Huawei co‑creates Yijing with Dongfeng

China’s car market just got another Huawei-shaped brand — but not in the way people outside the industry usually imagine. Huawei still says it does not build cars itself. But at Auto China 2026, it stood on stage with Dongfeng, launched the new Yijing brand, and showed the first model, the Yijing X9, a huge six-seat SUV aimed at premium family buyers. That matters because Yijing is less a one-off product than a new template for how Huawei wants to sit inside the Chinese auto industry. (autonews.gasgoo.com) ### What is Yijing, exactly? Yijing is a new-energy vehicle brand created by Dongfeng and Huawei Qiankun. Dongfeng handles the car-company side — manufacturing depth, vehicle platforms, supply chain, and the sales entity behind the brand. Huawei brings the software-heavy layer: smart (autonews.gasgoo.com)The point is not that Huawei suddenly became an automaker. The point is that Huawei moved closer to the center of the car program. (autonews.gasgoo.com) ### Why is this different from past Huawei tie-ups? Because this is deeper than a supplier relationship but lighter than Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance brands. Dongfeng and Huawei describe Yijing as a jointly created brand with joint definition, joint development, and (autonews.gasgoo.com)han just shipping parts and software modules. Basically, Huawei is trying to capture more of the product stack without taking on the capital burden of owning the factory. (5gai.cctv.com) ### What did they actually launch? The first car is the Yijing X9, unveiled on April 24 at the Beijing auto show. It is a full-size flagship SUV — 5,301 mm long, 2,015 mm wide, with a 3,120 mm wheelbase — and Yijing is pitching it as a rare six-seat model with a genuinely usable third row. That size tells you the target immediately: affluent Chinese families who want room, status, and a lot of in-car tech. (autonews.gasgoo.com) ### What Huawei tech is inside it? Quite a lot. Huawei’s automotive unit says the X9 comes standard with Qiankun ADS 5, an 896-line lidar setup, the Chitu platform, and a digital chassis system under Huawei’s XMC banner. Dongfeng adds the vehicle engineering and tuning side, including(autonews.gasgoo.com)to perception, driving assistance, cockpit software, and vehicle control at the same time. (autonews.gasgoo.com) ### Why does Dongfeng want this? Because Dongfeng gets a faster route into the premium smart-EV fight. The Chinese market is now brutally competitive, and “good hardware” alone is not enough. Buyers expect advanced driver assistance, a polished cabin OS, constant software updates, and(autonews.gasgoo.com)ial scale and state-backed manufacturing experience. The partnership has roots going back years, but Yijing turns that long relationship into a consumer-facing brand. (5gai.cctv.com) ### How big is the bet? Big enough that both sides are talking in system terms, not model terms. Gasgoo says the partners assembled a 5,000-person team and poured in billions of yuan. Yijing also says it wants more than 300 sales and service outlets across 79 key Chinese cities, and plans to launch five products over the next three years. That is not a trial balloon. That is a full market entry plan. (autonews.gasgoo.com) ### So what’s the real significance? Yijing shows Huawei’s car strategy getting more modular and more ambitious at the same time. Instead of choosing only between “supplier” and “quasi-brand owner,” Huawei is building a middle lane where it can shape the vehicle deeply while partners (autonews.gasgoo.com) keep expanding across China’s auto market without ever having to say it builds cars. (autonews.gasgoo.com)