What does Baidu and Geely's Chinese electric saloon look like?

As of today, a new electric saloon is on sale in China: the Jiyue 07 from Baidu and Geely. The platform is in fact Geely's SEA, the same platform used by all Zeekr models as well as the Polestar 4 and Volvo EX models.

Jiyue, it should be remembered, is the brand created by Baidu and Geely (formerly known as Jidu Auto), 65% owned by Geely, and whose only other vehicle marketed to date is the 01 SUV. The Jiyue 07 was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show in April and now starts at 215,900 yuan (around £23,000 at the current exchange rate, but we don't yet know whether it will arrive in Europe).

Original Chinese design

Jiyue is a design-conscious brand that has won Red Dot and iF awards. The 07, with its sharp lines and drag coefficient of just 0.198 Cd, has a front end that, unlike many other cars, is particularly 'closed' which means that there is only a trapezoidal air intake at the base of the wing/fender.

Jiyue 07, resistance coefficient 0.198 Cd

The lighting signature is represented by an LED strip linking the two headlamp clusters, and another distinctive feature is the door handles, which have been replaced by open/close buttons located on the B and C pillars.

Jiyue 07

Jiyue

Jiyue 07, the rear

At the rear, there are intelligent ISD rear lights and a rear spoiler that automatically lifts when speed exceeds 60 mph.

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Technology first

The Jiyue 07 is 4.95 metres long (longer than a Tesla Model 3, which is 4.72 metres), 1.99 metres wide, 1.48 metres high and has a wheelbase of 3.01 metres, so there's plenty of room on board. The cabin of the Jiyue 07 conveys a highly technological image, with its yoked steering wheel and 35.6-inch 6K screen.

The screen, which extends from the driver's side to the passenger side, can be configured as a full screen, dual screen or triple screen, and there is also a small screen at the rear of the centre console that can be used by rear passengers.

Jiyue 07, the dashboard

The Jiyue 07 features version 2.0 of Apollo Self Driving (ASD), the high-end intelligent driving system from Baidu's Apollo unit. To use it, a monthly subscription of 599 yuan (around £64 at the current exchange rate) is required, but it is free for the first three months. It is also possible, but the offer is limited, to buy it permanently for 4,999 yuan (around £536), then the purchase price will be 29,900 yuan (£3,200).

Over 800 km on electric power

Jiyue offers 400-volt architecture versions with a single 272 PS motor, while for AWD versions with a second 272 PS motor, the figure rises to 800 volts.

The cheapest versions use a 71.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, which is enough for a CLTC range of 410 miles; those with higher specifications have a 100 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, which gives the single-motor version a range of 547 miles, while the promised range for the twin-motor version is 478 miles. For the moment, parent company Geely has provided no information on charging times.

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Source: Jiyue