Amidst Huawei, Where Is Dongfeng's "Jingjie"?

At this moment, there should be no doubt about "whether there is deep cooperation with Huawei," right? From the initial misunderstanding of the smart selection car model, to the confusion about the HI model, and now Huawei is everywhere.

It can be said that if choosing Huawei in the past was choosing a competitive advantage, then choosing Huawei now is highly likely to become the standard configuration for a product. The significance of this standard configuration is not any less than the installation of ABS or ESP back in the day, and it is more like an essential option for providing consumers with a better experience.

At this stage of development in the Chinese automotive industry, there are even more ambitious goals. Therefore, the relationship between car companies and Huawei has a sense of "Chinese companies help Chinese companies." This feeling is even stronger among traditional car manufacturers.

As someone joked, after the emergence of the "Five Realms" - Wenjie, Zhijie, Xiangjie, Zunjie, Shangjie - Huajing and Qijing also made their debut, and many car companies are deepening their cooperation with Huawei. It is not difficult to see that Huawei's "realm" and "boundary" will continue to increase. For traditional car companies, this is a rare opportunity to strengthen themselves.

At this point, central state-owned enterprises in the automotive sector are also accelerating. Following GAC Group Chairman Feng Xingya and Changan Automobile Chairman Zhu Huaron, on September 22, Dongfeng Motor Chairman and Party Secretary Yang Qing led a team of executives to Shenzhen to meet with Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and Huawei's Xu Zhijun for discussions.

The two parties engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics such as strengthening strategic mutual trust, deepening strategic cooperation, and promoting innovation in corporate governance and operational mechanisms. Yang Qing stated that they will continue to deepen strategic collaboration with Huawei. Ren Zhengfei mentioned that the fundamental aspect of the automotive industry is to build good cars, with the highest level of a car being safety. Xu Zhijun expressed that Huawei will fully support Dongfeng Motor's transformation and development.

If we look at it from a longer-term perspective, Dongfeng Motor Corporation has shown a different side since last year. Especially after signing a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei for the first time, Dongfeng's open and inclusive mindset has become increasingly evident. Its major independent brands and joint ventures like Dongfeng Nissan have quickly absorbed and utilized Huawei's various advantages.

Therefore, after the Dongfeng team moved south this time, the public has been speculating about which brand will benefit the most.

01The Dongfeng Group is fully "Huawei-ized".

In fact, to analyze this issue, apart from the statements made by the leaders, the statements from the executives of various brands under Dongfeng Motor Corporation are also more meaningful.

It has been analyzed that this visit to Huawei was the first stop for Mengshi Automobile Technology Company's new CEO, Wan Liangyu, after taking office, undoubtedly paving the way for Mengshi to strengthen its intelligent off-road capabilities. Indeed, in February 2024, Dongfeng Mengshi Technology officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei, with Wan Liangyu as the signing representative.

Subsequently, Mengshi Technology and Huawei jointly launched the "first intelligent off-road vehicle," the Mengshi M817. Shortly after, Dongfeng Motor and Xiangyang established a new company, with Huawei deeply involved and fully opening its processes and system capabilities. Dongfeng will also actively introduce Huawei's advanced management methods, such as IPD (Integrated Product Development) and IPMS (Integrated Product Marketing and Service), to promote synergy and innovation with Dongfeng's existing process systems.

Lufang, the CEO of Lantu Motors, posted on Weibo stating that Ren has given positive recognition to the collaboration between Huawei and Lantu. Reflecting on more than a year of partnership between Lantu and Huawei, both parties have built mutual trust, empowered each other, and the results are evident. Three days later (on September 26), five models from our deep collaboration with Huawei will collectively debut at the Lantu Era Fashion Night. Among them, the Lantu Chasing Light L and the new era flagship SUV will shine on stage. We believe that our cooperation with Huawei will continue to broaden!

In fact, the first model resulting from the collaboration between Dongfeng Motor and Huawei is the Lantu Dreamer, which will be launched in January 2024. As the first vehicle equipped with Huawei's Harmony OS cockpit and QianKun intelligent driving system, the Dreamer received over 50,000 orders within 110 days of its release, becoming a popular model in the high-end MPV market priced above 350,000 yuan.

