NetEase Auto reported on September 4 that Great Wall Motors’ category-focused strategy made Haval the king of the fuel-powered SUV era. Subsequent category innovations have also allowed Great Wall Motors to continue to search for new blue oceans for the Chinese SUV market through continuous trial and error and adjustment.

Great Wall Motors, which has been deeply involved in category strategy for many years, has always maintained a keen insight into the needs of users in market segments.

The second-generation Haval H9 (parameters | picture) that attracted much attention at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show is Great Wall Haval’s masterpiece of in-depth insight into the off-road travel needs of family users.

Can we delve into the new category of “family off-road” in the hard-core SUV market that has rolled into the Red Sea? Can we usher in a new era for this market segment?

“‘Family off-road’ is an off-road model category that can not only meet the comfort requirements of family travel, but also ensure driving stability and safety in complex road conditions, allowing the family to pursue poetry and distant places.”

Haval Brand General Manager Zhao Yongpo accepted NetEase Auto said in an interview, “The Haval brand took the lead in creating a new category of ‘family off-road vehicles’ and launched a ‘family off-road vehicle’, filling the gap in the family off-road market.”

“We have conducted detailed market research and initially judged that this market segment may reach a market size of 100,000 vehicles sold annually.”

Open up a new family off-road track and build good cars that users need

The Haval brand, which has been deeply involved in the hardcore off-road field for 20 years, has taken action on “family off-road”.

“(Family off-roading) is not because there is no demand in the market, but because there are no products to provide consumers, so we positioned the second-generation Haval H9 as an off-road vehicle for the family.”

Talking about the original intention of focusing on “family off-roading”, Zhao Yongpo shared this In-depth insights and thinking on user needs of a sub-category.

“The second-generation Haval H9 is not just a hard-core off-road vehicle, but allows families (members) to sit in the car and enjoy the fun of crossing the desert. They can go safely and come back safely, and experience the particularly good scenery and culture on the road. ”

In recent years, the number of self-driving trips by parent-child families in China has exceeded 1.3 billion. Zhao Yongpo analyzed that some families drive ordinary vehicles when traveling and change cars locally; some families hope to drive directly to scenic spots, but due to vehicle restrictions in scenic spots, they can only drive their vehicles to the edge of the scenic spots.

“Rented cars are usually traditional off-road vehicles, which are not comfortable enough and can only go and return quickly in a short period of time.”

Haval has seen the demand for off-road performance among family users. Through precise positioning, it may be able to attract consumers who desire off-road experience and pay attention to family use, thereby expanding the brand’s customer base. “This will not only consolidate Haval’s position in the SUV market, but also further enhance the brand’s core competitiveness.”

Taking into account off-road and comfort, expand customer base. Entering the family off-road track requires the second-generation Haval H9 not only to have strong off-road capabilities to cope with various complex road conditions, but also to attach great importance to comfort in terms of interior space design, seat material, suspension system adjustment, etc. Work hard.

The second-generation Haval H9 is built on a tank platform. The four-wheel drive system adopts the same TOD+Mlock/MLOCK-TOD as the overseas version of the Raptor.

It is a true three-lock design. In the future, the performance of the intelligent four-wheel drive system will be further improved and enhanced. Four-wheel drive system adaptability.

At the same time, the second-generation Haval H9 adopts a front double-wishbone independent suspension and a rear five-link integral axle non-independent suspension. In terms of off-road and comfortable tuning development, the off-road tuning of the second-generation Haval H9 has been rigorously tested and optimized. Whether driving at high speeds in the desert or climbing steep slopes in the mountains, it maintains stable controllability and reliability.

Of course, off-road tuning also fully considers vehicle comfort. By adjusting the suspension system, power system, etc., the vehicle can achieve a balance between performance and comfort during off-roading. Zhao Yongpo mentioned that the second-generation Haval H9 has more space and wider seats than the previous generation. Not only is the driver’s seat comfortable, but all five seats are comfortable.

“Usual seats have a 6-layer structure, and our seats have an 8-layer structure. The hip pressure of the seat has been matched in hundreds of ways based on the Chinese people’s overall body shape and foam materials, so the softness is particularly comfortable and long-lasting.

“The seats of the second-generation Haval H9 have also undergone 500,000 front-seat and 300,000-time dent resistance tests, as well as 150,000 vehicle and exit surface friction tests to test their wear resistance. and ease of cleaning.

“Be able to drive out and come back safely” This is the most important thing for a family to go off-road

“I believe that off-road vehicles should be able to drive out, see poetry and distant places, and come back safely. This is the most important thing for a family to go off-road.”

Therefore, the second-generation Haval H9 is equipped with advanced safety systems, such as high-strength body structure, multi-directional airbags, intelligent driving assistance systems, etc., to reduce the risk of accidents.

As the master of Haval’s off-road technology and product experience, the second-generation Haval H9’s body frame uses 83% of high-strength steel.

The body’s torsional rigidity reaches 25029N·m/deg (Newton·meter/degree), and can withstand 5.45 times the largest roof. static pressure. At the same time, the chassis is a full metal protective plate and 4 pieces of chassis armor, with a maximum thickness of 3mm.

In terms of intelligence, the second-generation Haval H9 also has functions such as automatic terrain recognition, off-road expert mode, off-road control cruise, and steering brake assist. “A family’s off-road vehicle must not lose to urban SUVs in terms of entertainment and intelligence.

The car, voice, and autonomous driving are all not inferior to the highest level of medium and large urban SUVs in China.” horizontal.”

“The advantage of the second-generation Haval H9 is that compared with other off-road vehicles, it has good control, strong comfort and high level of intelligence, allowing you to travel happily from point A to point B. In addition, it has Being more wild will allow you to have more fun and play more deeply at point B,” Zhao Yongpo said.

Source: NetEase Auto