文 | Luoji

After working in the automotive media industry for more than a decade, I usually feel confident in quickly grasping the positioning, characteristics, and potential sales of every new car that launches into the market. However, the Changan SL03 in deep blue has left me confused.

Undeniably, the design is outstanding. However, when news about it first broke, I couldn’t discern its size, classification, or potential market positioning from the photos. Even after a detailed price release, I still couldn’t accurately determine the potential competitors, nor could I judge its product strength and cost-effectiveness, and what kind of market feedback it would receive.

In short, I was having trouble understanding the Changan SL03.

Therefore, before writing this article, I carefully arranged information about the Changan SL03’s size, power, range, and configuration, and then went through the sales charts to find out its potential rivals. I then compared the respective models’ data with the Changan SL03. After quite a bit of work, I came to a conclusion:

The Changan SL03 is a groundbreaking product. This ground-breaking aspect does not only refer to the Changan brand itself, but will also have a profound impact on the new energy vehicle market segment with a priced range of 150,000 to 250,000 yuan.

Why is the Changan SL03 so difficult to understand?

Firstly, its design exudes athleticism. The SL03’s sportiness and aggressively angular appearance differ from the fluid-lined style of the Tesla Model 3 and BYD Han. Especially in the rear of the car, there’s a strong-mechanical texture that gives off a fuel car’s impression. Although the front face has minimized the existence of the air intake grille, the approach to highlighting the sportiness still retained a gasoline-car-like feeling. In fact, when I first saw the SL03, I thought it was a new energy version of the Changan UNI-V.

The SL03’s appearance is very easy to mistake as a compact-level, equivalent to the size of the UNI-V. However, in actuality, the SL03 is a decidedly mid-sized sedan, with a length of more than 4.8 meters, a width of nearly 1.9 meters, a 2900mm wheelbase, and even reaches the threshold of a mid-large sized car. The large discrepancy between the impression and the actual size is precisely the first reason why the SL03 left me feeling perplexed.Next is the powertrain of the SL03. According to Changan, this car is built on a brand new platform called EPA1. Changan’s description of this platform is “all-electric digital platform” rather than the common “pure electric platform.” The difference between “all-electric” and “pure electric” is significant because SL03’s first flagship model includes both extend-range and BEV pure electric power versions.

The problem arises here: since SL03 has the extend-range power system that requires (or can) refueling, is the pure electric version of SL03 considered a “gas-to-electric” model?

This misconception is easy to make, but a closer examination reveals the significance behind Changan’s description of the “all-electric platform.” The electric version of the SL03 is an original pure electric sedan with all the benefits of a pure electric platform, which is also compatible with the extend-range power system. It is worth noting that the conventional term for an extend-range vehicle is “extended-range electric vehicle” rather than “plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.” Therefore, SL03’s extended-range version is an undisputed electric-driven car.

In addition, we can conclude from Changan’s description of the “all-electric platform” that the Deep Blue SL03 will not introduce pure fuel or PHEV plug-in hybrid versions in the future. The EPA1 platform is only compatible with extend-range power, not fuel and hybrid powertrain types, which means that it does not have the underlying disadvantages of a fuel-powered car layout.

Now that we understand the nature of the platform used by Deep Blue SL03, the critical question is why Changan chose to introduce an extend-range version under the 200,000 yuan price range. Or, in other words, why does the new EPA1 platform with a strategic significance need to consider compatibility with the extend-range powertrain?

We know that the Ideal One has already become one of the best-selling new energy vehicle models above 300,000 yuan. However, when it comes to extend-range technology, many consumers and automobile companies still view it as backward technology. Nowadays, the most successful new energy vehicle under 200,000 yuan in the market is represented by PHEV plug-in hybrid vehicles like the BYD DM-i. Why did Changan choose to adopt an unprecedented extend-range route outside the pure electric route under 200,000 yuan instead of following the trend?

Perhaps the inspiration comes from Ideal, Huawei, or other well-known brands. Still, the decisive factor must be Changan’s research, which has judged that the extend-range technology has significant potential. Leaving aside the debate about whether the technology is advanced or outdated, if the extend-range route can provide a good driving experience, then there is no reason to reject it blindly.According to the currently available information, the Deep Blue SL03 extended range version has an acceleration performance of 7.5 seconds to 100 km/h, a pure electric range of 200 kilometers (CLTC cycle), and a fuel consumption level of 4.5L/100km. According to official parameters, the SL03 extended range version is comparable to the most popular BYD Qin PLUS DM-i in the same price range. Even if the fuel consumption data is slightly inflated, if the actual fuel consumption can be kept within 6L/100km, the power and fuel efficiency performance of this car still far exceed the best-selling gasoline cars in the same price range.

It is worth noting that the pure electric range of the Deep Blue SL03 reaches 200 kilometers, which can easily meet the daily commuting needs and can be used as a pure electric vehicle most of the time, similar to the ideal ONE. In contrast, the pure electric range of some PHEV plug-in hybrid cars in the same price range is generally around 50-100 kilometers. Therefore, even though the fuel consumption of the Deep Blue SL03 is not as good as some hybrid cars, due to its wider pure electric range, the overall cost of using the car is not higher than that of the currently most popular PHEV hybrid models.

Having clarified this, the remaining key factor is whether the price and cost-effectiveness of the Deep Blue SL03 are reasonable, and in this regard, the Deep Blue SL03 is another aspect that puzzles me.

