Huawei Luxeed S7 Launch, Exterior and Interior, First Drive, up to 855km Range

Luxeed, a new electric vehicle (EV) brand jointly created by Huawei and Chery, has launched its first model, the Luxeed S7, which is set to intensify the competition in China's all-electric sedan market. Richar Yu, head of Huawei's automotive business, officially rolled out the Luxeed S7, the first sedan in the Chinese tech giant's joint effort with a local automaker, at a launch event in Shanghai today. The Luxeed S7 is an all-electric mid to large-size sedan model available in four variants -- Pro, Max, Max+, and Max RS -- with starting prices of RMB 249,800 ($34,920), RMB 289,800, RMB 319,800, and RMB 349,800, respectively. This official starting price is RMB 8,200 lower than the starting price at the time of pre-sale. The Luxeed S7 went on pre-sale on November 9, when the starting prices for the four variants were RMB 258,000, RMB 298,000, RMB 328,000, and RMB 358,000, respectively. Customers who order the Luxeed S7 before December 31 can get up to RMB 55,000 in entitlements, including RMB 15,000 worth of Huawei ADS 2.0 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) software. As a backdrop, Luxeed previously offered an entitlement package worth RMB 40,000 in the pre-sale. The Luxeed S7 measures 4,971 mm in length, 1,963 mm in width and 1,474 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,950 mm. Yu repeatedly compared the model at today's launch to Tesla's Model S sedan, which measures 4,979 mm in length, 1,964 mm in width and 1,445 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,960 mm. The Luxeed S7 is built on Huawei's 800 V-based Giant Whale high-voltage platform, with the version starting at RMB 319,800 having a CLTC range of up to 855 km. Its other three versions have CLTC ranges of 550 km, 630 km, and 705 km respectively. The model can get a range of 215 km on a five-minute charge and 430 km on a 15-minute charge. The Luxeed S7 is available in single-motor and dual-motor versions, the former with a maximum power of 215 kW and the latter with an additional front motor with a maximum power of 150 kW. The supplier of the motors for the model is Huawei, and the dual-motor four-wheel drive version can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. All but the least expensive version of the Luxeed S7 comes with a roof-mounted LiDAR, which allows it to support more capable assisted driving functions. As of November 28, the Luxeed S7 has already received 20,000 pre-sale orders, Yu said today. The Luxeed S7 is the first sedan to be built by Huawei with a carmaker. The tech giant has previously built SUVs with local carmakers, including Aito's M-series models. The Luxeed is the electrified equivalent of a BMW, Chery said in August. ($1 = RMB 7.1529)