Geely aims to mine for gold in the MPV red sea

Author | Zhou Zhiyu

Editor | Zhang Xiaoling

The Chinese MPV market is experiencing unprecedented competition. With structural changes in family travel demands and the diversification of high-end business scenarios, new forces such as Li Auto, XPeng, and Denza are intensifying their efforts alongside traditional car manufacturers, causing this niche market to rapidly evolve from a "blue ocean" to a "red ocean."

Geely aims to capitalize on this "red ocean." On the evening of March 10, Geely's Galaxy Wing Zhen L380 "Land Airbus Series" was launched. This marks the first appearance of Wing Zhen (LEVC) after officially merging into the Geely Galaxy brand, becoming the high-end MPV series of the Geely Galaxy brand.

This century-old brand, originating from a London taxi company, has been under Geely's ownership for 19 years and has finally encountered an opportunity for a turnaround.

From brand positioning, production synergy to channel expansion, the renewal of the Wing Zhen L380 is not just an iteration of a single product but a crucial step in the implementation of Geely's "Taizhou Declaration" strategy. Geely Auto Group Vice President and Wing Zhen Auto CEO Nan Shengliang stated that Wing Zhen will strengthen resource synergy and accelerate the transition from "single product breakthrough" to "product matrix development" under the empowerment of Geely's system capabilities.

Geely Auto Sales Company General Manager Fan Junyi also mentioned in a communication meeting with Wall Street Insights that after Wing Zhen merged into the Geely Galaxy brand, the Galaxy brand has completed its MPV category. Excelling in the MPV segment can greatly enhance brand image and appeal, driving the brand upward.

With Geely's move, Wing Zhen is also expected to leverage China's new energy technology, becoming a typical case of brand transformation in the century-long automotive industry, telling a different story.

Expanding Demand

The competition in the MPV market has long evolved from being exclusive to business and nanny vehicles in the era of fuel cars to an "all-around battlefield" in the era of new energy.

According to the latest data from the Passenger Car Association, in February 2025, domestic MPV model terminal sales rankings show that new energy models continue to lead, while the market share of traditional fuel MPVs is being squeezed. The top three are Denza D9, Toyota Sienna, and Voyah Dreamer, with new forces like XPeng and Li Auto also eyeing the market.

In today's explosive product supply period, there are many MPV products, how can the L380 gain consumer favor amid fierce market competition?

The strategy for the Wing Zhen L380 is to broaden the price range and differentiate configurations, launching a more aggressive attack on this market.

In this regard, Fan Junyi stated that user demands in the high-end MPV market differ significantly from those in other entry-level markets. Users have done extensive research online regarding parameters, but the offline purchasing decision still requires several times more decision-making time compared to entry-level markets. Users need to simulate all their travel scenarios to make a comprehensive judgment.

The Wing Zhen L380 is available in five versions, with a range of 570km to 825km. The price ranges from 299,900 yuan to 599,900 yuan, which is an 80,000 yuan decrease from the 2024 price range of 379,900 yuan to 479,900 yuan, while the price of the top configuration version is also higher.

The 825km Extraordinary Edition, 805km Flagship Edition AWD, and 805km Collector's Edition AWD are equipped with CATL's Kirin battery, which is currently the largest 140kWh single battery in MPVs, allowing for a 350km charge in just 15 minutes; the 570km Excellent Edition and 650km Flagship Edition AWD are equipped with ternary lithium batteries provided by Era Geely This "all-encompassing" pricing strategy not only meets the demand for cost-effectiveness from family users but also satisfies the requirements for endurance and luxury in business scenarios.

Fan Junyi stated that the price changes were made after understanding the different needs of users, leading to targeted development. For example, the L380 launched the 570km excellent version for users focused on short-distance travel, primarily for picking up and dropping off children, hoping for a cost-effective price; the 650km flagship version with strong all-terrain capabilities meets the needs for short business trips and self-driving; the 825km extraordinary version is mainly aimed at long-distance travel, with further emphasis on "luxury."

According to survey data from Yizhen, 60% of Yizhen's user base consists of corporate clients, with 30% being multi-child families. 99% of users customized the high-end model priced at 480,000, with a repurchase rate of 10%, indicating a deep integration of business and family needs. Therefore, focusing on corporate users and multi-child family consumers, the Yizhen L380 offers a 4-row 8-seat layout and supports various seat combinations to cover diverse scenarios such as business receptions, official travel, and family vehicles.

In terms of performance, the Yizhen L380 four-wheel drive version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, with a moose test score of 75.8 km/h and a braking distance of 35.98 meters, all superior to competing models in the same class; the combination of CATL's Kirin battery and three-row side airbags aims to alleviate users' concerns about the safety of pure electric MPVs.

With a length of 5316mm and a wheelbase of 3185mm, it offers a standard 6-seat configuration and an optional 8-seat configuration, the latter being unique in its class; the use of Hainan Huanghuali wood flooring (nearly 6㎡), Italian Alcantara fabric, and ultra-soft aniline leather selected by ultra-luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley gives Yizhen a distinctive edge in "luxury feel."

By focusing on the three dimensions of "performance + luxury + space," Geely aims to break through in the direction of "versatility" for pure electric MPVs.

