Yu Chengdong Moves into Xiaomi's Core Territory

Author | Chai Xuchen

Editor | Zhou Zhiyu

On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, Yu Chengdong is back to seize new markets.

At the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving Spring New Product Launch on the evening of April 22, Yu Chengdong unveiled six new vehicles in one go. The models lined up on stage ranged from 200,000 yuan-level coupes to 700,000 yuan-level flagship SUVs, and even MPVs, covering almost all the hottest sub-sectors of China's current new energy vehicle market.

In addition to the already pre-sold Shangjie Z7 & Z7T and AITO M6, the event also introduced HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's first MPV—the Luxeed V9—as well as the brand-new AITO M9 and its M9 Ultimate version.

However, the true focus of the entire launch was not quantity, but direction.

When introducing the Shangjie Z7, Z7T, and AITO M6, Yu Chengdong repeatedly mentioned one word: "young." When discussing design, he said "young"; when talking about color schemes, "young"; when addressing handling, "young"; and even when speaking about space and intelligence, it was still "young."

This word was repeated so deliberately that the strategic intent of the event became clear: HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is actively targeting the young market, and its most direct competitor is Xiaomi Automobile.

Over the past two years, Xiaomi SU7 quickly captured the minds of young users with its starting price of 215,900 yuan and strong topicality. Subsequently, the YU7 entered the family SUV market, elevating Xiaomi Automobile from a phenomenon-level product to a branded phase. Meanwhile, Huawei has established a foothold in the family SUV and high-end markets relying on AITO M7 and M9.

Now, the price bands of both parties are beginning to overlap, their user bases are intersecting, and the competition that lasted for many years in the mobile phone era is naturally migrating to the automotive industry. This launch marks Yu Chengdong leading the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving army to officially advance into Xiaomi's core territory.

Seizing Young Buyers' First Car

For a long time, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving had an aura of "starting with middle-aged customers."

AITO M7 targeted the demand for family six-seater SUVs, while M9 addressed the mixed needs of high-net-worth individuals for large vehicles, luxury, and technology. These two models proved one thing: Chinese consumers are willing to pay for intelligence and are also willing to pay for the Huawei brand.

But another fact is equally obvious—if a customer chooses your brand for their first car purchase, they are unlikely to choose you for their second or third car. A channel analyst pointed out to Wall Street News that the biggest fear for automobile brands is a gap in young users.

In the fuel vehicle era, brands like Volkswagen, Toyota, and Nissan grew like snowballs because young people bought Lavida, Sylphy, and Corolla as their first cars, then upgraded to Magotan, Camry, and Highlander once their income increased. Brand loyalty is planted during the first car purchase.

In the new energy era, this path is being rewritten. More and more young people are buying Tesla, Xiaomi, BYD, Zeekr, and Leapmotor as their first cars, rather than traditional luxury brands or Huawei. But this time, Yu Chengdong is launching a frontal assault.

A month ago, AITO M6 and Shangjie Z7 series opened for reservations. Data shows that small orders for AITO M6 have exceeded 100,000 units, while Shangjie Z7 has surpassed 80,000 units, with strong reservation momentum for both models.

On April 22, 2026, Yu Chengdong took the stage again. Throughout the entire launch event, the Shangjie Z7 series and AITO M6 received the longest coverage and contained the most information. An industry analyst told Wall Street News that these two models bear the most critical incremental task for HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving.

First, let's look at Shangjie Z7. Starting at 219,800 yuan, the shooting brake version Z7T starts at 229,800 yuan, forming a close-range battle with the Xiaomi SU7. Since its launch, SU7 has become the benchmark model in the 200,000 yuan pure electric coupe market. Shangjie Z7's entry aims directly at SU7's market share.

Yu Chengdong stated frankly at the launch: "This pricing is very aggressive." Behind this statement lies Huawei's first active offensive posture in the mainstream young market.

Shangjie Z7 did not choose to imitate SU7 point-by-point but instead used a different approach to enter the market. First is the "dual-model layout." Z7 is a coupe, while Z7T is a shooting brake version. The former caters to aesthetics and sports needs, while the latter focuses on space and lifestyle. Data released at the launch showed that Z7T boasts a 648-liter trunk capacity with a depth approaching 1.95 meters, capable of forming a completely flat space.

Intelligent configuration is also extending downward.

Shangjie Z7 comes standard with 896-line dual-light-path image-grade LiDAR and the Kunlun ADS 4.1 system. While Xiaomi SU7 also emphasizes intelligent driving capabilities, Huawei hopes to further solidify the perception that "Huawei's intelligent driving is stronger" among young users through higher-specification hardware.

Range and recharging are also key selling points for Shangjie Z7. Official data shows that Z7 offers a maximum CLTC range of 905 kilometers, equipped with a 100 kWh ternary lithium battery pack, and features a standard 800V high-voltage platform. Charging for just 10 minutes replenishes 600 kilometers of range. Yu Chengdong specifically noted: "The 100 kWh ternary lithium battery pack costs over 14,000 yuan more than a lithium iron phosphate battery of the same capacity, creating significant cost pressure."

