Author: Master

Experience Again: I Finally Understand Why the Gaohe HiPhi X Dares to Sell for More Than 680,000 CNY

To be honest, when the Gaohe HiPhi X (formerly known as the Gaohe HiPhi 1) was first released two years ago, I had more than once suspected that it was just another “PPT car manufacturer” due to its overly “sci-fi” design, founder Mr. Ding Lei’s slightly exaggerated function presentation on stage, and the new car’s design and body posture, which were similar to the FF91, owned by Jia Yueting.

However, two years have passed, and Gaohe Auto not only delivered the car, but has been silently improving itself, achieving one “blown trumpet” after another.

Since the mass production and delivery of the six-seater model began in May, the cumulative delivery of Gaohe HiPhi X has exceeded 1500 vehicles. In the sales list of luxury pure electric vehicles priced at over 500,000 CNY in August, Gaohe HiPhi X ranked second with 469 units and an increase of about 10% on a month-on-month basis. Although there are many adjectives, even if they are ignored, as the first model of a Chinese new-force brand, it is already remarkable to achieve such performance.

However, before experiencing the real car, I believe there are still many people with the same questions and doubts as the title, such as “Why sell it at such a high price?” and “Who will buy it?” Taking advantage of this national media test drive event, with these questions, I went to the birthplace of Gaohe HiPhi X, Yancheng, Jiangsu.

Unique Design + Unparalleled Ceremony

Before we begin, let’s briefly review the static part of the Gaohe HiPhi X. For a more detailed static experience, please refer to our previous article, “What is the Experience of Integrating a Large Amount of High Technology into One Car?” (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/M1nR1nveVl64F4d4RoGlQA)

With its short front end, A-pillar stretching all the way up to the front wheel, super large tilt angle front and rear windshields, and heavy body, at first sight of the Gaohe HiPhi X, you can immediately see that it is not the traditional SUV shape. In my opinion, it looks more like an enlarged hunting vehicle, and the official definition for it is a “evolvable super run SUV.”

The high-end electric vehicle HiPhi X has body dimensions of 5200/2062/1618 mm (length/width/height) and a wheelbase of 3150 mm. With its sleek and dynamic body shape, it looks far from bulky and can even achieve a “supercar” low-profile look when the air suspension is lowered to its lowest position.

While regular LED headlights and continuous LED light strips have become commonplace, PML Programmable Intelligent headlights and ISD Intelligent Interactive lights are groundbreaking achievements. With 2.6 million independently controllable nanoscale micro-reflection mirrors, it not only provides basic high and low beam switch, but also offers advanced functions such as vehicle tracking and masking, driving trajectory prediction, lane departure warning, blind spot change warning, low-speed turning assistance, active level adjustment, pedestrian tracking, pedestrian guidance and projection playback.

The huge 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels on the HiPhi X look perfectly matched, especially when paired with the Michelin PS EV series tires specially developed for electric vehicles.

The Highlande badge in the center of the bolt cover features Rolls-Royce-style bearings and hammer designs. During driving, it allows the badge to detach from the rotation of the wheel while maintaining relative stillness with the ground, providing a spinning fingertip gyro-like feel when stopped.

The HiPhi X does not feature ordinary door handles, and all doors are electrically controlled.

All six electric doors on the vehicle are equipped with ultrasonic radar that automatically stops when obstacles are detected. The top-swinging gull-wing doors also come with a rain sensor that prevents them from opening automatically when rain is detected.The windows, air conditioning, and seat ventilation/heating/massage switches for all doors except the driver’s seat are touch controls.

The interior design of the HiPhi X is very unique, with a completely asymmetric design for the driver and passenger sides, giving the passenger a 19.9-inch entertainment screen (large enough to watch movies and positioned further out), which can also be connected to Bluetooth headphones for separate audio playback.

The materials used throughout the car are top-notch, with a lot of genuine leather covering almost everything you touch, even the back of the seats.

