China's GAC will offer Level 3 autonomous driving vehicles in partnership with Huawei.

      A Xiangwang S7 crossover was presented alongside the C919 jet, which is China's first domestically produced airliner, in Zhuhai, southern China, on Friday, March 7, 2025. Credit: GAC

      On March 7, China's GAC announced that it would be among the first automakers to offer vehicles this year equipped with a Level 3 automated driving system. This technology allows the car to drive itself while requiring a driver to be present in the vehicle at all times to take back control if necessary. The announcement (in Chinese) coincided with the unveiling of a new electric vehicle brand under its Trumpchi line, named Xiangwang in pinyin. GAC stated that Huawei’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) will be standard across all its future models. Both GAC and Huawei indicated that they would implement the Level 3 conditionally automated driving system for the release of the Xiangwang 1 Concept coupe-style sedan but did not provide additional details. The introduction of the Xiangwang series represents GAC's effort to adapt in a competitive market, particularly as rivals like BYD are reducing prices and launching new models featuring smart driving technologies. BYD announced last month that all upcoming models would include their proprietary assisted driving system at no extra cost to consumers, a strategy quickly followed by Geely last week.

      The first vehicle in the Xiangwang sub-brand, the S7 family-oriented sports utility vehicle, began pre-sales on the same day as the Huawei announcement, with a competitive price range between RMB 209,800 and RMB 249,800 ($28,910-$34,422), lower than anticipated. In comparison, Li Auto’s L6 and the Aito M5, another EV brand that incorporates Huawei's in-car technologies, start at RMB 248,800 and RMB 238,000, respectively. The Xiangwang S7 features a proprietary ADAS claimed to be similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Credit: GAC

      This five-meter-long hybrid crossover, which GAC noted would typically cost over RMB 300,000 due to market competition, offers a driving range of 1,020 kilometers (634 miles) on a full charge and tank. It also includes luxury features such as an infotainment system with Dolby Atmos and an ADAS that is said to be similar to Tesla’s FSD. GAC stated that its system is powered by NVIDIA’s latest autonomous driving processors and uses a range of sensors, including 11 cameras and a lidar component, which allow it to handle tasks such as lane changes and acceleration on city streets. The automaker added that DeepSeek’s AI models will soon be available to Xiangwang owners through over-the-air updates, joining other automakers adopting this China-developed AI model.

      Additional models in the Xiangwang lineup include the M8, a premium multi-purpose van, and the full-size SUV S9, which are scheduled to launch later this year. Meanwhile, GAC and Huawei are collaboratively developing a new EV brand, with the first model aimed at a price point of RMB 300,000 and above. GAC reported sales of 2 million vehicles last year, with over 20% being Trumpchi-branded cars, and is targeting an annual sales growth of 15% for this year.

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      Jill Shen is a technology reporter based in Shanghai. She focuses on Chinese mobility, autonomous vehicles, and electric cars. You can connect with her via email: [email protected] or on Twitter: @jill_shen_sh.