Many people, like the author, have felt like they’ve been on an emotional roller coaster these past few days, following the ups and downs of Xiaomi and Galaxy...
First, the Galaxy E8 was launched with a starting price of 188.000. Then, the Xiaomi SU7 dismissed the possibility of being priced at 99.000. and 149.000 seemed unrealistic as well. Many people believe that Xiaomi SU7’s strategy is aimed at generating goodwill for the Galaxy E8. As long as the Galaxy E8's configuration isn’t too disappointing, becoming a hit shouldn't be difficult.
Then, the Galaxy E8 announced its configuration, claiming it included 139 advanced features as standard. Upon closer inspection, the entry-level model’s range wasn't very impressive, and its configuration was only average, lacking strong sincerity. This pushed some potential Xiaomi SU7 customers back into the Xiaomi SU7 expectation camp.
However, before Xiaomi SU7 could warm up these potential customers, the Galaxy E8 returned to steal them. The new car was officially launched with a starting price of 175.800. leaving consumers in a dilemma. Should they buy the Galaxy E8. which offers great value? Or should they opt for the higher-performance Zeekr 007. or wait for Xiaomi SU7 or Zhiji L6?
Now that the Galaxy E8 is priced at 175.800. how much should Xiaomi SU7 be sold for?
First, let's consider a key question: Is the Galaxy E8 priced at 175.800 sincere enough?
Let’s examine the labels of the Galaxy E8. It's a mid-to-large-sized car with an 8295 chip, 800V + SiC silicon carbide electric drive, a 5.62m minimum turning radius, the SEA Haohan architecture platform, and a standard 45-inch 8K integrated screen. These elements combined make it seem quite sincere. At least in the realm of fuel cars, setting aside its new energy identity, it's not easy to find a similarly powerful car at this price.
Moreover, in the new energy sector, this price is usually for plug-in hybrid mid-sized cars, like the BYD Han or BYD Seal. It's rare for a pure electric car to have such a low entry threshold. Therefore, the Galaxy E8 does show some sincerity. Especially compared to the pre-sale threshold of 188.000. it has lowered the threshold by more than 10.000 and even offered six limited-time booking benefits. Overall, it can be considered a new price disruptor in the mid-to-large-sized car market, setting a new dimension for the market standard.
Does the Galaxy E8’s product strength hold up against Xiaomi SU7 or other competitors?
In some aspects, the Galaxy E8 even surpasses the Xiaomi SU7.
First, as Geely's flagship product, the Galaxy E8. backed by years of experience in the home car field, offers a more grounded color palette compared to Xiaomi SU7. It provides not only personalized color options but also some that cater to the general aesthetic preferences, with six color options in total.
In terms of size, the Galaxy E8 has a length of 5010mm, giving it an advantage over Xiaomi SU7. Its height of 1465mm ensures excellent rear headroom, and although its 2925mm wheelbase lags slightly behind Xiaomi SU7. it still offers outstanding ride comfort.
The exterior and interior designs of the Galaxy E8 are also impressive, not losing to Xiaomi SU7. The Xiaomi SU7 resembles some Porsche models but also has distinct differences, while the Galaxy E8 incorporates a fastback design with a highly recognizable front face, detailed design elements, and sleek, dynamic lines. Its elegant and sporty body shape makes it an aesthetically pleasing and athletic product.
The interior reflects thoughtful design, featuring an intelligent cockpit with a 0.23-second rapid response, a dual-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, and a seamless integrated large screen. The layered flat dashboard, light-colored interior, and well-organized gear lever area offer a visually pleasing effect and a strong sense of technology. The 8295 chip adds to the technological ambiance. While its interior and exterior designs may not surpass Xiaomi SU7’s popularity, they certainly hold their own with unique characteristics.
Given the Galaxy E8. how should Xiaomi SU7 be priced?
In terms of configuration, the Xiaomi SU7’s standard version is superior to the 175.800 Galaxy E8 with a range of 550km. It has more features such as a center airbag, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, door open warning, and front and rear collision warnings. Additionally, it includes 11 cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, and 3 millimeter-wave radars, supporting L2 level autonomous driving, which the entry-level Galaxy E8 lacks. It also features lane change assist, lane keeping assist, lane centering assist, parking assist, and automatic lane change and ramp exit functions, along with highway autonomous driving assist. Other features include rear side privacy glass, four-zone voice wake-up, simulated engine sound, heated and ventilated front seats, and sports-style seats with 25 speakers supporting Dolby Atmos...
However, the 185.800 Galaxy E8 includes these features as standard, plus a transparent chassis, keyless entry, hidden door handles, an active closed grille with external discharge function, remote start, sentinel mode, a built-in dash cam, and road rescue call.
Comparing configurations, it’s clear that the Xiaomi SU7’s basic configuration is significantly better than the Galaxy E8’s entry-level model. But it falls short compared to the 185.800 mid-tier Galaxy E8. Considering features like Dolby Atmos, the Xiaomi SU7 certainly cannot match the Galaxy E8’s price and will undoubtedly be priced higher than 175.800.
Which is better, Xiaomi SU7 or Galaxy E8. and which is the new disruptor in the mid-to-large-sized car market?
From the configuration, we can see subtle differences in positioning between the two cars. The Galaxy E8. as Geely’s flagship product, still follows a user-friendly approach, targeting the home car market, aiming to be a volume hit. Therefore, the entry-level model does have some configurations cut, but retains eye-catching features.
On the other hand, the Xiaomi SU7 seems to target users who seek high driving quality and ride experience, appealing to urban elites who can afford the Aito M7. It focuses more on performance and comfort for various usage scenarios, resulting in a slightly higher price threshold than the Galaxy E8.
In conclusion, after comparing, it’s apparent that after their launch, the two cars, except for overlapping prices, are unlikely to directly compete because they target different primary audiences. The question then falls to Xiaomi: if the positioning and pricing are too high, those who can afford it might not be interested, and those who really want it might not afford it. Is this really meaningful? It might be better to follow Galaxy E8’s lead and lower its stance to cater to the market.
