Who are the people who are going to buy the Enjoy S9?

tech | 2024-05-22

Recently, Huawei experience stores in eight cities across the country, including Chengdu, have already displayed the Enjoyment S9 show car.

 

I went to the Huawei Smart Living Pavilion located in Chengdu's Tie Xiang Temple Water Street at the first opportunity. It was a hot weekday afternoon. I really like the commercial form of Water Street, which is composed of small standalone commercial buildings. There are many new energy vehicle experience stores of various brands, as well as bakeries, cafes, and pet shops in the same block. It's lively and interesting.

 

 

While I was looking at the car, I chatted with the salesperson for a while. We both expressed regret that this show car was not the top configuration Ultra version: it didn't have the Star River Scroll decorative panel that I was most eager to see, nor the streaming rearview mirrors.

 

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But this also proves that the Max mid-range version has enough configuration, because it has everything I want to understand and experience.

 

On the second day when we were filming, this unique show car in Chengdu had already been transported to the MixC store, and because it was the weekend, more than 20 groups of pre-ordered users were invited to the store to view the car. In addition to filming, I also had the opportunity to interact with more real potential users.Here is the translation of the provided text into English:

I think many people have the same doubts as me:

1. Can the Xiangjie S9 really challenge the long-standing 78S from the BBA (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi)?

2. Who exactly are the people preparing to buy this car?

Let me address the second question first.

Most of them are Huawei users.1. Being between the ages of 35 and 50, one might not be considered young (but I feel they look younger than their actual age).

2. Possessing a strong purchasing power, as I witnessed someone who, after looking at the car, went on to buy a mobile phone costing over twenty thousand yuan...

Based on the users I encountered this time, the proportion of individual users significantly exceeds that of business users.

3. Owning multiple vehicles at home, they simply want to purchase a sedan.

4. Having a strong demand for the rear seating area.5. The proportion of women was higher than I expected, possibly because entire families came, and women were very evident key decision-makers. This also confirms the higher proportion of individual users (my experience is that business users are generally a few men looking at cars).

6. Every group of car viewers experienced the cinema mode at the zero-gravity seat position in the right rear, resulting in a constant queue. It wasn't until almost 10:30 PM when I came to continue filming that I found the last group of female users (with children around 10 years old) left only when the mall was being cleared.

To be honest, in my 20 years of experience in the automotive media industry, I rarely see female users show such enthusiasm for a new car model.

But the Enjoy S9 has achieved it.

Here are a few details that I, as a female user, and others, find appealing:1. Right rear zero-gravity seats. This is also the industry's first zero-gravity seat for the rear of a sedan. It supports 12-way electric adjustment, with a maximum lumbar angle of up to 108°, a maximum knee angle of up to 128°, and a leg rest width of 429mm, which is even wider than large SUVs and MPVs.

Once this seat is deployed, the comfort level for the rear seats of a sedan is maximized. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a top-tier configuration level that even the most luxurious sedans have not been able to achieve.

2. What's quite dramatic is that when you press a button to activate the "Cinema Mode," including the sunshade for the roof and the sunshades for the five windows (two of the triangular windows are manually opened and closed, while the side windows and rear windshield are fully automatic) will be activated—a projection screen will descend, creating an almost completely dark rear space.

People sit in the comfortably angled "sofa" rear seats, and then the interior of the car is almost completely dark. The latest episodes or movies are projected, and with the seats offering a massage function, everyone would want to stay a little longer.

3. The projection system is worth discussing in detail:The S9 features the brightest and widest color gamut automotive-grade projector in the industry, complemented by a 32-inch liftable projection screen. It has passed the eye comfort certification from the official TUV laboratory. I have experience with home projectors, and I know that screens reflect diffused light, which eliminates eye fatigue caused by self-luminous devices like LED screens.

Additionally, the projection can be adjusted to the most suitable size and display position according to the user's needs, and it will automatically focus. Because the adjustable range of the projection position and seat angle is quite large, it can be optimally adapted to different individual heights and viewing angles. Moreover, behind the screen is a telescopic frame, and the overall structure is rigid, so it will not sway with the movement of the vehicle.

It truly achieves the goal of not causing motion sickness or eye strain after prolonged viewing in the vehicle.

This is significantly superior compared to the ceiling-mounted screen in the BMW i5 I previously drove. The seat position in the BMW is not adjustable, and the eyes are too close to the screen, which can be uncomfortable. Moreover, LED screens are less eye-friendly compared to projections.

4. The configuration of the rear central armrest is also extraordinary:The CEO-level armrest screen features a leading 9-inch screen in its class, supporting an infinite folding angle between 0° and 45°. It is not only capable of multimedia operations but also allows for a one-touch easy completion of customized experiences such as zero-gravity, cinema mode, sunshade, and siesta mode. What's more, this screen can even play movies individually. If you want to use the projector, a three-finger upward swipe will smoothly push the content to the projection screen.