However, at this press conference, Geely did not elaborate much on the intelligent driving capabilities of the L380. The configuration information obtained by Wall Street Insights only mentioned that the L380 is currently equipped with two self-developed Longying No. 1 chips in the cabin. Last week, Geely announced the launch of the "Qianli Haohan" advanced safety intelligent driving system, which will be equipped in new and updated Geely Galaxy products.

In this regard, Yi Xinyu, director of the Geely Brand Research Institute, stated that the L380 will also have product planning for intelligent driving in the future. Currently, the L380 mainly caters to users' demands for space, luxury, and safety, making corresponding product adjustments.

Systematic Operations

The upgrade of the Yizhen L380 is not just an evolution of a single model but a reflection of the implementation of Geely's "Taizhou Declaration" strategy.

In September last year, Geely Holding Chairman Li Shufu announced the "Taizhou Declaration," marking the company's entry into a new phase of strategic transformation. Its core goal is to integrate group resources and optimize the brand matrix to respond to challenges in the automotive industry.

Subsequently, brands such as Geometry and Radar were gradually merged into the Geely Galaxy brand, while ZEEKR and Lynk & Co were consolidated, leading to an unprecedented large-scale integration within the Geely system Yizhen Automobile was also among the rumored brand integration array at that time. Its predecessor was the London Taxi Company, established in 1908, which designed bodies for Rolls-Royce during the era of fuel vehicles. Geely acquired a 20% stake in it in 2006, marking Geely's first completed overseas automotive brand acquisition.

On March 3rd of this year, Geely Auto CEO Gan Jiayue announced that Yizhen Automobile was officially merged into Geely Galaxy, becoming the high-end electric MPV series of Geely Galaxy. With the integration of Yizhen Automobile into Geely Galaxy, the product matrix of Geely Galaxy has been further improved, covering various new energy models including sedans, SUVs, MPVs, and rugged off-road vehicles.

This "main brand + vertical series" model not only avoids internal competition but also strengthens user recognition.

The integration of Yizhen into Geely Galaxy is also a tangible manifestation of the five major strategies outlined in the "Taizhou Declaration." In terms of strategic focus, the Yizhen brand concentrates on space categories, focusing on high-end travel; in terms of strategic integration, the Yizhen brand is merged into the Geely Galaxy brand, becoming its high-end MPV series; in terms of strategic synergy, it presents Yizhen as the high-end MPV series of the Galaxy brand in China, while LEVC becomes the localized brand for Galaxy's exports to the UK; in terms of strategic stability, Yizhen will share resources and scale cost advantages from Geely Galaxy's global technology system, supply chain system, and marketing service system; in terms of strategic talent, the integration of Yizhen's overseas team will also strengthen Geely Galaxy's international team, accelerating Geely Galaxy's globalization process.

Yi Xinyu revealed that after the integration of the Yizhen and Geely Galaxy teams, they immediately aligned the entire system, including the integration of quality, supply chain, procurement, and other business modules. Galaxy's strong appeal to the supplier system has effectively empowered the Yizhen L380 system, achieving more product innovation while ensuring quality and quantity.

Fan Junyi stated that from the perspective of the integration of Geely Galaxy and Yizhen, it has indeed achieved a reduction in costs. The first is technical costs, which are realized through their own technology integration. The second is procurement costs; after merging into Galaxy, due to Galaxy's large scale, it can help Yizhen reduce costs.

At the same time, after Yizhen merged into Galaxy, there will be corresponding experience stores in 300 cities. On one hand, there will be exclusive showrooms for Geely Galaxy Yizhen, and on the other hand, there will be selective authorizations in the "Galaxy A Network" and "Galaxy Star Network," with coverage in some major first-tier and second-tier cities in the future. This will allow more users to experience the Yizhen L380 and provide pre-sales and after-sales services.

In the future, Geely will also explore channels in depth, especially in the second and third-tier markets. Fan Junyi stated that the 300 stores are just the first batch of authorized service points, and they will further explore a marketing model and service method unique to the Yizhen high-end MPV series.

The brand integration of Yizhen and Geely Galaxy will also require time and some differentiated development. Yi Xinyu stated that the Yizhen brand has a history of over a hundred years with many traditions, and it is essential to continue to uphold the categories and styles, creating MPV models with LEVC style under the large Galaxy brand.

Through price reduction, configuration upgrades, and resource synergy, Geely attempts to replicate its success in other markets within the MPV market Challenges also exist. The brand awareness of Yizhen still needs to be improved in the domestic market, the intelligent driving functions have not yet been fully developed, and the absence of hybrid versions may also limit some users' choices. At the communication meeting, Yi Xinyu stated that after the team integration, they are accelerating the preparation for hybrid models.

However, it can be seen that Geely's ambitions are significant. It not only aims to be a "disruptor" in the MPV red ocean but also seeks to validate its "multi-brand synergy" strategy through Yizhen, accumulating momentum for the next stage of global competition.

If Geely can continue to leverage Yizhen as a fulcrum to pry open the high-end mobility market in Europe and even globally, the narrative of Chinese automotive globalization may usher in a new chapter