The entire ceiling is covered in suede, and although it doesn’t have a panoramic sunroof, the HiPhi X uses a lot of glass to ensure every passenger has an open and transparent view.

All glass is double silver-coated to significantly reduce ultraviolet, infrared, and heat radiation entering the car.

The front and middle row seats are made of high-quality semi-aniline leather and suede with heating, ventilation, and massage functions, as well as adjustable leather armrests and electric leg rests. The seat belts are directly fixed to the seats, and the adjustments are also electric, allowing not only front and back adjustments, but also bringing the two seats closer together, reducing the distance between rear passengers. Even the soft and thick velvet carpet underneath is like walking on cotton. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the experience has already surpassed the Toyota Alphard.To provide the best riding experience for all passengers, all seats are equipped with independent air conditioning vents, USB ports, and phone holders, with the third-row passengers even having a makeup mirror with lighting.

Our 6-seater flagship version with a price of 680,000 yuan also comes standard with the top-notch audio system from the British brand, MERIDIAN, with a total of 17 speakers throughout the vehicle.

It can be said that the luxury of the HiPhi X is not only reflected in its configuration, but also in all aspects, especially its attention to detail.

So Agile for a Large Vehicle

In the face of such a huge body size and weight of over 2.5 tons, I did not have high expectations for the driving performance of the HiPhi X. However, the actual experience still surprised me.

The total power of 440 kW and torque of 820 N・m are actually very easy to control, with gradual sensitivity in the three driving modes of economy/comfort/sport, and a very linear power response. Deeply step on the “accelerator”, and the powerful thrust is released instantly, accompanied by the screeching of the tires, and the huge car body slightly lifts its front, tightly pressing the passengers in their seats. The 0-100 km/h acceleration can be completed in just about 4 seconds.

The paddles behind the steering wheel can be customized between driving modes and energy recovery functions. HiPhi X does not pursue extremely low energy consumption with its energy recovery, so it is not equipped with the single-pedal mode commonly seen in other EVs. Even in the “strong” mode, the recovery force is not too strong, still close to what we are used to in traditional fuel vehicles.

The agility secret lies in the rear wheels. The HiPhi X is equipped with a set of rear-wheel active steering with an angle of up to 10°, which can not only significantly reduce the turning radius at low speeds, but also make lane-changing and overtaking at high speeds more confident.

The HiPhi X from Gaohe features a front double-wishbone and rear five-link independent suspension system. Despite facing large and small bumps and speed bumps, all four air springs provided by Continental can keep the wheels firmly on the ground while softening most of the vibrations.

However, the suspension system is not solely focused on comfort. In fact, it performs well in terms of lateral support and the suppression of front-to-back pitching, while still allowing some road feedback without feeling overly heavy. Compared to the electric cars I have driven horizontally, although it does not achieve the ultimate balance like the Audi e-tron, it is still better than the NIO ES8.

Equipped with front four-piston Brembo brake calipers, it can provide powerful braking force. The Michelin PS EV tires that come with it are also sporty, but with a width of only 255 mm for 22-inch wheels, the confidence in full braking is not particularly strong. After all, the tire widths of cars of similar levels are mostly around 275 mm.

The overall soundproofing level of the HiPhi X also matches its positioning. Even under hard acceleration, the high-frequency noise of the motor is completely inaudible, and the wind noise at high speeds is well suppressed. The only noticeable noise is tire noise, but it is acceptable since the tires themselves are not focused on silence.

In conclusion, the HiPhi X from Gaohe performs at a high level both statically and in terms of driving quality, which is very consistent with its actual positioning. It achieves unparalleled experiences in some segmented scenarios, even though it is not perfect. We can’t simply look at it using conventional family car thinking. With its powerful dynamics, NT-Gullwing doors, programmable intelligent headlamps, and other dazzling details, it is the best reflection of a departure from the “run-of-the-mill.” It is not just a car, but also an electronic product and a real toy, which is the only product you can buy in this price range.

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.