If Shangjie Z7 is aimed at Xiaomi SU7, then AITO M6 targets the YU7.

The extended-range version of AITO M6 is priced between 259,800 and 279,800 yuan, while the pure electric version ranges from 279,800 to 299,800 yuan, landing directly in the core 250,000 to 300,000 yuan family SUV segment. This is precisely the market Xiaomi YU7 is currently focusing on.

Their approaches, however, could not be more different. Xiaomi YU7 emphasizes design continuity and intelligent ecosystems, whereas AITO M6 chooses to enter from family usage scenarios. At the launch, Yu Chengdong highlighted zero-gravity seats, a 17.3-inch rear entertainment screen, a compressor refrigerator, and panoramic sunroof electric sunshades.

These configurations lack dramatic parameters but represent the functions most frequently used by families in real life. According to data disclosed at the launch, nearly 70% of M6 reservation users were born after 1990. This indicates that AITO's past label of catering to mature users is being actively broken.

The Beginning of Systematic Warfare

If Shangjie Z7 and AITO M6 are responsible for expanding the user base, then Luxeed V9 and the new AITO M9 are tasked with raising the brand ceiling of HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving.

The new AITO M9 has now opened for pre-sale, with the standard version starting at 499,800 yuan and the extended-length version at 669,800 yuan. The extended version exceeds 5.4 meters in length, entering the core territory of traditional luxury large SUVs. Furthermore, the new M9 will debut the ADS 5 system.

Over the past year, AITO M9 has become a phenomenon-level product in the new energy market above 500,000 yuan, proving that domestic brands possess pricing power in the high-end market. This upgrade did not emphasize power or range but continued to focus on intelligent driving and overall vehicle experience. In the opinion of industry insiders, this represents a shift in Huawei's understanding of high-end new energy vehicles.

In the past, the industry's understanding of "high-end" often meant larger screens, bigger batteries, stronger acceleration, and higher computing power. But Huawei is now emphasizing system capabilities—intelligent driving, chassis, electric drive, cockpit, and ecosystem synergy—as an integrated experience output rather than stacking individual features.

This is also a crucial reason why AITO M9 can continue to hold its ground in the high-end market. It sells not just configurations but a complete intelligent flagship experience.

Another key product is the Luxeed V9.

As the first MPV model under Luxeed, V9 has a pre-sale price starting at 399,800 yuan. Historically, MPVs were the main players in the business market, but in the new energy era, their demand structure is changing: multi-person family travel, long-distance trips, and mobile offices have become new sources of growth.

Huawei's launch of V9 at this moment means that HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is completing the last major piece of its mainstream high-end puzzle.

Coupes are covered by Shangjie Z7, family SUVs by AITO M6, mid-to-large SUVs by M7 and M9, and MPVs by V9. HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's product line is evolving from single-hit blockbusters to a layout across multiple sub-segments.

From this perspective, with more brands under HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving—including AITO, Luxeed, Stelato, and Shangjie—and cooperation with an increasingly wide range of automakers, the product price band extends from 200,000 yuan to over 700,000 yuan. On the surface, this looks like scaled expansion; more deeply, it represents Huawei attempting to build an automotive platform system.

However, as the product matrix expands, management complexity also surges.

AITO M7 gained volume in the 300,000 yuan market, while M9 established the brand in the high-end sector, forming a path where "star models drive overall perception." This model is highly efficient but relies on sustained popularity for each vehicle. Once the product matrix expands, the challenge shifts to organizational capability.

An industry analyst noted issues such as brand differentiation. Can users quickly understand what AITO, Luxeed, and Shangjie represent? If cognition remains blurred, marketing efficiency will drop rapidly. Additionally, there is internal competition. With models densely packed in the 200,000 to 400,000 yuan range, whether different brands will cannibalize each other is a problem that must eventually be faced.

There is also the issue of cooperation efficiency. From the perspective of professionals engaged in automotive industry investment, manufacturing capabilities, supply chain rhythms, and organizational cultures differ across OEMs. While Huawei can provide technology and channels, the final whole-vehicle delivery experience ultimately depends on systemic synergy.

Today, every brand under HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is fighting for external markets, but in the future, they may compete internally for resources, positions, and user mindshare.

What Yu Chengdong truly wants to prove is not whether Huawei can create another blockbuster car. AITO M7 and M9 have already demonstrated that. If Huawei can successfully run the "technology platform + multiple OEMs" model, it will change not only its own sales structure but also the division of labor across the entire Chinese automotive industry.

In the mobile phone era, Huawei and Xiaomi competed on who understood smart terminals better. In the automotive era, the competition is about who understands mass manufacturing, user operations, and industrial synergy better. This launch of six vehicles is merely the opening of a new round of warfare.