[Auto] New HiPhi Y SUV makes debut at Shanghai motor show

[Blackfire]

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• Fast-moving Chinese premium EV brand HiPhi has revealed the new HiPhi Y crossover at the Shanghai motor show, which will be its second model to go on sale in Europe, following the arrival of the HiPhi X later this year. 

  Presented at HiPhi’s exhibition stand at the show, Autocar understands the Y will have a focus on usability, with a range of around 500 miles on a single charge, based on China’s light-duty vehicle test cycle. 

  It’s powered by a 115kWh battery, with the option of a smaller 76.6kWh unit, while top-rung models make use of up to 331bhp. 

• HiPhi hasn’t revealed pricing yet for Europe but says it will be cheaper than the £75,000 HiPhi X, and the HiPhi Z. Orders are expected to open by the end of the year

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• The carmaker confirmed it would kick-start its move into the European market with the HiPhi X after the model passed homologation tests by German firm TÜV SÜD “in record time” earlier this month.

  Set to be HiPhi’s first car on sale on the continent, the X is billed as a coupé crossover with a focus on comfort and technology. It will be followed in Europe by the HiPhi Z, a luxury electric grand tourer, and a third model, the HiPhi Y, which will be unveiled at the Shanghai motor show. 

  The X will be sold in Europe with a 97kWh battery, offering a claimed range of up to 403 miles, calculated using the China light-duty vehicle test cycle (CLTC). It uses a dual-motor set-up with a total output of 528bhp. HiPhi says it can complete 0-62mph in 3.9sec. 

  In China, the X can be selected with a 120kWh battery with 438 miles of range, but HiPhi has not confirmed if this variant will be offered in Europe. Both four- and six-seat configurations will go on sale in Europe. 

• HiPhi has emphasised the high level of the X’s technology. Inside, it’s equipped with a 17-speaker audio system, a 19.9in, passenger-oriented touchscreen infotainment system and a customisable fragrance system.  Also included as standard is a series of 8.0in touchscreens around the car and "airline-style seats".

  Another standout feature, the firm says, is the inclusion of the “first robotic arm in the industry”, which adjusts the angle of the infotainment screen. 

  No prices have been revealed for the European market yet, but the X entered production just under two years ago in China, becoming the country’s best-selling premium EV (£60,000-plus) in its first half year on sale. 

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  With the Z to follow the X, the HiPhi Y is expected to open new doors for the four-year-old Shanghai-based company, targeting a lower price point and higher sales volumes - as well as serving as the flagbearer for a global expansion strategy.

  Speaking exclusively to Autocar, HiPhi chief technology officer Mark Stanton (previously head of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicles division) hinted that the third car, based on the same architecture as its range-mates, will be revealed at the Shanghai motor show later this month and will be cheaper than the £75,000 X and Z.

  Human Horizons HiPhi X Founders Edition 2021 first drive

  "Our first two products are both high-end, top-of-the-range cars," said Stanton, adding that they have "anchored our brand at that premium level" to the point where most of HiPhi's conquest customers are coming over from Mercedes-Benz.

  The HiPhi Z, a rakish, high-riding saloon, arrived on sale at the end of 2022 and looks to steal some of the indomitable Porsche Taycan's thunder in the German firm's biggest market

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• https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-hiphi-y-suv-makes-debut-shanghai-motor-show