As a strong competitor in the domestic mid-size luxury car market, DENZA has also upgraded on the basis of the original model, bringing a new "Zhidian Five Pairs" upgrade, including Yunlin-A dual-cavity air spring suspension, high-precision driving and parking integrated dual lidar, dual-gun supercharge system, dual-motor four-wheel drive architecture and luxury dual-row comfortable cockpit. In addition, it also brings a new experience upgrade in the fields of intelligent chassis, intelligent cockpit, and intelligent driving.
At the same time, entering 2024, China's automotive industry is accelerating its iteration and entering an unprecedented competitive heat. From BYD's first price storm after the Spring Festival to the in-depth thinking of the electric vehicle 100 people's congress on the intelligence of electric vehicles, the new energy vehicle industry has entered an unprecedented heat.
On the occasion of the launch of the all-new DENZA N7, Zhao Changjiang, General Manager of the Sales Department of DENZA Auto and Chief Co-creation Officer of DENZA Auto, was interviewed by IT Home to discuss the major updates of the all-new DENZA N7 and recent hot issues, and to have in-depth exchanges on many changes in the industry.
The all-new DENZA N7 is an all-round hexagonal warrior
As a brand jointly funded by Mercedes-Benz and BYD, DENZA has been established for 14 years, and the DENZA N7 is positioned as a smart luxury ultra-comfortable SUV, which has attracted a lot of attention at the beginning of its launch in 2023. The all-new DENZA N7 has also been upgraded in response to the feedback and suggestions from the market over the past year.
The all-new Denza N7 has been adjusted in appearance, the new front face is inspired by "Meteor Arrow", the shape of the meteor in the middle position echoes the main light three arrows rain, which is very recognizable, and the front face Half C shape cleverly integrates dual lidars, further integrating the aesthetics of the design with the practicality of function.
Zhao Changjiang admits that after the launch of the DENZA N7 last year, it received a lot of feedback and suggestions from the market. The design of the old DENZA N7 may be too individualistic and sporty, and some owners are not impressed by this design, so DENZA also "listened" to the new DENZA N7 and adjusted the front face design on the new DENZA N7. After more than nine months of design and detail adjustments, the new DENZA N7 was finalized.
In terms of color matching, the new DENZA N7 adds a new "West Blue" color scheme on the basis of the original color scheme, which originates from the clear water of Hangzhou's West Lake, which can refract different beauty in strong light, and at the same time can see the delicate texture of metal, and when the sun fades, it can present the West Lake with clear water and blue sky. "This low-saturation blue is in line with the young group's pursuit of the fashionable color of this car. Zhao Changjiang said when he saw the Denza N7 with Xizi blue color.
With the CTB battery-body integration, the interior space of the all-new DENZA N7 has been further expanded, and the new DENZA N7 Z has increased the seating space by 15 mm for the same vehicle height. The width of the second row of cars is 1400~1500 mm, even if three adults with a height of more than 1.8 meters sit in this car, it will not look crowded, and the headroom in the car is 1020~1050 mm, even if an adult is more than 1.8 meters tall, there will still be redundant space for the head in the DENZA N7, which will not look depressing.
In addition, the all-new Denza N7 also adds functions such as seat ventilation and heating, massage, and electric adjustment of the rear seats in the second row of seats, and also adds an exclusive center control screen for controlling the related hardware in the second row.
In the front seats, the all-new DENZA N7 adds an electric four-way adjustable steering wheel, auto-dimming exterior mirrors and streaming media interior mirrors for a more comfortable and safe driving experience.
In terms of intelligent driving, the DENZA N7 has been upgraded and equipped with the high-end intelligent driving assistance of the Eye of the Gods as standard. At the end of 2023, as BYD's first model to support intelligent driving, DENZA will successively start to pilot car owners with OTA high-speed speed, and will successively launch urban pilot nationwide this year.
Starting in April, DENZA will take the lead in launching the City Pilot in Shenzhen, successively across the country in June, and the high-speed pilot will be launched nationwide in September. "In this wave, our intelligent assisted driving is a very important node in April. It is expected that in the second half of this year, the light map mode will be launched one after another, which is what other manufacturers call the mapless mode. Zhao Changjiang added.
In addition, the DENZA N7 also has a good response to valet parking functions such as narrow lane parking and dead-end road parking, and ensures the safety of people and vehicles in the surrounding environment to the greatest extent.
The all-new DENZA N7 also introduces a large AI model, relying on the large computing power provided by the new 6nm chip, the DENZA N7 can learn the daily driving habits and software usage habits of drivers and passengers, making the in-vehicle system more intelligent and more understandable. The introduction of a variety of modes can solve a variety of problems such as user travel planning, take-out ordering, and vehicle-machine interconnection.