Privacy armrest box is equipped with a 50W wireless fast-charging panel, a pop-up cup holder, a storage box, and one 66W Type-C wired fast-charging port. Additionally, on the back of the armrest box's seat, there is a temperature-controlled box that supports cooling from 3°C to 10°C and heating from 35°C to 50°C, which can be remotely activated even after the car is locked.

5. On the back of the passenger seat, there is also a small table with very fine workmanship, and the damping feel when opening it is also very comfortable.

In essence, for users sitting in the right rear seat of the S9, whether it's for rest, work, or entertainment, almost all scenarios that can be thought of in the car can be realized in this seat, providing a high-quality, uncompromising full-score experience.

In addition, all seats in the S9 are equipped with ventilation, heating, and massage functions.These configurations and features, which are highly perceptive and can be experienced as soon as one enters the vehicle, are irresistible to explore, and are also the aspects that prospective car owners at the scene want to savor carefully.

This has led me to a deep realization: in my previous professional experience, users would not spend as much time looking at the car; they would be more eager to test drive it or try it out for a longer period.

However, nowadays, it seems that users are not as eager for the need to "get the car moving." Just like those who are experiencing smartphones or tablets, they are more focused on experiencing the car's functions and user experience, and the importance and urgency of test driving it as a "means of transportation" seem to have diminished significantly.

Some people say that cars are now electronic products, and I don't agree at all. But in some (or many) aspects, the new energy vehicles represented by the Xiangjie S9 in front of me are indeed overturning our traditional understanding of cars.1. Cars are not only a means of transportation but also an object of enjoyment. Just as a comfortable and expensive sofa is not just a sofa, it also guarantees a healthy sitting posture and emotional value.

2. A car like the Xiangjie S9 has created a new dimension in emotional value and user experience—yet it remains a means of transportation. It's like stacking enhancements on top of existing functions, bringing a strong sense of novelty to people.

3. In terms of technology and experience, the luxury of the S9 is disruptive. At the same time, in the traditional luxury car evaluation system of design, craftsmanship, quality, and materials, it is actually done well enough. For example, from the wood grain on the front console, you can see that the grain matches very well because the S9's entire car is cut and decorated from the same piece of wood to ensure the unity of the car's grain. In such details, the S9 does not give up respect for the traditional evaluation system of "luxury cars."

So, can the Xiangjie S9 really challenge the 78S?

Regarding this, I have a viewpoint: in the past, when Chinese brands aimed to benchmark against BBA, they often took what was good from others and applied it to themselves—as if they were covered in brand names, which could easily convey a sense of "refined tackiness."If Chinese brands continue to follow the old path of imitating 78S, it would be hard to claim surpassing, and might even lead to an awkward imitation. However, it is evident that Xiangjie S9 has its own ideas.

That is, while respecting the evaluation system of luxury cars, it aims to create a new evaluation system through the ultimate technology and experience, thereby changing the perception of the audience.

Luxury large sedans prioritize the rear seats—so it maximizes the experience of the rear seats, especially the right rear seat, to the extreme in all imaginable scenarios.

Luxury large sedans emphasize the sense of volume and atmosphere of a "big car"—so it uses the pioneering hidden water cut to create a pure flat surface to highlight its large volume, paired with thin-spoke forged milled wheels, creating a consistent sense of simplicity and neatness with Huawei smartphones.Luxury large sedans emphasize the privacy and exclusivity for their users—featuring dark privacy glass in the rear and up to five window shades, as well as automatic sunroof shades that are fully opaque, providing the car owner with a high level of privacy.

In addition, in terms of in-car systems, automotive-grade screens, human-machine interaction, and screen connectivity, the Xiangjie S9 clearly has more inherent advantages compared to traditional car manufacturers.

Challenging the 78S is not about challenging a few cars; it's about challenging the traditional perceptions and evaluation systems of luxury large sedans.

This is why, even if imitation is done well, it is impossible to disrupt—challenging the BBA (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, also known as BMW, and Audi AG, along with Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz) cannot follow the old path of the BBA; instead, a new path must be forged.

Therefore, at the end of the video, I said:The luxury car market, a path filled with inherent perceptions, can only be forged through the sword of innovation and technology, cutting through the thorns and creating new paths. What traditional Chinese car manufacturers have failed to achieve, perhaps the responsibility of changing the fate of Chinese luxury cars needs a brand like Huawei's HarmonyOS Smart Driving to undertake.

In the first half of this year, HarmonyOS Smart Driving's entire series has delivered a cumulative total of 194,207 units, with deliveries in June officially breaking through 40,000, setting a historical high.

Among them, the "9 Series Dual Flagship" model, the Enovate M9, delivered 17,241 units in a single month in May. Within half a year of its launch, the large quantity has exceeded 100,000 units, breaking the sales record for luxury car models in China priced above 500,000 yuan.

Who says Chinese brands can only produce cheap cars? Who says there are no blockbusters among Chinese cars priced above 500,000 yuan?The luxury sedan market that the Enjoy S9 aims to challenge undoubtedly presents greater challenges and higher barriers to recognition. However, regardless, this battle is worthy of the entire industry's attention.

Because, in the luxury new energy vehicle market, imitators will ultimately have to make way for the true pioneers.