The price of the Deep Blue SL03 completely breaks the market rules

Currently, the Deep Blue SL03 has only released three configuration versions, with the extended range version priced at 168,900 yuan, and the pure electric version priced at 183,900-215,900 yuan. If the SL03 were a compact sedan, this price range would be relatively expensive, but as we analyzed earlier, the Deep Blue SL03 is a standard B-class car, and its size has already surpassed that of Tesla’s Model 3.

In fact, whether it is new forces or traditional Chinese brand automakers, their focus on new energy vehicles is mostly concentrated on two extremes, namely, electric microcars below 100,000 yuan or high-end luxury new energy vehicles priced above 200-300,000 yuan, with the size level at least reaching B-class or above. However, in the 100-200,000 yuan range, regardless of the number of models or sales, it is far less than the lower or higher price points in the market.

However, Changan Deep Blue has taken the first step with a B-class sedan entering the 150-200,000 yuan range, which is very different from other players in the market.

Let’s first take a look at the active models in the new energy market within the 150-200,000 yuan range:The best-selling vehicle is the BYD Song PLUS DM-i, a compact plug-in hybrid SUV, followed by BYD’s compact all-electric SUV Yuan PLUS. However, its main selling range is basically around RMB 150,000, not strictly within the RMB 150,000-200,000 range. The one that truly fits into the sedan category and has a main sales range between RMB 150,000 and 200,000 is the AION S/AION S Plus from GAC Aion. In June, its sales reached 9,700 units, which is basically the sales ceiling for the RMB 150,000-200,000 range.

Looking further down the list, the sales volume drops significantly. The XPeng P5 maintains a monthly sales level of around 5,000 units, while the Volkswagen ID.3 sells less than 3,000 units, both of which are lower than their respective brand’s higher-priced electric vehicle models.

That is to say, RMB 150,000 to 200,000 is not a very “friendly” price range for new energy vehicles, especially pure electric vehicles. It is a “hard bone” for new energy vehicles, and the first step taken by the Blue Park brand is to enter this circle.

If the Blue Park SL03 was just a regular new energy vehicle, my expectations for it wouldn’t have been that high. But it is a “strange” model that is hard to understand. As I gradually figured out its identity, I realized that the RMB 150,000-200,000 new energy market needs models like the Blue Park SL03.

In terms of size, the Blue Park SL03 is half a level larger than the XPeng P5, but with the same range version, it is half the price of the XPeng P5. When considering power performance and function configuration, the cost performance of the pure electric version of the Blue Park SL03 is much higher.

The closest level positioning might actually be the BYD Dolphin, which has a starting price of over RMB 210,000, and the 700 km long-range version has a guide price of RMB 262,800, while the 705 km version of the Blue Park SL03 is nearly RMB 50,000 cheaper than the Dolphin.

As for the AION S Plus, which is currently the best-selling vehicle in the RMB 150,000 to 200,000 range, it will face a challenge from the Blue Park SL03 in terms of power performance and function configuration. So, can the Blue Park SL03 achieve monthly sales of over ten thousand units through pre-orders?

The above is just a superficial comparison. If you have carefully studied the configuration table, you will find that the cost performance of the Blue Park SL03 is simply amazing. Just to give a few examples, L2-level driving assistance, both the extended range and pure electric versions come standard across the board, with a price threshold of RMB 168,900.

Other models in the same price range mostly use traditional doors, while the Deep Blue SL03, starting from 168,900 RMB, uses frameless doors that were previously only found in electric cars costing over 250,000 RMB, such as the Model 3 and the Xpeng P001.

HUD heads-up display, which is not commonly found in competitors of the same price range, is included in the 262,800 RMB BYD Hanbaobao configuration. The Deep Blue SL03 offers seat heating and ventilation, extended range and pure electric versions as standard across the range, while these are only available on the top-of-the-line Xpeng P5 priced at 249,900 RMB.

In addition, the Deep Blue SL03 boasts a plethora of features such as gesture control and a 10+ speaker car audio system, making it an outstanding choice for its price range.

At this point, it may seem like the biggest selling point of the deep blue SL03 is its value for money. However, that is definitely a misconception. Barring the effect of price, when we examine the car’s exterior design, cabin quality, performance, and range, in addition to Deep Blue’s outstanding logo design, it almost meets all of the benchmarks for high-end new energy vehicles. Even if Changan had set its starting price at over 200,000 RMB, there wouldn’t be much to fault.

Nevertheless, Changan has set its sights on the 150,000-200,000 RMB market for traditional gasoline-fueled cars, where there is no substantial breakthrough yet for new energy vehicles. This is the most unexpected aspect of the Deep Blue SL03 to me.

Conclusion

I previously wrote an article titled “You Can Never Beat Tesla by Copying Tesla” which pointed out that to make a breakthrough in the new energy market, one must abandon copying Tesla and explore new product types based on one’s own unique features. Since then, many successful new energy products have emerged in the domestic market, each with its own unique positioning.

Now that the Deep Blue brand is facing a similar situation. BYD’s DM-i series has already become an insurmountable peak among hybrid models priced under 200,000 RMB, and there are numerous strong competitors in the pure electric car market priced above 200,000 RMB. To achieve a breakthrough, Changan must base its strategy on the current market situation and the actual needs of consumers, and carve out a new path that suits its own needs.Therefore, the Deep Blue SL03 launched its first hybrid-powered version within 200,000 RMB, while the pure electric version sets its starting price in the 180,000 RMB range. With the level of a mid-size sedan and the product strength of a high-end model, it aims to attack the most difficult segmented market.

This year, Changan’s new energy vehicles have set a sales target of 200,000 units. Although less than half of the target has been achieved, the core factor that will determine whether it can achieve the sales target may simply be its production capacity, which will be decided after the launch of Deep Blue SL03.

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.