hybrid CDM-O system, equipped with a hybrid-specific 2.0TD engine with a thermal efficiency of 45.5%. In addition, the world's first longitudinal front-wheel drive 2-speed DHT, 800V navigation propeller, and vector four-motor with 18000N·m wheel-end torque can achieve this architecture. The model can meet the dual pursuit of extreme performance and energy efficiency of off-road enthusiasts.

At the same time, the vertical and horizontal gimbal off-road chassis can also meet the pursuit of off-road enthusiasts for control and conquering capabilities. The addition of technologies such as four-wheel independent control, forward vision preview, and fully active suspension can make the vehicle have better passability and comfort under extreme road conditions.

In short, the JETOUR Zongheng has certain competitiveness in technology. It can't completely break the traditional impression of "no fuel, no off-road", but at least it can bring some pressure to some joint ventures that have deep roots in the Chinese off-road market. At the same time, some domestic off-road brands have a new competitor. Everyone has to be more motivated in terms of products or technology, which is also beneficial to the development of the industry.

Of course, entering the "high-end off-road" market is not that easy. Jetour is not a newcomer to off-road, but the Jetour Zongheng is Jetour's first attempt to enter the high-end off-road field, and it faces a lot of competition.

Judging from the current competitive landscape, can Jetour Zongheng compete with its competitors?

At present, in the field of high-end luxury off-road vehicles, Jetour's competitors are likely to be brands such as Fangchengbao and Great Wall Tank, which also focus on the SUV market. The hard-core off-road series represented by Ford F-150 Raptor and Ford F-150, and the "outdoor light exploration series" composed of Ford Equator, Equator, and Tourneo, also feel oppressive.

These car companies that entered the market early have already gained a certain share and influence in the high-end off-road field. Jietu Zongheng is now entering the market to grab market share, and it needs to consider multiple aspects such as product strength and brand influence. In other words, if it does not have more advantages than the same level, users may not buy it.

For example, in terms of brand influence, the most attractive point of Jetour before was its excellent cost performance. It has a good appearance, reasonable product strength, and a down-to-earth price, so it quickly won the favor of consumers.

Now that Jietu Zongheng is taking the high-end route, its price cannot be very low, that is to say, the "people-friendly" impression it created before is of little use, and it is not something that can be done in a short time to recreate a "high-end impression". Therefore, in this regard, Jietu Zongheng is unlikely to have an advantage.

In terms of technology, the strength of competitors such as Fangchengbao and Great Wall Tank is also relatively strong. For example, Tank has launched a 3.0T hybrid under the Hi4-T system, which can match the power of foreign brands of the same level. At the same time, it solves the battery safety problem and creatively arranges the battery on the inner side of the frame's horizontal and longitudinal beams and the upper part of the body floor. No matter how bumpy the chassis is, it will not affect the safety of the battery.

For example, the Formula Leopard 8 has the world's first "violent mode", which can far surpass traditional mechanical off-road models in terms of power output and low-speed stability.

Although the Jetour Zongheng has low-orbit satellite communications and the Zongheng stress-relieving smart oxygen cabin, which can meet the needs of safe and healthy travel in remote areas and plateau off-road scenarios, its 800V high-voltage fast-charging battery, 2.0TD engine, and other cabin configurations including zero-gravity seats are not unique.

In other words, the product strength is able to "compete" with mainstream high-end products, but the differentiated advantages are not too many, and it is hard to say whether it can beat others.

However, this does not mean that Jietu Zongheng is not a "potential stock" in the current high-end off-road field. Jietu's previous ecological services were very good, which is a favorable condition that many joint ventures, including high-end off-road models of independent brands, do not have. If Jietu Zongheng takes advantage of it, it may help it to seize the market.

It is impossible for Jietu to always take the cost-effective route, which is not conducive to elevating its brand tone and seizing high-end market share. From this perspective, Jietu Zongheng's joining the "high-end game" is beneficial to Jietu's brand "moving up". However, the high-end route is not so easy to take. There are many competitors with "double strength" in brand influence and product strength on the market. It is hard to say whether Jietu Zongheng can beat its competitors. In any case, it is certain that if Jietu Zongheng wants to make progress in the "high-end game", it must be prepared for a protracted war.