Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

96: Chapter 96 H9 Parameters: Elegant InnovationThe display car was fully open under the lights.

Reporters in the media area craned their necks, while the live streaming teams quickly adjusted their camera angles to get close-ups of the interior.

Zhou Qingyu sat in the driver’s seat and adjusted it—a fabric seat in dark gray with red stitching. He patted the side of the seat: ”First, let’s talk about what everyone cares about most—the materials. The H9 Joyful Drive · Youth Edition features fabric seats.”

A wave of disappointed ”ohs” came from the audience.

”But we’ve applied a stain-resistant treatment.” Zhou Qingyu took out a bottle of mineral water and poured some onto the seat. The water droplets rolled off without soaking in immediately. ”This fabric has passed twenty-four tests, including coffee, cola, soy sauce, and sweat stains. And—” He stood up, signaling for a close-up, ”we’ve optimized the ergonomics. The seat cushion length is five hundred and twenty millimeters, thirty millimeters longer than the lavida in the same class. The side bolsters of the backrest underwent three months of fine-tuning to find the ’greatest common divisor’ for a hundred volunteers of different body types.”

He walked to the center console, where the seven-inch touchscreen was already lit up.

”The screen isn’t large, but it supports CarPlay and Android Auto. More importantly—” He clicked into the system menu, ”the response speed. We’ve measured it. From a cold start to being usable takes eight seconds; touch latency is sixty-two milliseconds. What does that mean? It’s faster than most joint-venture cars in the two-hundred-thousand-yuan range.”

A reporter raised their hand: ”President Zhou, why not use a larger screen? Domestic cars nowadays start at twelve inches.”

Zhou Qingyu smiled and turned to the large screen: ”Good question. Please take a look at the full specification table.”

On the large screen, the detailed specifications of the H9 were displayed line by line:

【car model Joyful Drive · Youth Edition】

Core Power:

1.5L Naturally Aspirated Engine + 48V Mild Hybrid System

Maximum Power: 96kW (130 hp

Peak Torque: 165N·m @ 4000rpm

Matching: 5-speed Manual Transmission / CVT (Optional)

Performance:

0-100km/h Acceleration: 9.5 seconds (CVT version)

Top Speed: 185km/h

WLTP Combined Fuel Consumption: 4.8L/100km

48V Motor Assisted Pure Electric Range: 30km

Body Dimensions:

Length × Width × Height: 4450 × 17

Wheelbase: 2610mm

Curb Weight: 1250kg (Manual) / 1280kg (CVT)

Chassis and Suspension:

Front-Engine, Front-Wheel Drive

Front Suspension: MacPherson Strut Independent Suspension

Rear Suspension: Torsion Beam Non-independent Suspension

Steering System: Electric Power Steering

Safety Configuration:

Standard across the range: ABS + EBD + ESP Body Stability System

Front Dual Airbags + Side Airbags

Parking Sensors + Hill Start Assist

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

ISO-FIX Child Seat Interface

Interior and Technology:

7-inch Central Touchscreen (Supports CarPlay/Android Auto)

6-speaker Audio System

Fabric Seats (Optional Faux Leather, +3,000 RMB)

Manual Air Conditioning

Multi-function Steering Wheel (Volume, Calls, Cruise Control)

12V Power Outlet × 2 + USB Port × 2

Exterior Configuration:

15-inch Aluminum Alloy Wheels (195/65 R15 Tires)

Halogen Headlights + LED Daytime Running Lights + Through-type Taillights

Power-adjustable Side Mirrors (with Heating)

Front Fog Lights

Rear Window Defogger

Space Performance:

Trunk Volume: 400L (Rear seats can be folded 40/60)

Front Headroom: 980mm

Rear Legroom: 850mm (Based on 175cm height)

Rear Floor Hump Height: 35mm (Nearly flat)

The list was long, but every number was incredibly pragmatic—no inflated specs, no gimmicks, even appearing a bit ”shabby.”

Zhou Qingyu waited for everyone to finish reading before continuing: ”Back to the question—why not a large screen? Because this seven-inch screen costs eight hundred yuan, while a twelve-inch screen costs two thousand three hundred yuan. We want to spend that fifteen-hundred-yuan difference on more important areas.”

He pointed to several key items on the spec sheet: ”The ESP system is standard across all models—many joint-venture cars at this price point only offer it in mid-to-high trims. Four airbags are standard—some low-trim cars only have two. Parking sensors and hill start assist are standard. These safety features are far more important than a large screen.”

Whispers began in the audience. The reporters were quickly calculating: the cost of these standard features was indeed not low.

”And there’s more practical stuff.” Zhou Qingyu walked to the rear and opened the trunk. ”Four hundred liters of volume, expandable to one thousand two hundred liters with the rear seats folded. The point is—” He knocked on the inner wall of the trunk, ”we used two layers of sound-insulating cotton. We thickened the wheel arch liners. We didn’t skimp on these areas you can’t see.”

He closed the car door and returned to the center of the stage, his expression becoming serious.

”Next, I’m going to do something that might keep my colleagues in the marketing department up at night—a moment of total honesty.”

Four words appeared on the large screen: Strengths, Weaknesses, Sincerity, Trade-offs.

”First, the weaknesses.” Zhou Qingyu didn’t shy away. ”One, brand power. Red Flag has been quiet for too long; many people think it’s ’old-fashioned’ or ’outdated.’ We need to break this prejudice with products and time. Two, resale value. As a new car on the market, its residual value is unknown; we admit it might not match joint-venture brands initially. Three, the dealer network. We are rebuilding, but our coverage in third- and fourth-tier cities is currently insufficient.”

