Huawei’s HarmonyOS Smart Drive Debuts Its First Flagship MPV: The Zhijie V9 With 1,250 km Range and Rear-Wheel Steering

A New Contender in the Premium MPV Segment

The premium MPV market just got a serious new challenger. HarmonyOS Smart Drive has officially unveiled the Zhijie V9, its first-ever flagship MPV, with physical vehicles set to arrive at dealerships in late April. This launch marks a pivotal moment for the brand, filling a gap in its lineup and going head-to-head with established names like the Buick GL8 Avenir, Zeekr 009, Denza D9, and the Li Auto MEGA.

Positioned firmly in the 500,000 RMB luxury tier, the Zhijie V9 is not just another electric people-carrier. It’s a full-stack Huawei technology showcase wrapped in a large-format MPV body. For Western audiences following the evolution of Chinese EV brands and their growing influence on global automotive trends, this vehicle offers a fascinating look at where premium family and business transportation is heading. If you want to dig deeper into the specs and announcements, check out this detailed resource covering the full reveal.

Design That Commands Attention Without Shouting

The Zhijie V9 takes a clean, authoritative approach to exterior design. The front fascia features a closed-off grille with a full-width LED daytime running light strip that stretches the visual width of the vehicle — a common premium design trick executed with particular refinement here. The brand’s illuminated logo sits centrally, adding a touch of ceremony to every approach.

What sets the V9 apart on the outside is its next-generation DLP projection headlight system — a first for the brand. These aren’t your standard LED units. They project ground-level lighting effects, welcome carpet animations, and steering-assist projections onto the road surface. It is the kind of feature that sounds gimmicky until you see it in person, at which point it reframes your expectations entirely.

The body dimensions tell the full story of its ambition: 5,359 mm long, 2,009 mm wide, and 1,879 mm tall, riding on a 3,250 mm wheelbase. Dual power sliding doors on both sides, flush door handles, a straight roofline maximizing headroom, and chrome trim framing the window line all contribute to a presence that reads as premium without being ostentatious. A Huawei 896-line LiDAR unit sits mounted on the roof, a visible signal of the autonomous driving hardware packed into the package. The V9 is available in four finishes: Radiant Purple, Deep Sea Blue, Snow White, and Flowing Gold Black.

A Cabin Built for Comfort, Health, and Connectivity

Inside, the Zhijie V9 is where Huawei’s full ecosystem advantage becomes undeniable. The HarmonyOS smart cabin runs a continuous multi-screen setup spanning the digital instrument cluster, central infotainment display, and a front-passenger entertainment screen — all seamlessly integrated. Natural wood trim in white ash and walnut, NAPPA leather upholstery, and a crystal gear selector dial give the interior a sense of material quality that rivals European luxury alternatives.

The second-row seating deserves special mention. Inspired by the Eames lounge chair, each seat reclines to a 123-degree zero-gravity position with a support length exceeding 1.05 meters. The seats also rotate — 45 degrees for a welcoming entry stance, 90 degrees for sightseeing, and 180 degrees for a face-to-face conference configuration. For business users who spend long hours on the road, this level of flexibility is genuinely useful.

Huawei’s ALPS health cabin system is another differentiator. Using UVC and MOF-based filtration, dual negative ion air purifiers front and rear, and treated interior materials, the system actively eliminates new-car odors and neutralizes airborne pollutants. This reflects a broader shift among Chinese premium brands toward treating cabin air quality as a core luxury feature rather than an afterthought. For full technical details on the cabin system and powertrain, this breakdown has everything you need.

Powertrain and Chassis: Built to Cover Ground Comfortably

The Zhijie V9 runs on Huawei’s 1.5T Snow Owl extended-range system, with the range extender producing up to 115 kW. Depending on battery configuration — ranging from approximately 36 to 53 kWh — the pure electric range sits between 158 km and 223 km, while the total combined range exceeds 1,250 km. For a vehicle of this size and weight class, that figure is remarkable.

The chassis hardware matches the ambition of the powertrain. Rear-wheel active steering with up to ±7 degrees of articulation brings the turning radius down to just 5.35 meters — surprisingly nimble for a vehicle nearly 5.4 meters long. Dual-chamber air suspension adjusts ride height by up to 50 mm automatically based on speed, road conditions, and drive mode. Huawei’s Qiankun assisted driving system rounds out the package with advanced highway and urban driving assistance.

Why the Zhijie V9 Is Worth Watching

The Zhijie V9 represents something genuinely new in the premium MPV segment: a vehicle where intelligent technology is not a bolt-on feature but the entire engineering foundation. Whether it successfully converts that technical capability into lasting market share remains to be seen, but the product itself is hard to dismiss. If you are researching this vehicle or tracking developments in the broader Chinese EV and smart vehicle space, get started with thisresource for the most comprehensive coverage of the V9’s debut specs, imagery, and competitive positioning.