Chery "pays tribute" to BYD, can Fengyun T10 become the first hit of Chery CD-M?

tech | 2024-04-10

The automobile circle was bustling the night before last, with three new car models hitting the market all at once, and each one is quite significant.

First, the Changan Deep Blue S07, in collaboration with Huawei, is set to compete with foreign mainstream brands. Then, BYD's "Twin Songs" are poised to replace the Great Wall Haval H6 as the guardian of the SUV market in China. Lastly, the Chery Fengyun T10, which was launched the latest, pays "tribute" to BYD while redefining the domestic flagship with its "double 2 double 4" capabilities and affordable pricing.

At the launch event, the show was a series of highlights, with BYD "paying tribute" to Great Wall, and Chery, in turn, "paying tribute" to BYD, truly mastering the art of capturing attention.

Witnessing such a scene, one can only say:

Chinese automobile brands have truly risen to prominence.

The reason why Chinese automobile brands are able to launch a variety of new models is not just because they can "compete fiercely," but fundamentally, it is the endorsement of their strength. Taking the three newly launched models as an example, the core technologies they carry, whether it's Huawei's intelligent driving, BYD's DM-i, or Chery's C-DM, are all very competitive in terms of various parameters and performance.

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However, talking about the products alone may not be very convincing; sales are the most direct proof. Among them, Huawei's intelligent driving and BYD's DM-i have already gained market recognition. In contrast, Chery's C-DM still has a long way to go in terms of market influence.

Previously, models equipped with Chery's C-DM, such as the Exeed Yao Guang C-DM, Pursuit C-DM, Discovery 06 C-DM, and Jetour X70 C-DM, have not performed well in sales, and so far, none have become a hit comparable to the AITO series or BYD's DM-i, which means the strength of Chery's C-DM still needs to be proven.

So, can the newly launched Fengyun T10 become the first hit for Chery's CD-M? Below, we will analyze this model's competitiveness and market potential from the perspective of price and configuration.First, let's discuss the pricing. Chery's Fengyun T10 has launched three versions of the model, with the official指导价 being 189,900 yuan, 199,900 yuan, and 229,900 yuan, respectively. This means that its starting price is 10,100 yuan higher than that of the BYD Tang DM-i in the same class.

In the context of the highly competitive price wars in the Chinese car market, a difference of over 10,000 yuan is definitely a significant gap, especially when the competitor is BYD, which is known as the "king of price wars." It has to be said that the pricing of the Fengyun T10 is quite bold... What is its confidence? And where does the extra cost come from?

It should be noted that if you purchase a Fengyun T10 before September 30, 2024, you can enjoy multiple benefits, including a cash gift where a deposit of 2,000 yuan can be used as 10,000 yuan towards the purchase price, or a cash subsidy of up to 30,000 yuan for replacement users. However, the cash gift and replacement gift are not stackable. This means that on the current basis, the price of the Fengyun T10 is directly reduced by 8,000 yuan, which significantly narrows the price gap with the Tang DM-i.

At the same time, the first non-commercial vehicle owner of the Fengyun T10 is offered a lifetime warranty for the entire vehicle and the "three electric" components, which is worth 16,000 yuan in total. Additionally, they can enjoy benefits such as a free safety charging pile, 3 years of free entertainment data (unlimited and unrestricted) + lifetime free basic data, lifetime free road rescue, lifetime vehicle FOTA upgrades, and an upgrade to 20-inch low-drag wheels for the 210 luxury version, making it more cost-effective than the Tang DM-i when all factors are considered.

From this, the pricing strategy of the Fengyun T10 is clear. Although the current pricing seems high, it actually reduces the selling price through direct cash discounts and some welfare policies, and the activity duration is quite long, extending until the end of September, giving the market enough time to absorb the information.

As for why a lower price was not set directly, on the one hand, it may be because Chery wants to elevate its brand image, and on the other hand, it can also create a price gap with its other SUVs. For example, there is a 34,100 yuan price difference between the starting price of the Fengyun T10 and Chery's previously most expensive SUV, the Tiggo 8 PLUS Kunpeng e+, creating a clear price distinction. This allows for sufficient room for future price adjustments without causing internal competition among its own models as soon as the price is slightly reduced.

Now, let's talk about the configuration of the Fengyun T10.

Looking from the outside in, the overall appearance of the Fengyun T10 still follows Chery's consistent style of being stable and grand, but the front face is distinctly different from the Tiggo series.

The official explanation is that the Fengyun T10 adopts a new Oriental aesthetic design, with a front grille that resembles the rhythm of musical notes, and a one-line body waistline that resembles the wings of a Kunpeng (a mythical giant bird). It also offers five exterior colors rich in Oriental charm: Tianhe Silver, Floating Light White, Starry Night Black, Cangshan Green, and Distant Green Hills, as well as two interior color schemes: Elegant Dusk Purple and Stylish Mountain Green, presenting a unique Eastern aesthetic.

