WEY V9X Launch Sparks Generational Debate; Great Wall and SAIC Volkswagen Execs Respond to "Two Generations Ahead" Claim

On May 20, WEY V9X, the flagship SUV under Great Wall Motor's premium brand WEY, was officially launched. During the subsequent media Q&A session, a reporter asked whether there was a generational gap between the WEY V9X and SAIC Volkswagen’s ID.6 X (referred to as "9X" in the article). In response, Wei Jianjun, Chairman of Great Wall Motor, stated that he does not advocate disparaging competitors and believes such evaluations should be left to consumers, adding that he himself would refrain from commenting. Fu Qiang, Executive Deputy General Manager of Sales and Marketing at SAIC Volkswagen, expressed agreement with this stance. He emphasized that generational leadership in products isn't achieved through slogans but is grounded in the brand’s 42 years of German engineering heritage, the real-world choices of over one million users, and long-term reliability backed by solid quality and technology. Fu Qiang’s reference to being “two generations ahead” stems from an incident during the 2024 Beijing Auto Show: Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, remarked while visiting SAIC Volkswagen’s booth that the Li L9 was two generations ahead of the ID.6 X. In response, Li Jun, Executive Director of Brand Marketing at SAIC Volkswagen, acknowledged that Li Auto indeed holds advantages in pricing and marketing, but stressed that SAIC Volkswagen would not resort to promotional phrases like “the best under RMB 5 million.” Li Jun also stated that SAIC Volkswagen respects all brands committed to serious vehicle manufacturing and called on the industry to earn consumer trust through technological innovation and quality assurance.