With every point he made, the audience grew quieter. This kind of frankness was extremely rare in car launches.

”Then there are the configuration trade-offs.” He pulled up a comparison chart. ”H9 vs. Volkswagen lavida 1.5L Automatic Comfort Edition, MSRP 146,900 RMB. The lavida has: a sunroof, leather seats, and rear air vents. H9 does not. But H9 has: 48V mild hybrid, lower fuel consumption, more standard safety features, and lifetime free basic maintenance.”

”H9 vs. Toyota Corolla 1.2T Pioneer Edition, MSRP 129,800 RMB. The Corolla has: TSS Safety System and higher brand recognition. H9 does not. But H9 has: more power, lower fuel consumption, a larger screen, and a more youthful design.”

”H9 vs. Honda Civic 1.0T Shangyue Edition, MSRP 133,900 RMB. The Civic has: stronger sporting genes and modification potential. H9 does not. But H9 has: more practical space, more comfortable suspension tuning, and lower maintenance costs.”

The comparison chart was clear and unbiased.

”We aren’t doing a ’Tian Ji’s horse racing’ style comparison,” Zhou Qingyu said. ”We are honestly telling consumers: if you want brand premium, leather seats, a sunroof, and the most mature used car market, joint-venture cars are still a safe choice. But if you’re willing to give a domestic brand a chance, willing to use the same money to get newer technology, more substantial features, and—the sense of participation in supporting the rebirth of a national brand, then H9 is worth your consideration.”

He paused, his voice softening: ”We don’t avoid the gap. But we believe that as long as the product is good enough, the gap can be closed. And the prerequisite for a product being good enough is—being honest with the users.”

Applause rang out again, even more enthusiastic this time.

”Now, the display cars are open for experience,” Zhou Qingyu announced. ”There are ten display cars on site. Everyone is welcome to experience them statically. Our engineers will be on hand to answer any technical questions.”

The media reporters swarmed forward. The ten display cars were instantly surrounded.

Wang Lei, a senior editor from Dongchedi, was the first to slip into the driver’s seat. He first adjusted the seat—indeed, the cushion was long enough, providing good thigh support. He gripped the steering wheel; the 3 and 9 o’clock grip felt substantial, and the texture of the multi-function buttons exceeded expectations.

”Is this steering wheel from a Volkswagen supplier?” he asked the nearby engineer.

”Yes, it shares the same source as some Volkswagen models.”

Wang Lei nodded and began checking the details: the door hinges were three-stage, just like Volkswagen’s; the window switches were backlit; the hard plastic areas of the center console had been textured so they didn’t look cheap; the glove box was damped and opened smoothly.

He got out of the car and popped the hood. The engine bay layout was neat, the wiring harnesses were all wrapped in corrugated tubing, the battery had a thermal sleeve, and the fuse box cover was clearly labeled—these were all the detailed standards of German cars.

”President Zhou, this car... is it really 150,000?” Wang Lei couldn’t help but ask.

Zhou Qingyu, who was being interviewed by another media outlet, turned and smiled: ”How much do you think it’s worth, Mr. Wang?”

”Just looking at these details, I’d believe it if you said 180,000.”

”Then we’d be losing money,” Zhou Qingyu responded humorously. ”But honestly, for the first-generation product, we aren’t chasing high profits. What we want is word-of-mouth, to let the first batch of owners become ambassadors for Red Flag.”

On the other side, the veteran employees were also in the experience area.

Master Ma was invited to sit in the driver’s seat. His hand gently stroked the Red Flag emblem in the center of the steering wheel. That standing emblem could electronically raise and lower—a Red Flag tradition.

”Master Ma, how does it feel?” a young reporter asked.

Master Ma didn’t answer immediately. He felt the materials of the center console, looked at the layout of the instrument panel, and then looked at the car’s lines through the window. After a long while, he said: ”In our day, building a car was about ’heaviness.’ The doors had to be heavy, the sound of closing them had to be muffled, and the steering wheel had to be heavy. That was called ’quality.’”

He paused and smiled: ”Now with this car, the door closes tight with just a gentle pull, and the steering wheel can be turned with one finger. It’s lighter, but it feels more ’solid.’ Times have changed.”

”Then do you think this is still a Red Flag?”

Master Ma pushed open the door and stood by the car, looking at this silver-gray H9. The autumn sunlight spilled onto the car body through the showroom skylight, making it shimmer.

”What is Red Flag?” he asked back. ”Is it the boxy look of the CA72? Is it the prestige of the 770? Or is it this car for young people? If you ask me, Red Flag is ’earnestness’—earnestness in building cars, earnestness in being worthy of those who buy them. As long as that ’earnestness’ is there, Red Flag is there.”

These words were fully recorded by a nearby camera and later became a classic segment of the launch event.

In another corner of the experience area, the first blind-order user, Zhang Ming, was sitting in the car taking a selfie. He adjusted the seat and mirrors, gripped the steering wheel, and smiled like a child.

”Mr. Zhang, how are you feeling right now?” a reporter asked.

”Like I’m dreaming,” Zhang Ming said. ”My grandfather passed away last year. Before he died, he said he wanted to ride in a new Red Flag. Unfortunately, he couldn’t wait that long.” He stroked the steering wheel, ”But this car, I’ll drive it to his grave and tell him: Grandpa, our Red Flag is back.”

His eyes were red, but his smile was bright.