Huawei-backed Luxeed Targets Southeast Asia as First Overseas Market

Luxeed plans to build about 200 dedicated outlets in 2026, roll out a full-lifecycle digital user system, and advance its Luxeed 2.0 strategy to sharpen brand positioning.

In his first public remarks after being appointed executive director and executive vice president of Luxeed, Zhao Changjiang, said the brand’s medium- to long-term ambitions extend beyond China, with overseas expansion now firmly on the agenda and Southeast Asia selected as the first destination.

According to a Chinese media report, the move marks a key step for Luxeed after completing the initial build-out of its domestic operating system, signaling a shift toward outward expansion.

Southeast Asia is emerging as a critical battleground for Chinese smart electric vehicle makers going global, supported by rising NEV penetration and relatively high consumer acceptance of intelligent features.

At the premium smart EV level, no single brand has yet established a long-term, unassailable dominance in the region. This window provides room for Luxeed, which remains in a brand-building phase, to gain a foothold.

Zhao noted, however, that Japanese automakers have deep roots in Southeast Asia, with mature sales channels and service networks, making market entry for new brands significantly more challenging than in China.

As a result, Luxeed’s overseas approach prioritizes building brand awareness first, followed by strengthening core capabilities and gradually enhancing channel and service systems.

Zhao has also outlined three reinforcement paths for Luxeed in the Chinese market.

On the channel front, the company plans to establish 200 outlets this year, emphasizing a “Luxeed-only” sales and service network featuring independent user centers and experience services, aimed at reducing reliance on existing systems.

On the digital side, Luxeed will focus on the full user lifecycle, integrating demand, service, repeat purchases and word-of-mouth into a unified management framework to form a closed-loop feedback mechanism.

At the brand level, the company plans to further sharpen its “intelligence” positioning under the Luxeed 2.0 strategy jointly advanced by Huawei and Chery.

These three paths correspond closely to Luxeed’s most pressing gaps: proprietary channels to ensure controllable user experience, digital capabilities to improve iteration efficiency, and brand clarity to establish recognition in overseas markets.

Zhao said upon joining that his goal is to build a truly user-centric global smart brand. Looking toward 2026, Luxeed is at a crossroads where accelerating intelligent technology rollout converges with brand upgrading.

At present, the Luxeed lineup consists of two models on sale—the Luxeed S7 sedan and the Luxeed R7 coupe-style SUV—with its first flagship MPV, the Luxeed V9, scheduled for launch this spring.

According to Chery’s production and sales bulletin, Luxeed delivered more than 90,000 vehicles in 2025, indicating substantial remaining growth potential for the brand.