Gasgoo Munich- On April 28, BAIC Arcfox unveiled its first premium product series, "Wendao," alongside the debut of the Taiyue platform, a dedicated architecture for large flagship vehicles. The first model powered by this platform, the Wendao V9 MPV, officially opened for pre-orders. Available in four trims—1250Max, 1250Max+, 1330Ultra, and 1330Ultra+—the subsidized pre-sale price ranges from 219,900 to 286,900 yuan.
Serving as the backbone for the Wendao series, the Taiyue platform is a specialized high-end architecture designed for large vehicles, addressing the technical bottlenecks of flagship MPVs and reinforcing premium value from the ground up. Why build a dedicated platform for large models like the Wendao V9? According to Li Sen, president of the BAIC Group Research Institute, the key lies in safety responsibility.
Regarding safety, the platform incorporates military-grade body design standards into the MPV segment, utilizing a floor structure with seven crossbeams and six longitudinal rails, plus multi-layer protection. On the battery front, standards are elevated from raw materials through manufacturing. The battery pack features a 15-layer three-dimensional hard protection structure: the cell sides use aviation-grade insulation material capable of withstanding 1,000℃, while the top is equipped with a ceramicized flame-retardant structure resistant to 1,200℃.
To ensure stability, the Taiyue platform features the "Yuanjing AI Chassis," combining magnetorheological suspension with an AI intelligent preview system. Using cameras and radar to scan the road surface roughly 25 meters ahead, the AI model identifies speed bumps, road joints, or bumps, adjusting suspension stiffness within 1 millisecond for active regulation.
Comfort is tailored to Chinese elderly passengers with a seat structure featuring a ten-layer profile that transitions from soft to hard, enhancing body contact and support. Additionally, a "Motion Sickness Relief Mode" has been introduced, offering comprehensive tuning for acceleration, braking, and suspension damping.
As a cornerstone of Arcfox's move upmarket and the debut model of the Wendao series, the V9 directly addresses the core pain points of traditional MPVs: weak road presence, loose chassis, clumsy handling, short range, inadequate third rows, and safety concerns. It achieves a comprehensive leap in class with core advantages defined as "One Large (flagship space), Two Highs (premium intelligent chassis + premium powertrain), and Three All-Domains (all-domain safety, comfort, and intelligence)."
Specifically, the Wendao V9 measures 5,300mm in length with a 3,200mm wheelbase, riding on a front double-wishbone and rear five-link suspension structure with intelligent preview magnetorheological dampers. It includes a "one-click relief" function. The second-row seats offer dual zero-gravity positions, 16-point airbag massage, and graphene heating. The cabin achieves a space utilization rate of 77%, with third-row headroom of 970mm and a cushion length of 500mm. The vehicle also employs "National Center for the Performing Arts acoustic cabin" technology, prioritizing quietness and audio-visual experience.
In terms of safety configuration, high-strength steel accounts for 89.83% of the body structure, achieving a torsional stiffness of 43,689 N·m. The vehicle is equipped with an anti-roll beam structure and has passed the CATARC spiral rollover and stacked collision tests.
For handling and parking assistance, the Wendao V9 features rear-wheel steering, achieving a class-leading minimum turning radius of 5.7 meters. This allows for a single-stroke U-turn even on narrow roads, in residential compounds, or in underground garages, offering flexibility close to a family sedan and effectively solving the "hard-to-drive" pain point of large vehicles. Combined with full-scenario parking and highway/city NOA, the V9 is designed to be easy to drive, park, and maneuver—giving a 5.3-meter vehicle the agility of a compact hatchback.
The powertrain utilizes a range extender coordinated with an electric drive system. The range extender boasts a thermal efficiency of 43.23%, reducing start-stop vibration amplitude by 90% and keeping interior noise variation below 1dB upon engagement. The electric drive system delivers 227kW of power, propelling the vehicle from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds. The comprehensive range reaches 1,330km (full tank and battery), with a pure electric range of 310km.
