Currently, the market share of joint-venture brands is steadily declining, while domestic brands are demonstrating impressive growth alongside the wave of new energy vehicles. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of GAC Toyota, this Sino-Japanese joint venture automaker is undoubtedly facing immense pressure to transform.
On November 15, GAC Toyota unveiled its first "new power pure electric SUV," the Platinum Smart 3X, at the Guangzhou Auto Show. In the eyes of GAC Toyota, this vehicle will serve as a powerful tool to break the impasse for joint ventures.
The highlights of the new car include advanced intelligent driving, spacious interior, safety of the three electric systems, and driving quality, all achieved within the price range of 100,000 to 150,000 yuan. As the official statement puts it, it "provides the best choice for the smart pure electric SUV segment under 100,000 yuan and establishes a new benchmark for high-level intelligent driving in the 150,000 yuan range."
At the launch event, stand-up comedian and brand ambassador for the Platinum Smart 3X, Jia Hao, invited comedian Hulan to serve as the product’s recommendation officer. He thoroughly experienced the Platinum Smart 3X and humorously portrayed it as the ultimate "working person’s partner" in terms of product appeal. As Jia Hao stated, the Platinum Smart 3X is a great companion that ensures safety while meeting various needs for work, family, and travel.
As GAC Toyota's flagship model for its intelligent electric transformation, the intention for the Platinum Smart 3X is to act as a "load-bearing wall" for the commuting needs of working people, while also aiming to become a "load-bearing wall" for breaking new ground in GAC Toyota's electric vehicle market.
Notably, the vehicle's intelligent driving capabilities stand out, featuring the Momenta 5.0 latest version of a one-stage end-to-end large model architecture that enables a human-like driving approach through "understanding the environment and the world" for "seeing the road and driving."
On the hardware front, this system is built on the high-performance NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Orin X platform and features a perception matrix consisting of 11 high-definition cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, 3 millimeter-wave radars, and 1 laser radar.
Once the Platinum Smart 3X is launched, it will offer 25 advanced intelligent driving functions, covering both city navigation and high-speed navigation. It will also support over 200 automatic parking scenarios, including limited spaces at night and dead-end road parking.
The Platinum Smart 3X also features a 1.14㎡ panoramic sunroof with an electric sunshade, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip, four-zone voice interaction recognition for both front and rear passengers, and an 11-speaker YAMAHA brand intelligent sound system, creating a restful space for workers and allowing families to enjoy their time in the car during trips.
If the area of intelligent features reflects GAC Toyota catching up with new power players, its traditional advantage lies in the critical domain of battery safety in electric vehicles.
Having sold 28 million power batteries cumulatively, Toyota has extensive experience in battery safety. The Platinum Smart 3X incorporates advanced industry technologies, including a winged top cap design for battery cells, blue laser composite welding, and dual insulation for the internal and external battery cells. Additionally, the Platinum Smart 3X undergoes stringent validation tests, exceeding industry standards through bottom ball impact, "mountain" simulation collisions, and 90-degree side column collisions, simulating various scenarios of chassis impacts and battery pack damage to ensure no harm to the battery cells.
Furthermore, the cabin's intelligence and interaction capabilities, often criticized in joint-venture vehicles, have undergone a qualitative transformation in the Platinum Smart 3X. Thanks to GAC Toyota’s system capabilities and supply chain integration, this vehicle has ushered city navigation assistance into the "1" era. It can be said that the Platinum Smart 3X has the potential to change external perceptions of joint venture electric vehicles as lacking in intelligence, being unexciting, and overpriced, as it has transcended mere energy transition to achieve comprehensive intelligent transformation.
