Dongfeng's luxury off-road brand Mengshi has produced the first series-built X700 at its new Xiangyang plant in Hubei province, marking the start of deliveries for the model that the company is positioning as a family-oriented, intelligent all-terrain SUV. The vehicle, which is the first product of Mengshi's X series and the first model under the second phase of Mengshi's strategic cooperation with Huawei, is scheduled to go on sale at the end of October, according to Sina Auto.
A production milestone for Dongfeng and Huawei
The rollout ceremony on October 10 also marked the official commissioning of Dongfeng's new-energy intelligent off-road vehicle project, a 10.6 billion yuan (about $1.49 billion) investment in Xiangyang. Zhou Feng, vice president of Dongfeng Motor Group, said the X700's production launch expands Mengshi's product lineup and, together with Huawei, defines a new category of intelligent off-road vehicles.
Mengshi CEO Wan Liangyu said the milestone is just the beginning. "The car coming off the line is only the first step; the real test is in every kilometer driven by the user," he said. Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solution business unit vice president Chi Linchun said the eight intelligent off-road technologies jointly developed by Huawei and Mengshi are now fully implemented in the X700.
The Xiangyang plant, which Dongfeng says was upgraded in 61 days, features more than 120 new robots and AGV (automated guided vehicle) logistics devices across its welding, painting and assembly workshops. The company said the project has attracted 24 new-energy supply chain partners to Xiangyang, with local parts procurement accounting for 61 percent of the vehicle's total and an expected annual supply chain output value of 4.5 billion yuan (about $634 million) in the city.
Specs and pricing
The Mengshi X700 is equipped with Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5 driver assistance system, HarmonyOS cockpit, and other full-stack Huawei intelligent vehicle solutions. It features a 37.5-degree approach angle, a 38.3-degree departure angle, and a maximum wading depth of 800 mm. The company claims the vehicle's Panshi 2.0 chassis and Zhanjia 2.0 body have won awards from Chinese automotive institutions.
The X700 is offered in three trims - four-wheel-drive Max, Max+, and Ultra - with pre-sale prices ranging from 249,800 to 289,800 yuan (about $35,200 to $40,800). These are Chinese guide prices before taxes and incentives. The model is the third in Mengshi's lineup, following the hardcore off-road 917 and the M817, which the company calls the "first intelligent off-road vehicle."
Dongfeng says the Xiangyang plant complements its existing Wuhan facility, with Wuhan focusing on off-road core technology development and Xiangyang handling large-scale smart manufacturing. The company said the X700's production will help drive Hubei's auto industry toward new energy, intelligence and premium positioning.
