Joint venture brands are rolling up the smart market with an enthusiasm that is no less than that of new forces.
On March 6, 2025, GAC Toyota Platinum 3X was officially launched on the market, entering the market with a price range of 109,800-159,800 yuan (104,800-149,800 yuan after equity), marking a counterattack by traditional joint venture brands in the wave of intelligent electrification.
Just one hour after its launch, the order volume exceeded 3,000 units, and the cumulative order quickly exceeded 10,000. The hot market response even caused the server to crash at one point. Even after emergency repairs, GAC Toyota was still unable to stop the enthusiasm of users.
As a milestone product of GAC Toyota's 20th anniversary, the Platinum 3X not only carries the ambition of brand transformation, but also redefines the survival rules of joint venture car companies in the new era with the model of "China-led R&D + global quality endorsement".
The core competitiveness of Bozhi 3X lies in its all-dimensional intelligent architecture. The Momenta 5.0 end-to-end advanced intelligent driving system, relying on NVIDIA Orin-X chip and 27 sensor matrices, has realized the "all-scenario map-free intelligent driving pilot" for the first time in a joint venture model, covering highways, urban roads and automatic parking scenarios, and its algorithm logic is catching up with the leading new forces.
This breakthrough configuration has overturned the outside world's inherent perception that joint venture brands are lagging behind in intelligence. At the same time, the 8155 chip-driven smart cockpit has a 14.6-inch floating large screen, four-tone zone voice interaction and OTA upgrade capabilities, raising the efficiency of human-computer interaction to the same level as new forces.
The birth of the Bozhi 3X reflects the strategic shift of multinational automakers in the Chinese market. Its research and development logic is completely centered on the needs of Chinese users. From the body size to the battery life configuration, to the scenario-based design such as "seat bed mode" and "rear small table", all are precisely in line with local consumer preferences.
What is more noteworthy is that the car was developed by the GAC Toyota China team, and the supply chain was deeply integrated with local leading technology companies (such as Momenta), forming a collaborative model of "Chinese wisdom defines products, and global systems guarantee quality." This "reverse joint venture" strategy is regarded by the industry as the key to multinational brands' response to competition in China's new energy market.
Bozhi 3X entered the market as a "popularizer of high-end smart driving at the 150,000-level", directly hitting the price pain point of the smart electric vehicle market. Its top-end model is equipped with laser radar and full-scenario smart driving functions, and the price drops to 149,800 yuan (139,800 yuan after replacement subsidies), forming an advantage of "overwhelming cost performance".
Behind this strategy is GAC Toyota's keen insight into market trends. When intelligent technology changes from a "premium label" to a "standard requirement", joint venture brands must quickly lower the threshold for technology accessibility through large-scale supply chains and manufacturing advantages. The result of over 10,000 orders in the first hour confirms the market's strong recognition of the "high configuration and low price" logic.
The launch of the Bozhi 3X reveals the survival rules of traditional car companies in the era of smart electric vehicles - the two-way empowerment of traditional genes and innovative potential. On the one hand, Toyota's global quality control system endorses its safety and reliability. On the other hand, the agile development model led by the local Chinese team enables it to be on par with new forces in terms of intelligent iteration speed. This successful case of "elephant turning" has also made the competition of multinational car companies in the Chinese market no longer limited to technology introduction. Deeply integrating into the local ecology and redefining global standards with "Chinese speed" has become the choice of more and more joint venture car companies.
Smart electrification "entering the knockout round" is just a phrase used by industry leaders to describe the fierce battle and to flaunt their own achievements. In fact, this is a protracted war. The debut of Bozhi 3X is just the prelude to the awakening of joint venture brands. The strategic courage and technological integration capabilities it demonstrates will set another transformation model worthy of reference for the industry.
