Chinese electric car brand HiPhi is set to launch its first two models in Europe, the X coupé crossover and Z grand tourer, with prices starting from €109,000 and €105,000 respectively. The X will be available 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 and can complete 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. The Z grand tourer, a rakish, high-riding saloon, arrived on sale at the end of 2022 and is expected to undercut the entry-level Porsche Taycan.
HiPhi’s focus on younger buyers
HiPhi has emphasised the high level of technology in its cars. The X is equipped with a 17-speaker audio system, a 19.9in passenger-oriented touchscreen infotainment system, and a customisable fragrance system. It also includes a series of 8.0in touchscreens around the car and “airline-style seats”. Another standout feature is the inclusion of the “first robotic arm in the industry”, which adjusts the angle of the infotainment screen.
While HiPhi’s first two products are high-end, top-of-the-range cars, the company is looking to diversify its product line with a more volume-friendly EV that brings comparable levels of technology and functionality at a lower price. HiPhi’s chief technology officer Mark Stanton said that younger buyers are less “sensitive about brand” than older customers of established premium marques. The new entry-level model will have stand-out design cues, premium conception, advanced technology, and engaging driving characteristics that have defined its products so far.
Stanton compared HiPhi’s ambitions with that of the Range Rover line-up, noting in particular that the entry-level Evoque has been a “pretty damn successful product for Land Rover” and is thus a “good example of how you can take that top-end Range Rover and bring it down into a mid-sized premium vehicle”. Similarly, HiPhi will look to equip its new entry-level model with the stand-out design cues, premium conception, advanced technology, and engaging driving characteristics that have defined its products so far.
HiPhi’s commitment to premium billing
Stanton reaffirmed HiPhi’s commitment to its premium billing, clarifying that global expansion doesn’t mean the brand will “start to sell hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands of cars”. He said: “Our whole approach is one small step at a time, not to overstretch ourselves and overdo too many things.” Cars in Europe will be left-hand-drive initially, but production of right-hookers for the UK (“an attractive market”) will follow soon after.
HiPhi’s focus on smart cities
HiPhi has a concept of three ‘smarts’: smart cars, smart roads, and smart cities. The company has focused more heavily in the last three or four years on smart cars to get those out into the marketplace, but it has developed technologies to support smart roads and the smart city. HiPhi’s cars are V2X, 5G-enabled, so they are ready for those smart roads and smart city technologies already. They’ve already been enabled.
Opportunities for HiPhi outside China
Stanton said that there are geopolitical things that happen around the world that are unpredictable, and putting all your eggs – as a manufacturing company – in one basket is perhaps not the most sensible thing to do. While there are no decisions on any of that at this stage, HiPhi is considering other places to produce its cars.
Conclusion
HiPhi’s European launch begins with the X coupé crossover and Z grand tourer, with prices starting from €109,000 and €105,000 respectively. The company is looking to diversify its product line with a more volume-friendly EV that brings comparable levels of technology and functionality at a lower price. HiPhi has a concept of three ‘smarts’: smart cars, smart roads, and smart cities, and its cars are V2X, 5G-enabled, so they are ready for those smart roads and smart city technologies already. While there are no decisions on any of that at this stage, HiPhi is considering other places to produce its cars.