The SAIC Z7 is a new Chinese fastback sports sedan with an electric powertrain. I went to a HIMA store in west Beijing to check it out. The S7 packs some serious power and technology. Let’s have a look:
About SAIC
SAIC is a Chinese car brand, founded in 2025. It is jointly controlled by SAIC Motor and HIMA. The Chinese name is 尚界 (Shàngjiè). The Z7 is the brand’s second model after the H5 SUV.
SAIC Motor is one of China’s largest car makers; it runs 4 brands, and it has joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors. HIMA is an automotive subsidiary of Huawei, one of China’s largest tech firms. HIMA runs five brands, and it is a major automotive supplier.
There’s no separate SAIC dealer network. Consumers who want to buy a SAIC have to go to HIMA’s distribution channels, with all the HIMA brands displayed under one roof.
The SAIC Z7
The SAIC Z7 is a fastback sports sedan, launched in the spring of 2026. When launched, it got some flak for looking too much like a Porsche Taycan, while others said it mimicked the Xiaomi SU7, which itself had received criticism for being a Taycan lookalike.
But no matter all that. I think that the SIAC S7 is a good-looking car with a comprehensive design and a very good build quality. Just look at these headlights! The blue LEDs are part of the ADAS warning light system: when the vehicle drives autonomously, the blue lights switch on automatically. The Z7 also has warning lights in the mirrors and at the back.
The car on display is the top-spec SAIC Z9 Ultra model. The color name is Extraordinary Pink. That’s a fitting name, because it is a miraculous color. Depending on the angle and light, it looks either white, pink, or dark pink. The Z9 has frameless doors, mechanical door handles, and pretty 20-inch alloy wheels:
Black spokes with an Extraordinary Pink inner rim, and Extraordinary Pink Brembo brakes! The Brembo name is shown in a darker shade of pink. Just beautiful. The tire size is 245/45 R20. It has ventilated brake discs for extra spotting power.
The interior
Well, the cabin sure doesn’t look like a Porsche. The SAIC Z7 is more modern and way more luxurious than its German inspiration. It has Nappa leather seats, leather trim, and aluminum detailing. The posh pillows are standard, too.
Inspiration Window
One of the most interesting features of the SAIC Z7 is the “Inspiration Window”, a small shelf in front of the front passenger. Users can put whatever they want there: Pura plush animals, like in the photo, or flowers, or anything else, really.
SAIC even offers special plush cartoon figurines with an in-built Bluetooth chip that connects to the car’s infotainment system, where it displays as an AI-assistant. A brilliant idea!
Interior tech talk: the SAIC Z7 Ultra has a HUD, an 8.88-inch driver’s display, and a 15.5-inch touch screen. The 3-spoke steering wheel looks very sporty, with a thick rim and a flat bottom. In the center tunnel are two 50W wireless chargers and two heated and cooled cup holders. The Harmony OS operating system and the HarmonySpace smart cockpit system come from Huawei.
The SAIC Z7 is a long car, so there’s a lot of legroom. Headroom, however, seems a little limited due to the steep-sloping roofline. The Huawei Sound audio system has 21 speakers and a 2200 watt output. The dimensions of the SAIC Z7 are: 5036/1976/1445, with a 3000-mm wheelbase and a 2300 kg curb weight. That’s pretty light by recent Chinese standards. It also has a 90-liter frunk and a 476/1499-liter trunk.
Specifications of the SAIC Z9 Ultra
Characters on the left: 上汽集团, Shàngqì Jítuán, SAIC Group. On the plate: 智行鸿蒙, Zhìxíng Hóngméng, HIMA. By the way, HIMA stands for Harmony lntelligent Mobility Alliance.
The Ultra has a two-motor AWD powertrain with 434 kW (590 hp) and 760 Nm. SAIC sources the DriveOne electric motors from Huawei. The top speed is 239 km/h, and it does 0-100 in 3.44 seconds.
The Huawei Whale battery has a 100 kWh capacity, consumption is 13,7 kWh/100 km, and that makes for a CLTC range of 791 kilometers. The Z7 has an 800 V-platform, so a 30-80 charge takes only 15 minutes.
Price of the SAIC Z7 Ultra
The SAIC Z7 Ultra costs 299.800 yuan, or $44.2K. That’s an insanely good deal for a sports sedan with 590 hp. Too much power? Go for the RWD version with 359 hp and an 81 kWh battery, which costs only $32K. The price range almost exactly mirrors the price range of the aforementioned Xiaomi SU7, so it is clear that SAIC has set its sights on Xiaomi. The model name is almost the same too, consumers might get confused…