On October 28, a new mid-to-large extended-range hybrid MPV from Beijing Automobile Manufacturing Plant, the Ruicheng M8, opened blind bookings. The new car is positioned as a mid-to-large MPV and offers optional 7-seat and 9-seat layouts. Beijing Automobile Manufacturing Plant officially stated that Ruicheng Auto will only make MPV models in the future and is "the world's first brand that only makes MPVs."
In terms of exterior, the new car has a grand and rugged appearance. The front face adopts a vertical waterfall grille and rectangular headlights, the heat dissipation openings on both sides of the front bumper are huge, the side is equipped with electric sliding doors, and the multi-spoke wheels give a strong premium feel. The rear of the new car has a square shape, with chrome trim embedded in the through-type taillights, and a through-type chrome trim is also used at the bottom. The body length, width, and height are 5317×1870×1955mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 3200mm.
In terms of interior, the new car's interior is dominated by a large number of straight lines. The two-spoke steering wheel has a centering mark at the six o'clock position, the LCD instrument panel and central control screen are both in a floating layout, and large areas of light brown leather covering add a sense of luxury. The car offers two seat layouts, 7-seat and 9-seat, focusing on use by large families or business reception.
In terms of power, the new car uses a 1.5T engine as a range extender, with a maximum power of 112 kW, and the motor has a maximum power of 170 kW. The new car had previously also been filed for CNG (compressed natural gas) and pure electric models, but these two models are not included in this blind booking program.
Dada review: Ruicheng Auto belongs to Beijing Automobile Manufacturing Plant and is an automobile brand focused on MPV models. The brand is committed to creating new cars that are "both practical and tasteful," focusing on the 12-25 million price range, and is expected to become a "practical expert in Chinese-quality MPVs." The Ruicheng M8 has a large body and space, and is positioned for family use or lower-spec business reception. Its main competitors are models such as the JAC Refine M4 and Wuling Journey, all of which focus on practicality and cost-effectiveness. By comparison, the Ruicheng M8 has richer power configurations. The extended-range version adopts a deep Miller high-efficiency range extender, with a combined range of up to 1420KM. The CNG (compressed natural gas) version will be equipped with a 180L underfloor gas tank, resulting in lower usage costs. The Ruicheng M8 mainly targets family users and small businesses. If priced reasonably, it will occupy a certain share in the MPV market, but the brand's awareness also needs to be improved.
