Harrier is Really Coming

Harrier is really coming. Most people may not be familiar with this car from Toyota as it has not officially entered the domestic market, and its visibility is almost zero. But if the first and second generations of the Lexus RX are rebadged versions of Harrier, do you have some impression of it?

Recently, it has been reported online that the white body of the Harrier from FAW Toyota has been officially offline. This new car project is coded 941B and has no official Chinese name yet. But according to the trademark previously applied by FAW Toyota, its Chinese name may be Rui Fang.

Harrier is also based on the TNGA-K platform and positioned as a mid-size SUV. The body length, width, and height of the overseas version are 4740/1855/1660 mm, and the wheelbase is 2690 mm. For reference, the body length, width, and height of the current RAV4 crown are 4600/1855/1680 mm, and the wheelbase is also 2690 mm. But these sizes may not be the final size of the domestic version, and some modifications may be made.

In terms of appearance, it still follows Toyota’s slightly exaggerated but harmonious style. The front part of the car is the centerpiece and has many elements stacked here. The larger air intake grille is a design element commonly used for new Toyota cars, and the chrome decoration that crosses the entire front face is a good decoration.

Now Toyota’s interior design is also catching up. The combination of interior colors and the application of lines are relatively mature, and this interior looks quite advanced. But it has to be said that even good design needs material assistance. If the domestic version can maintain a relatively high level of materials when it is officially mass-produced, it will be very much anticipated.

Regarding power, according to the current information, there may be three powertrain options available, including a 2.0L+CVT, a 2.5L hybrid system, and a 2.5L hybrid system with four-wheel drive. The power output of each powertrain can be referred to the current RAV4.

In addition, the launch of Harrier can also explain why the positioning of Highlander suddenly became higher, after all, there must be some market space left for the newcomers, right?

Model Y at 270,000 RMB, Will It Sell Well?

Previously, I had been predicting for others that the long-range version of Model 3 would come back and be priced at around 270,000 RMB. But unexpectedly, the 27万RMB Model Y came out instead of the Model 3.

Today (yes, today, not recently), Tesla announced the launch of the Model Y Standard Range Version, which is priced at 276,000 RMB. It adopts rear-wheel drive with a single motor and has a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.6 seconds. The top speed is 217 km/h, and the range measured according to China’s national standard is 525 km.

Of course, this price is after deducting the national subsidy of 2,016 RMB. The original price was 291,840 RMB. It is worth noting that if the price after adding any additional options exceeds 300,000 RMB, the national subsidy cannot be enjoyed. Therefore, there is only 8160 RMB of space for optional items, so buyers can only choose one of the three optional items: body color, rims, and interior color.

However, there should be no problem with the two driving assistance options, EPA and AP. These two optional items can be purchased after taking delivery of the vehicle, so it should be possible to avoid the problem of the vehicle invoice price when registering. According to Tesla’s previous statistics, the number of owners choosing these two options in China is still relatively small, so the impact is not significant.

# Model Y Sales Easily Exceeded 10,000 in the Past Two Months

It should be noted that prior to this, the lowest price of the Model Y was also over 300,000 yuan, and yet it has now sold over 10,000 units in the past two months alone. With the introduction of a lower-priced standard range version, sales are expected to rise even further.

What? You say the standard range version has reduced its range? Let’s just say, does losing 69 km of range and a front motor really matter that much to you?

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.