SAIC's Roewe brand is bringing ByteDance's Doubao AI assistant into its cars for the first time. The Doubao cabin assistant was officially unveiled on September 17 and will debut on the Roewe Jia Yue 07, a new model that opens for pre-sales on September 21, according to Chinese outlet Gasgoo.
The Jia Yue 07 is positioned as an "AI-native" vehicle, meaning the large language model is not just an added app on the infotainment screen but is embedded into the car's perception, decision-making and execution chain. It uses SAIC's CPP AI-native architecture to connect the Doubao assistant with vehicle control, navigation, driver assistance and service ecosystems, allowing AI to directly manage the car's hardware at a low level.
Physical AI avatar and personalized cabin
Unlike most cars that treat large models as software add-ons, the Jia Yue 07 gives Doubao a physical presence through a built-in screen. The assistant combines hardware movements, dynamic facial expressions and voice to create a multi-dimensional, human-like interaction. The AI system can trigger feedback actions based on driving scenarios, and the visual expression assets can be updated over the air (OTA) in the future.
In multi-passenger situations, the assistant can distinguish between different occupants and remember individual preferences for seat position, air conditioning and audio settings, delivering a personalized experience for each family member.
For driver assistance, the Jia Yue 07 pairs Momenta's R7 world model with XHEART's X7 dedicated automotive-grade chip. The system can handle more than 300 parking scenarios, including vertical parking in extremely narrow spaces.
Range-extender powertrain with 1,480 km combined range
The Jia Yue 07 measures 2,908 mm in wheelbase and features exterior design led by Josef Kaban. It uses a range-extender (EREV) powertrain, which pairs a battery with a small petrol engine that acts as a generator. The CLTC-rated electric-only range is 320 km, with a combined range of 1,480 km (roughly 2,380 miles combined, with the electric-only figure translating to an estimated 256-272 km under the more conservative WLTP cycle). The range extender's thermal efficiency reaches 48.1 percent, and the car supports fast charging.
The Jia Yue 07 represents SAIC's attempt to move AI from a simple interaction tool to the central nervous system of the vehicle, exploring a new path for mass-producing large-model capabilities in cars. Pricing has not yet been announced.