Yipai Technology's general manager Wang Junjun also stated in a post that regarding the first model of the DH project in collaboration with Huawei, we recently held the second KOC research and tasting meeting, inviting users to discuss the product and co-create the future. This is the implementation of the concept of "growing together with users," making our products more aligned with user needs. In the future, Yipai Technology will work closely with Huawei to empower products with technology and co-create solutions that resonate with users, aiming to develop truly beloved smart.

At the E-Palette Technology Strategic Launch in August this year, it was mentioned that the Dongfeng E-Palette brand will launch two product series: mainstream technology and intelligent premium. The intelligent premium series is a product line jointly developed by Dongfeng E-Palette Technology and Huawei. The two parties will engage in deep cooperation from product development to marketing and ecosystem integration, incorporating the QianKun Intelligent Driving ADS 4 and HarmonyOS Cockpit 5 technologies. The first high-end intelligent full-size SUV is set to be launched in 2026.

It can be seen that whether it is Mengshi Technology, Lantu Automobile, or Yipai Technology, they all have models in cooperation with Huawei. However, we need to switch perspectives: if they all establish connections with Huawei, who will ensure Dongfeng Company's autonomy? Additionally, in the new era, who will represent the image of the new Dongfeng?

Just as Huawei represents strength in intelligence, we must mention Dongfeng Motor Corporation's own Tianyuan Intelligence. Comprising five major modules: the enterprise-level Taiji large model, Tianyuan electronic and electrical architecture, Tianyuan OS operating system, Tianyuan intelligent cabin, and Tianyuan intelligent driving, it forms the unified technical foundation for Dongfeng's smart vehicles and is the embodiment of Dongfeng's essence.

This means that this brand should not only serve as the image representative of Dongfeng but, more practically, also be the sales driver for Dongfeng. In fact, Dongfeng has clearly defined the positioning of these three brands: M-Terrain represents luxury, Voyah represents high-end, and E-Palette targets the mainstream market.

In theory, Yipai Technology should have the most influence. However, currently, looking at the Dongfeng Yipai brand, Dongfeng Fengshen brand, and Nano brand, although some models are equipped with Tianyuan intelligent driving/intelligent cabin, there are still some advanced intelligent functions missing. Moreover, Yipai Technology is still in the development stage and may experience a dormant period.

Mengshi Technology is currently in its initial stage. As a luxury brand under Dongfeng, Mengshi Technology's products are surely supported by top-tier resources. However, whether it is the off-road or light off-road market, it remains overly specialized, making it difficult to see large-scale sales at the moment. Nevertheless, we can look forward to Mengshi Technology's new strategic layout.

02The foundation of Voyah

Therefore, in this grand scheme, it might still have to be Voyah Auto to take the lead.

The reason is that the cooperation with Huawei is more like a flexible tactic used on specific brands or models to quickly make up for certain shortcomings in intelligence or to create a blockbuster. However, for Dongfeng to implement and showcase the highest-end, most forward-looking core capabilities that represent its own technical dignity, it inevitably requires a main platform that can carry all its technological ambitions.

Lantu, as a high-end new energy brand meticulously created by Dongfeng, has a brand positioning, user group, and product complexity that closely aligns with the advanced intelligent goals pursued by the Tianyuan intelligent system, which emphasizes "full-stack self-research and integrated software and hardware." Therefore, Lantu is not just one of the participants in the collaboration between Dongfeng and Huawei; it is also a carrier for Dongfeng to demonstrate its determination and strength in technological independence to the outside world.

Moreover, Lantu is indeed making significant efforts. As early as 2022, when Lantu unveiled its third model, the Lantu Zhuiguang, this vehicle adopted Dongfeng's new generation intelligent electric vehicle platform, which consists of a mechanical ESSA architecture and a centralized SOA electronic and electrical architecture. Then, in September of this year, the 2026 Lantu Dreamer was launched, with the Kunpeng version being a culmination of Tianyuan Intelligence.

This continuous advancement in technology is supported by Voyah's clear innovation strategy. In terms of technological innovation, Voyah insists on independent research and development while not abandoning collaboration. Not only does it have strong in-house research and development capabilities, but it also collaborates with leading ICT companies like Huawei with an open mindset to build a new ecosystem of open cooperation.

