Zhijie has recently made a series of strategic adjustments, marking its entry into a latest development trend. To support this transformation, Zhijie established a new R&D center in Wuhu, named “Songshan Lake,” in Roland Town, and added two styling design centers in Beijing and Shanghai. This restructuring has significantly expanded the R&D team to over 5,000 people, and R&D investment will reach tens of billions of yuan over the next three years. At the same time, Zhijie is accelerating the development of independent stores and channel recruitment, striving to achieve comprehensive innovation in sales and service.
While this strategic adjustment may seem ordinary, it’s actually a major transformation attempt. Traditional automakers typically maintain a strict product tiering system, tightly controlling the value of each model to maintain production capacity, sales, and profits. However, constrained by these decision-making chains and established systems, it’s difficult to create compelling products that adapt to new market demands. After separating from the Chery Group system, Zhijie gained greater autonomy in strategic decision-making and product definition.
Huawei, which leads the operation of the Zhijie brand, has accumulated extensive experience in the mobile phone industry. With its innovative product form factors, proprietary chips, and HarmonyOS, it has successfully carved out a niche in the high-end market. Its software and hardware R&D capabilities not only support its product premiums but also have earned widespread recognition among the younger generation through products such as the Nova series. The Wenjie brand, created in partnership with SERES, further demonstrates Huawei’s cross-industry capabilities. Wenjie experienced explosive sales in its third year of sales, with its third model, the Wenjie M9, becoming the top-selling model in the Chinese market, priced over 500,000 yuan in its first year.
With Huawei’s support, Zhijie launched two new models, the R7 and S7. This marks another major advancement for Zhijie since Huawei took the helm. This time, Huawei is targeting young consumers, committed to meeting their demand for comprehensive product value. Under the influence of smart devices and AI technology, the consumption concepts of today’s young people are undergoing profound changes. They place greater emphasis on products that resonate with people, provide intelligent experiences, and precisely match their daily lives.
The Zhijie R7 and S7 models have revolutionized social interaction for young people through visual innovation. The new R7 features an Aurora Green paint finish, crafted with a triple pearlescent process for exceptional quality. The S7 adds a new Roland Purple interior with unique natural mother-of-pearl veneer. These design touches not only elevate the exterior and interior, but also elevate the car from a means of transportation to a work of art, becoming a new means of self-expression for young people.
Beyond the emotional resonance of their design, the Zhijie R7/S7’s value is also reflected in their technological features. Entering the “pure-blooded HarmonyOS” era, Zhijie leverages technology to meet user needs and maximize their sense of achievement. All new models come standard with the HUAWEI ADS 4 assisted driving system, which includes Huawei’s latest 192-line LiDAR and distributed 4D millimeter-wave radar hardware updates, as well as software upgrades for navigation assistance, active safety features, and intelligent parking assistance. In the current new energy vehicle market of RMB 200,000 to RMB 300,000, assisted driving has become the core competitive track, and Zhijie has entered the competition with a generational advantage. The entire series is equipped with HUAWEI ADS 4 as standard, achieving technological equality between the RMB 200,000-class models and higher-level models.
The Zhijie R7/S7 also excels in the cockpit. Unlike traditional automakers, which tend to focus comfort features on the passenger or rear seats, the Zhijie upgrades both the front and rear seats to 123-degree zero-gravity seats with thicker cushions, pneumatic massage, and heated leg rests. High-end features such as a 16.1-inch 3K central control screen and a 21-speaker HUAWEI SOUND audio system create a “fully immersive cockpit,” transforming the vehicle into a “third living space” for young people.
The successful refresh of the Zhijie R7/S7 demonstrates Huawei’s deep understanding of the principles of the youth market: technological leadership is the foundation, but precisely resonating with value is the key to sales. Since taking the lead in Zhijie, Huawei has not only supported technological innovation with tens of billions of yuan in R&D investment and a team of 5,000 people, but has also deeply understood the needs of young people, transforming its products into “super playmates” that resonate with them. From the new car paint color to the user-created LOGO, from the dual zero-gravity seats to the “third space experience” constructed in the cockpit, Zhijie has never simply understood “youthfulness” as a pile of configurations, but has used an integrated production, sales, and service strategy to win wide recognition in the young market.
