China Auto Daily丨Denza Launches N9 Flash Charge Edition Starting at USD 59,400

Denza N9 Flash Charge Edition Enters Luxury SUV Market

On May 18, 2026, BYD's premium brand Denza officially launched the N9 Flash Charge Edition, positioning the model as its "technology driving control flagship SUV." The lineup consists of three configurations with a starting price of RMB 409,800 (USD 59,400). The flagship SUV is equipped with BYD's second-generation Blade battery, delivering a pure electric range of 420km and a total comprehensive range of 1,520km. The N9 features high-voltage architecture, enabling a 10% to 70% charge in 5 minutes, and a 10% to 97% state-of-charge replenishment in 9 minutes.

Mechanically, the N9 Flash Charge Edition integrates BYD's proprietary e³ (eisanfang) three-motor independent drive technology, allowing the full-size vehicle to achieve a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 3.7 seconds. For ride quality, the SUV is equipped with the DiSus-A (云辇-A) closed-type dual-chamber air suspension and an intelligent anti-motion sickness system. Intelligence is supported by the "God's Eye" 5.0 (DiPilot 300) end-to-end large model assisted driving system. Denza revealed that this software system currently processes over 190 million kilometers of simulated and real-world training data daily to continuously optimize neural network decisions.

Wey Brand Launches V9X Based on Guiyuan S Architecture

Great Wall Motor’s premium SUV brand, Wey, officially launched the V9X on May 18, introducing three variants priced from RMB 349,800 (USD 50,700). Positioned as an "AI Luxury Six-Seater Flagship," the V9X marks the first mass-produced model built on Great Wall Motor's new Guiyuan S platform. According to Wey, the Guiyuan S platform achieves its operational capabilities through three distinct technical pathways: hardware interface standardization, software function labeling, and AI-native architecture. This structural setup allows for the flexible combination and calling of various vehicle functions, granting the V9X high functional extensibility. The vehicle is specifically designed to dynamically adapt its cabin features, chassis control, and energy management to satisfy the highly diversified scenario requirements of modern premium family travel.

Xpeng Announces Milestone with First Mass-Produced GX Robotaxi

Xpeng Motors announced on May 18 that its first mass-produced Robotaxi vehicle has officially rolled off the assembly line. Developed based on Xpeng's flagship GX vehicle platform, this model is reported as China's first full-stack self-developed, factory-installed mass-produced Robotaxi. Furthermore, it marks the country's first autonomous taxi to utilize a pure-vision solution to achieve L4-grade autonomous driving capabilities, operating independently of high-cost sensing hardware. The company plans to launch automated driving taxi pilot operations in selected urban areas during the second half of this year. The commercial roadmap targets the realization of fully autonomous operations without requiring an on-site safety backup driver by early 2027.

GAC Hyper S600 Commences Pre-sale Campaign

GAC’s premium electric brand, Hyper, opened pre-sales for the Hyper S600 on May 17, targeting the mid-to-large size coupe SUV segment. The new model offers four product configurations: the Pure Electric 660Max, Pure Electric 660Max+, Extended Range 230Max, and the Extended Range 215 AWD Ultra+. The limited-time pre-sale equity price range is established from RMB 188,900 (USD 27,400) to RMB 208,900 (USD 30,300).

The Hyper S600 comes standard across its entire range with GAC’s Starry Sky (Xingling) intelligent driving architecture, running the ADiGO autonomous driving system. The vehicle platform utilizes an industry-exclusive 12-in-1 high-performance silicon carbide (SiC) electric drive system. According to Hyper, the dual-motor extended-range four-wheel-drive version delivers a maximum combined system output of 370 kW, enabling the coupe SUV to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.3 seconds while maintaining high thermal efficiency.

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