Lu Fang has repeatedly stated in public that among the car manufacturers or products collaborating with Huawei, Lantu's electronic and electrical architecture integrates the best with Huawei. A compelling example is that he dared to personally challenge the automatic emergency braking (AEB) at a speed of 130 km/h while blindfolded, due to the support of the ESSA architecture and the Tianyuan architecture, which enables millisecond-level braking response.

This also shows that the collaboration between Voyah and Huawei integrates intelligent architecture and intelligent driving, combining Voyah's advantages in chassis and architecture with Huawei's strengths in intelligent driving and intelligent cockpit, achieving cross-domain integration of software and hardware. As Lu Fang said, it gives the car a strong physique, a powerful heart, and an intelligent brain.

Of course, such efforts also come with rewards. Lantu began its collaboration with Huawei in January 2024, and on September 19, 2024, the new Lantu Dreamer, created in partnership with Huawei, was launched, redefining the benchmark for luxury MPVs in China. After its launch, it has consistently ranked as the sales champion of new energy MPVs in China for several consecutive months.

In 2025, the collaboration between the two parties will further upgrade as Voyah and Huawei jointly announce an "All-in Intelligent Strategy." Voyah will become the first Chinese automaker to fully integrate Huawei's QianKun intelligent driving system and HarmonyOS cockpit across all categories, including MPVs, SUVs, and sedans, comprehensively meeting the high-end intelligent travel needs of different users.

On July 12, 2025, the Lantu FREE+ was launched, featuring the first integration of Huawei HarmonyOS Cabin 5 and ADS 4.0, ranking among the "Top 3 Hybrid SUV Sales in the 200,000-300,000 RMB Range." On August 25, the "First Household Pure Electric SUV of the Huawei Series," the all-new Lantu Zhiyin, was launched, ranking first in sales among Huawei series pure electric models under 300,000 RMB. On September 16, the 2026 Lantu Dreamer was launched, with pre-orders surpassing 3,000 units. Following this, two more significant models, the Lantu Zhuguang L and Lantu Taishan, will be launched.

Interestingly, with the launch of the Shangjie H5 on September 23rd, some voices have started to question whether the Lantu Zhiyin has met its strongest competitor, especially since the opponent bears the "Jie" name. However, a third party soon created a comparison chart between the two cars, showing that aside from the common Huawei Qian Kun intelligent driving system and HarmonyOS cockpit, the Zhiyin's configuration is still clearly superior.

For example, Zhiyin features an 800V architecture with 5C supercharging, an EDC adjustable damping suspension, a driver's seat with massage and headrest speakers, a passenger seat with zero-gravity seating, a refrigerator, and front electric suction doors. This "collaboration + self-research" dual-track strategy has given it more leverage in the highly homogenized smart electric vehicle market.

The reason why Voyah can create differentiated product advantages based on cooperation is closely related to its corporate positioning and reform direction. As a brand that undertakes the mission of system and mechanism reform of Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Voyah continuously promotes innovation in multiple dimensions, from transforming the mindset to optimizing the management system and cultivating innovative talents. Each initiative aims to stimulate the internal vitality of the enterprise.

At the same time, Voyah is also a "persuadable" car company that deeply explores user needs. Whether it's the in-depth cooperation with Huawei or creating superior advantages in configurations, these are essentially concrete manifestations of this reform mindset and user-oriented approach. After all, Huawei is ubiquitous, and the competition is based on one's own hard and soft strengths—this is the foundation of differentiated competition.

Of course, Voyah also has an unparalleled advantage. On August 22, Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd. announced that Voyah has initiated the introduction for listing. On September 15, the company completed its shareholding reform and renaming, and the listing process is progressing steadily, providing more room for imagination for its subsequent development.

Overall, leveraging its own technology and product capabilities, along with a user-oriented strategy, combined with the resource empowerment from Dongfeng Group and the support of its partners, Lantu is not only the biggest beneficiary in Dongfeng's intelligent transformation but also able to utilize Huawei's intelligent solutions as an accelerator for its development.