Shangjie, the automotive brand jointly developed by SAIC Motor and Huawei Technologies, has previewed its upcoming Z7 sedan, signaling a direct challenge to Xiaomi’s SU7 as competition intensifies in China’s fast-growing smart electric vehicle market.
Shangjie on Wednesday shared a teaser poster on Chinese social media platform Weibo showing the silhouette of the Z7, which will be the brand’s second production model. “Shangjie Z7: Even more anticipated than the next generation!” the company wrote, a comment widely seen as a reference to Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan.
See also: Huawei-SAIC Brand Shangjie Logs 20,000 Deliveries for H5 SUV
Earlier on the same day, Xiaomi’s electric vehicle unit, Xiaomi EV, began pre-sales of an updated version of the SU7, branding it as the “next-generation SU7.” The revised model starts at 229,900 yuan ($32,880), representing a 14,000 yuan, or 6.48%, increase from the base price of the previous version. Xiaomi said the updated SU7 is expected to be officially launched in April.
Shangjie is the fifth automotive brand under Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), joining Aito from Seres Group, Luxeed from Chery, Stelato from BAIC Group, and Maextro from Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group. Huawei provides core smart driving, cockpit and software technologies to its HIMA partners, while the automakers handle vehicle development and manufacturing.
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The brand entered the market on September 23 with the launch of its first model, the H5, which starts at 159,800 yuan, making it the most affordable vehicle under the HIMA portfolio. The Shangjie H5 is a mid-size SUV measuring 4,780 mm in length, 1,910 mm in width and 1,664 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,840 mm.
Like several other Huawei-backed models, the H5 is offered in both extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants. Shangjie said on December 9 that cumulative deliveries of the H5 had reached 20,000 units, 78 days after its market debut.
See also: Shangjie H5 Electric SUV: Specifications, Range and Price
Looking ahead, Shangjie plans to expand its lineup rapidly. SAIC Motor chairman Wang Xiaoqiu said last month that the brand will launch at least two new models by 2026, underscoring SAIC and Huawei’s ambition to secure a stronger foothold in China’s increasingly competitive EV market.