"The more tumultuous the times, the more frantic the world, the more we must remain calm, maintain a steady pace, and persevere in doing the difficult but right things." This is a true reflection of the SAIC-GM Buick brand's confident and composed approach to the intelligent electric transformation. At the recently opened 2025 Chengdu Auto Show, Buick showcased its new high-end new energy sub-brand, "Zhijing," with its stunning debut of three pilot concept vehicles: a sedan, an SUV, and an MPV. These previews of the brand's production models are also a preview. Over the next eight months, Buick will launch five new new energy vehicles based on the "Xiaoyao" Super Fusion vehicle architecture. The previously teased Buick Zhijing L7 intelligent luxury sedan will officially debut in September.
Notably, Buick announced the name of its assisted driving system within the "Xiaoyao" architecture at the Chengdu Auto Show: "Xiaoyao Intelligent Driving." This system is a boon for those who have long been interested in intelligent driving technology. The "Xiaoyao Intelligent Driving" assisted driving system represents SAIC-GM's commitment to assisted driving technology. By integrating multiple technologies, leveraging advantages, and leveraging a deep foundation in safety, it will provide users with an intelligent travel experience where they can "drive wherever there's a road, and feel free to go wherever they want."
With "Xiaoyao Zhixing" on the left and Momenta on the right, you can unlock a new intelligent driving experience.
The domestic automotive industry is currently undergoing a profound transformation, with numerous emerging technologies emerging under the wave of electrification and intelligentization. Intelligent driving technology, in particular, has been gaining popularity in recent years, attracting widespread attention from both the industry and consumers. With the improvement of policies and regulations and advancements in intelligent driving technology, a wave of "intelligent driving for all" has swept the market.
Buick's newly released "Freeride Smart" assisted driving system represents a breakthrough in the "assisted driving domain" within the "Freeride" super-converged vehicle architecture. This system, arguably, represents an assisted driving technology that "understands Chinese roads and Chinese people better," providing users with a smart travel experience where they can "drive wherever the road takes them." The Pan Asia Technical Center, with 28 years of local R&D expertise in vehicle dynamic control and chassis technology, over 20 million user driving behavior data, and rigorous safety standards, has developed what can be described as "the most advanced driving muscle."
At the same time, SAIC-GM, in partnership with Momenta and other partners, is leveraging deep integration between OEMs and suppliers in technology, engineering, and safety, as well as efficient collaborative development in product development rhythms and team collaboration. This is complementing the company's strengths and seamlessly integrating the expertise of major automakers with China's AI-powered driving technology. For example, the Buick V7 smart luxury sedan, set to debut in September, will be the first to feature the "Xiaoyao Intelligent" assisted driving system, the world's first to be equipped with the Momenta R6 flywheel model based on end-to-end reinforcement learning. This model is a world-leading assisted driving algorithm and the first in China to achieve full mass production on an end-to-end basis. Unlike previous "repeater-style" imitation learning models, which typically achieve assisted driving close to human capabilities, the Momenta R6 flywheel model is more of an advanced competitor. Through innovative reinforcement learning technology, it transcends the limitations of imitation learning, surpassing human capabilities and becoming the "strongest driving brain."
With the support of the Momenta R6 flywheel model, Buick L7 will become the "AI driving master", providing full-scene assisted driving functions including "breakpoint-free" city NOA and the industry's first "one-click parking without stopping". It has the experience and wisdom of veteran drivers, the precise control of top racing drivers, and the ability to continuously evolve itself.
When the "Xiaoyao Intelligent Driving" assisted driving system and the Momenta R6 flywheel large model "combine strength", it is like the "most advanced driving muscles" embracing the "strongest driving brain", marking that Buick has become a leader in the intelligent driving camp of the domestic automotive industry. It is believed that it will unlock an extremely safe, smooth and efficient travel experience for users.
The brand has made another stride in its high-end development. The Zhijing L7 is expected to set a new benchmark for the 300,000-yuan class new energy smart luxury sedan.
In the Chinese auto market, premiumization has always been a crucial challenge for many automakers. It's not just a reflection of product performance, technological prowess, and brand image; it also tests a company's overall system strength and overall competitiveness. As a mainstream joint venture brand, Buick is steadily advancing its brand upgrades by proactively understanding market trends and deeply exploring user needs. The launch of Buick's premium new energy vehicle sub-brand, "Venice," in April of this year marks a significant step in Buick's comprehensive new energy offensive. The "Venice" brand inherits Buick's century-long automotive heritage, fully integrating the brand's DNA of safety, quality, comfort, and quietness with next-generation intelligent electric technology. Leveraging the "Xiaoyao" Super Fusion vehicle architecture as its technical foundation, it is committed to creating a stable, refined, comfortable, and visionary all-scenario intelligent electric mobility experience for users.
As the first mass-produced model under the "Zhijing" brand, the Zhijing L7 will officially debut in September. This new car represents the culmination of Buick's century-long automotive heritage and tens of billions of yuan in investment, built on the "million-level Xiaoyao" architecture. From a market perspective, the Zhijing L7 precisely addresses the gap in the 300,000-yuan new energy smart luxury sedan market: it offers less range anxiety than pure electric vehicles, more intelligent experiences than traditional fuel vehicles, and, with its "joint venture quality" and the "internet DNA" of emerging brands, it is expected to set a new benchmark for new energy smart luxury sedans in the 300,000-yuan segment.
In terms of the three-electric system, the Zhijing L7 is equipped with a full-stack self-developed "True Dragon" extended-range system. With the core performance of 302 kilometers of pure electric range, 1,400 kilometers + comprehensive range, 0.5 liters/100 kilometers of fuel consumption and 5.9 seconds of zero-to-hundred acceleration, it transforms the technical potential of the "Xiaoyao" architecture into a concrete experience, bringing new energy users a "real" electric experience of thousands of miles with "one-stop service for full charge and low charge, no perception of low charge".
Furthermore, the Zhijing L7 adopts a luxurious design language that reflects the times, delivering a full-dimensional luxury experience. The new car's intelligent cabin, inspired by a "pure floating island," showcases a sense of luxury and technology. The new car debuts with Qualcomm's latest-generation SA8775P chip. This automotive-grade chip boasts 72TOPS of NPU computing power and is equipped with an Adreno 663 graphics processing unit. It features diversified displays and ultra-high-definition rendering capabilities, enabling real-time rendering of the vehicle's control interface and high-precision navigation maps, providing users with an immersive, personalized, and evolving intelligent cockpit experience.
Conclusion
Only by maintaining composure can one seize strategic initiative and achieve breakthroughs. Buick understands this principle well. Buick's recent series of major initiatives epitomize its pursuit of the intelligent electric era and its leadership in the Joint Venture 2.0 era: rather than blindly following trends, Buick adheres to a long-term development philosophy, continuously strengthening its system capabilities, building a solid moat of technological prowess, quality, and reputation, and enabling the brand's steady upward growth, becoming an automotive brand that truly "understands the Chinese market and Chinese users." From the "Zhijing" brand to the "Xiaoyao" super-converged vehicle architecture, from the "Xiaoyao Zhixing" assisted driving system to the Zhijing L7 smart luxury sedan, we witness not only technological innovation and product iteration, but also the perseverance and breakthroughs of a mainstream joint venture brand amidst turmoil and change. The road to transformation may not be easy, but Buick has managed to convince its 14 million users that with some persistence, one can weather the cycle.