Taking our outing planning as an example, DENZA N7 can automatically associate and generate travel strategy suggestions for users based on the needs of customers. For example, if a user plans to travel to Guangzhou by car for two days, the DENZA N7 can intelligently plan a travel strategy and related routes to Guangzhou. "These large model functions must be so that you are always new, this kind of intelligent voice that understands you is getting stronger and stronger than before, so that the formation of exclusive is this very intelligent voice interaction or vehicle-machine interaction, which will be well reflected in the DENZA N7. Zhao Changjiang added.
These upgrades of the all-new Denza N7 make it very competitive in the B+ segment SUV, whether it is in the field of safety, intelligence, or luxury configuration, it belongs to the first echelon. In terms of price, Zhao Changjiang said that the price of the Denza N7 will be in place in one step, just like the Denza D9, the price will be set in one step, and then continue to provide users with good services and upgrades to make users satisfied.
The software update is running in small steps, and this year will launch flagship new products, and the plan to go overseas is clearer
"This year is too volatile, the whole environment is very volatile, but the volume is to make our technology better, to make the product better. The volume is progress. In the face of the complex market environment this year, Zhao Changjiang said frankly that the industry is too "volume". The report card of the 2023 DENZA N7 has already been released, and although the DENZA N7 has achieved good results in the pure electric smart SUV of more than 300,000 yuan, in the final analysis, there are too few products in the same category in the target price market of the DENZA N7. It takes a lot of effort to grow your brand faster.
This year, BYD took the lead in shouting the slogan of "electricity is lower than oil", and fired the first shot of the new energy vehicle price war. In view of the accelerated reshuffle of the entire Chinese market, Zhao Changjiang believes that such competition is normal. It proves that China's car companies have very strong strength, because China has the largest market, the strongest supply chain system, the best manufacturing capacity, and the new advanced technical capabilities, so the Chinese market must be very volatile.
In response to this changeable market, in order to stand out in this market, Zhao Changjiang put forward three important factors, the first is the core technology, the second is to have a good cost control ability, and the third is to have the ability to make quick decisions and operations in such a period of change. Relying on the strong technical background and cost advantages accumulated by BYD and DENZA in technology and the market, as well as the ability of efficient decision-making and such operation, DENZA is in an advantageous position in the market competition.
Specifically, DENZA will continue to take small steps in the software of new products this year, giving car owners a one-step hardware experience and continuously upgrading and iterating software functions, and at the same time launching new flagship models for car owners of different energy levels, and promoting the implementation of channels for overseas markets to improve the overall gross profit.
Zhao Changjiang said: "Our theme this year is called 'Transcendence and Evolution', which is to iterate the software of the product faster, so the ability of the entire software this year, because this brand new is also an iterative hardware plus software, this year we will continue to strengthen the ability of software iteration and software upgrades, to bring customers a better experience." ”
At this year's DENZA Auto User Communication Day, Zhao Changjiang also made it clear that DENZA will also launch three flagship models this year to create a "new luxury benchmark" for new energy vehicles to meet the needs of higher-end users, whether it is a sedan or an MPV, these dimensions have built DENZA's capabilities in the current user cycle. "In DENZA's service system, it will also include replacement, purchase rights, channel services, etc., and these systems also build a service system for the purchase and replacement of DENZA pure ecological users' cars. I think DENZA is ready for new changes in purchasing decisions, or changes that are shortened or lengthened periodically, in all dimensions. In response to the gradually changing needs of users in the market, Zhao Changjiang is also full of confidence.
Talking about DENZA Auto's overseas plan, Zhao Changjiang said that the overseas market is not as "volume" as the domestic market, and it has greater profit margins. "I think we have always been a domestic product, and basically it is not profitable. Foreign products have a basic gross profit, to ensure the normal operation of our services, the operation of services needs high standards, which requires a better gross profit abroad. The competition in the foreign market is not as fierce as the Chinese market, we can also maintain a very good cost advantage in the competition, plus we also have a certain price advantage, so that the profit margin is greater, Chinese enterprises in foreign countries can basically get a good performance of this market, and at the same time get a better harvest called profits. Zhao Changjiang said.
In overseas markets, DENZA Auto has completed early user research and identified the main needs of electrification and L2.5 intelligent driving in overseas markets. According to the plan of DENZA Auto, starting from 2023, DENZA Auto has already started to show in Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Munich and Geneva Motor Shows in Europe. In 2024, the layout of overseas channels will be opened, and delivery will be carried out in the Asia-Pacific region in the second half of 2024, and the construction of channels has already started in Europe.
Zhao Changjiang said: "2024 is the first year for us to really go overseas for sales. For overseas users, they are also buying better 'imported cars'. For DENZA Auto, we all build products in accordance with global standards, hoping to serve global users well and become a global brand. ”
For the new entrants of China's new energy vehicles, Zhao Changjiang said, "The new entrants are a very good thing for consumers, one more choice, and for the industry is also a process of learning from each other, I hope everyone will do a good job, because they are all Chinese brands, I hope to be able to sell well, and together we will make the market bigger and stronger." I also hope that everyone will pay more attention to DENZA Auto and pay more attention to the launch of the new DENZA N7 on April 1. ”