Inside the vehicle, models of the Fengyun T10 with mid-level configuration and above offer a six-seater option, and the entire series is equipped with a 24.6-inch ultra-smooth curved screen. Coupled with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip available across the series, a 256-color waterfall-style rhythmic atmosphere light, SONY audio, and 50W wireless phone fast charging, it exudes a strong sense of technology and luxury.Upon examining the configuration table, it can be observed that the configuration differences among various models of the Chery Fengyun T10 are primarily reflected in aspects such as the steering wheel, seats, intelligent features, and airbags. The main feature, the CDC "magnetic levitation" suspension, comes as standard equipment, along with a 6.6kW external power supply and 28 intelligent driving assistance functions. However, high-end models exclusively offer a 360° wrap-around 10-airbag system, a 50-inch super AR-HUD, the C-PURE cubic health cabin, four-wheel drive, and a "Queen's Co-Pilot" seat.

This means that the Fengyun T10 ensures a decent level of driving experience on its base model, allowing the entire series to match the "flagship quality" of vehicles priced over 180,000 yuan. High-end models further enhance performance, safety, and comfort.

So, what gives the Fengyun T10 the confidence to challenge the Tang DM-i? Let's compare the product strengths of the two vehicles from multiple dimensions for a more intuitive understanding.

In terms of dimensions, the Fengyun T10 measures 4850mm in length, 1930mm in width, and 1712mm in height, which is slightly smaller than the Tang DM-i in every aspect, but they share the same wheelbase of 2820mm.

However, the Fengyun T10 boasts stronger performance, mainly due to the dual "2" and dual "4" performance data announced at the launch event. This includes a 210km pure electric range, maintaining a speed of 208km/h without deceleration during continuous high-speed driving; a 4-second 0-100km/h acceleration, and a fuel consumption of over 4L per 100km when the battery is depleted.

This is made possible by the new vehicle's integration of Chery's self-developed 1.5T C-DM plug-in hybrid system, matched with a 3-speed DHT gearbox, and complemented by the top-tier M3P battery specifically designed for hybrid use by CATL. With a thermal efficiency of 44.5% and a 70L extra-large fuel tank, the Fengyun T10's fuel consumption and endurance are also impressive, achieving a WLTC fuel consumption of 5.75L per 100km, with a measured consumption of over 4L, and a zero-refueling range of 2169.641km with a full tank and full battery, setting a Guinness World Record.

In terms of safety, the Fengyun T10 features an 85% proportion of high-strength steel, 21% of heat-formed steel, and a compressive strength of 11 tons, which gives it an advantage over the Tang DM-i's 77.4% high-strength steel, 10% heat-formed steel, and 8-ton compressive strength.

However, the entry-level model of the Tang DM-i offers richer driving hardware and driving assistance, as well as a larger central control screen. In contrast, the Fengyun T10 adds active noise cancellation, a 6.6kW external power supply, support for CarPlay, and automotive-grade chips, making it a competitive match.

In summary, the Fengyun T10 definitely has the strength to compete with the Tang DM-i. However, the latter has been on the market for a longer time and has gained widespread recognition, with a greater brand influence in the new energy sector, which may put Chery's C-DM at a disadvantage in this regard.Jia Shi Summary:

After reviewing the price and configuration of the Fengyun T10, let's discuss the significance of this vehicle for the plug-in hybrid market.

It is well-known that the plug-in hybrid market currently has high sales and rapid growth, even outpacing the pure electric market, which is showing a slowdown in growth. However, the majority of the plug-in hybrid market share is currently dominated by BYD, and there is no truly competitive plug-in hybrid product on the market that can go head-to-head with BYD's DM-i technology.

So, it can essentially be said that "plug-in hybrid equals BYD." However, a market dominated by a single company in the long term is not conducive to the progress of China's automotive industry. Therefore, from a long-term development perspective, we need more automakers to participate in the competition of plug-in hybrids.

Thus, Chery's C-DM daring to challenge such a powerful competitor is a good start. Moreover, the Fengyun T10 is not weak in terms of product strength. Even when facing the highest-selling vehicle in its class, the Tang DM-i, it does not feel inferior, and its future market performance is worth looking forward to.

Additionally, in today's Chinese car market, Chery's total sales are second only to BYD. Data shows that Chery's cumulative sales in the first half of the year exceeded 1.1 million units, with a year-on-year increase of 48.4%. Among them, cumulative exports exceeded 530,000 units, with a year-on-year increase of 29.4%, making it the only automaker in the industry to achieve "double growth" in both new energy and fuel vehicles, as well as in domestic and overseas markets.

So, if there is a need for someone to challenge BYD, Chery is currently the most qualified automaker to take on this role from all aspects. The Fengyun T10 has now proven its capabilities, and we will leave its future trajectory to be proven by the market.