Huawei Automotive "Legion" is in full swing

Author | Chai Xuchen

Editor | Zhou Zhiyu

Surprisingly, Yu Chengdong was absent from Huawei’s big start-of-the-year product event, but the automotive “legion” is ready to fire on all cylinders.

On March 23, Huawei’s Terminal BG CEO He Gang replaced the absent Yu Chengdong and announced the largest automotive product lineup in HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving’s history, launching three new models and six upgraded existing models, setting a new record.

The second product series from Shangjie—Hunting Wagon Z7 and Z7T—and the Wey M6 made their debut; the Wey M7, M8, Zhiji S7, R7, Xiangjie S9, and S9T were all updated at once, with all models equipped with the new generation 896-line dual-light-path laser radar. Additionally, He Gang revealed news about the first MPV under HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving, the Zhiji V9, which is expected to be on display in late April.

After surpassing the one-million delivery milestone last year, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is preparing to launch a new saturation attack to reach the next level. But industry executives have predicted that this year’s market will enter a stock-based competition. Can Huawei’s automotive “legion” continue to advance solely through a sea of cars?

Playing Cards

As Huawei’s most important launch event this year, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving set the tone for the entire year with nine models, but volume growth still depends on tapping into the young market.

In last December’s annual live broadcast, Yu Chengdong revealed that by 2026, the product matrix of the “Five Realms” under HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving would be further expanded. The previously absent Wey M6 model in the Wey series is about to be launched.

Now, Wey’s final card has finally entered the public eye. This time, Huawei and Seres are going all out.

The first trump card for intelligent driving hardware upgrades is the M6: front and rear dual laser radars, with 500-line front radar, offering wider coverage and finer recognition. The rear radar, combined with full-vehicle visual perception, significantly improves night highway detection of foreign objects and moving obstacles.

It’s worth noting that, as a competitor in the same class, the Model Y still mainly relies on pure vision. Industry insiders told Wall Street Journal that equipping vehicles on the same platform with dual laser radars greatly enhances recognition of obstacles in severe weather conditions, with much higher fault tolerance in extreme environments compared to single radar.

Besides dual laser radars, the M6 also has a more youthful appearance. Closed front grille, blacked-out wheels, red Brembo calipers, ducktail spoiler—the sporty kit is no longer restrained. The front lines are lower and even approach the aerodynamic efficiency of the Model Y.

In terms of the three-electric system, the M6 EV version is equipped with a 100 kWh battery. To compare, the Xiaopeng G9 with a 100 kWh range version sells for over 300,000 yuan. Wey M6 uses a large battery to lower the threshold for range, making it more attractive to young consumers with budget constraints, as it undercuts mainstream joint venture and high-end domestic EVs.

This heavy equipment also signals Huawei’s urgent effort to regain market share from the declining sales of the Wey M5, which has fallen below a thousand units per month. The focus on SUVs is just the beginning; Huawei’s next move targets young people’s Dream Car—a shooting brake.

This time, the mid-to-large pure electric sedan and shooting brake, Z7 and Z7T, become the “fifth realm” of Shangjie’s flagship. Industry sources close to Shangjie and Huawei told Wall Street Journal that this coupe is aimed at the Porsche Panamera.

Previously, from NIO ET5T and Zeekr 001 to now Leapmotor, Zero Run, and Deep Blue, many brands have entered this segment. After clarifying the direction, SAIC and Huawei decided to go all-in. Yu Chengdong once stated, “Cars priced around 200,000 yuan should look ‘high-end,’ we want that modern feel of the Bund in Shanghai.” As a member of the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving family, Shangjie must be refined.

Industry insiders believe that Shangjie’s Z7 series has put pressure on popular models like Xiaomi SU7. However, Shangjie has not chosen to compete on price; its pre-sale prices are not lower than the SU7, perhaps indicating Huawei’s gamble on leveraging its ecosystem to surpass competitors in sales.

Iteration

For domestic automakers, this year’s pressure may actually increase. Some senior executives told Wall Street Journal that the total market for passenger cars in China will decline over the next two years, and it won’t grow rapidly as before. “This is the current situation we face; don’t have any illusions.”

The market has become more brutal. “Now, when new technology is released, others catch up within half a year or a year,” said the executive. “No one dares to claim their technology can lead others by half a year or a year anymore, and the marketing paradigm for new cars has changed. I call it the ‘new car effect death valley,’ now it’s very hard to find a model that remains a bestseller for long.”

Industry data also shows that since last year, the sales period of new or redesigned EVs priced above 200,000 yuan typically lasts only about three months.

According to the executive, current marketing is pulse-based, causing the “new car effect” to fade quickly. After the initial sales surge, there’s a steep decline into a “death valley.” “I believe no industry player is immune; this is a law of nature. Respect it, or lament it—there’s no use fighting it.”

As technology fully penetrates the automotive market, consumer enthusiasm also “rises and falls quickly.” But Yu Chengdong, who has decades of experience in electronics, has quickly found a solution—rapid iteration.

Since last year, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving has held nearly monthly major launches, with significant new models each quarter. This time, they introduced refreshed Zhiji S7 and S9, as well as new colors for Wey M8.

In early March, at the HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving refresh technology launch, they unveiled the 896-line laser radar, first equipped on the Zhiji S800 and Wey M9. Today, the main models M7 and M8 also received 896-line radar versions, and the newly released Z7/Z7T will also feature it, elevating vehicle intelligence further and reinforcing the smart brand.

It’s clear that Yu Chengdong’s handling of the “Five Realms” is becoming more adept, and HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving’s momentum is building.

Industry insiders believe that HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving has very strong product correction capabilities and rapid market response, enabling multiple upgrades and facelifts in a short period.

HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving is breaking away from the traditional automotive group’s independent branding and marketing approach. Instead, it uses the HarmonyOS ecosystem alliance to repeatedly highlight advantages and tell stories, creating a mutually reinforcing effect among the five realms brands: Zhiji S800, Wey M9’s technology can endorse other brands, helping to attract high-end users for Zhiji, Xiangjie, and Shangjie.

This fast-paced iteration strategy is helping to solve the problem of short hot-selling periods.

Last year, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving’s sales soared, reaching the first million units by October. This year, it is aiming for a second million. But since the beginning of 2026, the domestic auto market has not performed well, and all automakers face pressure to meet their sales targets this year.

HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving’s multiple model launches at the start of the year clearly aim to seize the market rhythm and boost sales quickly. But the stock market won’t automatically expand just because of frequent launches—when competitors also adopt rapid iteration, the true depth of Huawei’s automotive ecosystem remains the key question Huawei’s automotive “legion” must answer next.

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