• The MPV will be built on Chery's E0X-L platform and is expected to become the first MPV model under Huawei's HIMA business.
• The Luxeed MPV replaces Chery's previously planned Sterra E08, which has been discontinued.

Luxeed, the new automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and Chery, is developing an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) model, which is expected to become the first MPV under Huawei's HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) business, according to a new report.

The new model is based on Chery's E0X-L platform and has the internal code name "EHV," according to a report by local media outlet 21jingji yesterday.

It is positioned as a luxury MPV product and is expected to be officially launched in the first half of next year, the report said, citing multiple independent sources.

The model will offer extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants, with batteries supplied by CATL (SHE: 300750), according to the report.

The Luxeed MPV replaces a previously planned project by Chery, aiming to leverage Luxeed's more promising brand influence.

Chery's first luxury MPV product was originally the Exeed Sterra E08, which made its debut at the Beijing auto show in April 2024 and was originally scheduled for mass production and delivery this year, the report noted.

Currently, the Exeed Sterra E08 has been discontinued, and some employees from the project team have been reassigned to Luxeed to strengthen its MPV R&D capabilities, according to a source close to Chery cited in the report.

For a luxury MPV, Luxeed is better positioned to support its positioning, and launching two MPVs could lead to cannibalization, the source said.

Richard Yu, Huawei's executive director and chairman of the consumer business group, previously mentioned that HIMA's first MPV is already in development, sparking speculation about which brand will produce the model.

In addition to Luxeed, the HIMA business includes four other brands: Stelato under BAIC Group, Aito under Seres Group, Shangjie under SAIC Motor (SHA: 600104), and Maextro under Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC).

If Luxeed's EHV can be launched as scheduled in the first half of next year, it could become the first MPV under the HIMA business, according to the report by 21jingji.

In China's passenger vehicle market, MPVs are a niche product, despite increasing supply.

In the first half of this year, MPV sales in China totaled 507,190 units, accounting for 4.7 percent of passenger vehicle sales, according to data compiled by CnEVPost from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Luxeed launched its first model, the Luxeed S7 pure electric sedan, on November 28, 2023.

On September 24, 2024, Luxeed rolled out its second model, the Luxeed R7, which is the first coupe SUV under the HIMA business.

Yesterday, Luxeed announced that it will begin pre-sales of updated versions of the S7 and R7 on August 8. The official launch of these two models is expected in September, according to local media outlet LatePost.