Lingxi

Brand Overview

Lingxi is a new new energy vehicle brand under Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd., officially launched in 2023. On September 21, 2023, Dongfeng Honda held its brand renewal and new energy vehicle brand gala at the Wuhan Sports Center, formally introducing the Lingxi brand. Headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei, the brand operates under Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. and is positioned to serve Generation Z young users, with the brand vision "With you, hearts in sync, awakening the joy of life." It aims to deliver an electric mobility experience defined by "extreme personalisation," "pure fun," and "peace of mind."

Lingxi is the first new energy brand developed specifically for the Chinese market by a Japanese automaker. It features a new brand logo and the signature colour "Lingxi Green." The brand has assembled a young team—average age under 30—to lead product development and marketing. The team leader is Peng Wenhuan, head of Lingxi's first model. The launch of Lingxi signals Dongfeng Honda's accelerated electrification transformation, building an electrified product portfolio that spans EV, HEV, and PHEV technology routes, alongside the Strong Electric Smart Hybrid technology brand and the e:NS pure electric brand.

Development History

Brand Conception and Launch Period (2023)

In early 2023, Dongfeng Honda began preparations for a new energy brand. On September 21 of that year, the Lingxi brand was officially launched, and its first concept car—the Lingxi L—was unveiled simultaneously. At the launch event, Dongfeng Honda announced that electrified products would account for over 50% of its lineup by 2025, with no new fuel vehicles to be launched after 2027, and more than 10 pure electric models to be introduced cumulatively by 2030. The Lingxi brand draws on Dongfeng Honda's two decades of technical expertise to develop models tailored to different usage scenarios, aiming to deliver pure driving pleasure through a seamless connection between car and driver.

First Model Launch Period (2024)

On September 26, 2024, the Lingxi brand's first production model—the all‑electric Lingxi L sedan—was officially launched in Wuhan. Initially offered in a single "Ready Player One Edition" at a guide price of 129,800 RMB. The car measures 4,830×1,845×1,503 mm with a 2,731 mm wheelbase, and a drag coefficient as low as 0.243 Cd. At launch, multiple body colours and optional packages were available, with total purchase benefits of up to 45,000 RMB. The model was unveiled at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show in a co‑branded custom VITA livery with Pop Mart, aimed at attracting younger consumers.

Market Cooling and Adjustment Period (2025–2026)

The Lingxi L's market response fell short of expectations. In its first month on sale, only 178 units were sold; December 2024 retail sales dropped to 35 units. One year after launch, cumulative sales stood at just 1,921 units. To boost sales, Dongfeng Honda reduced the Lingxi L's terminal price to 94,800 RMB, but monthly sales still failed to break 1,000 units. In the second half of 2025, the 2026 Lingxi L was launched with a guide price of 149,800–155,800 RMB—the "Ready Player One Edition" with the "Super Doubling Option Package" priced at 149,800 RMB. In February 2026, Lingxi brand monthly sales dropped to zero. The Lingxi L was listed by industry observers as one of the "worst‑performing" new car brands of 2025.

Product Lineup

The Lingxi brand's product lineup is currently limited, with the Lingxi L as its first model and a second model planned for the future.

Lingxi L: Lingxi's first production model, positioned as a mid‑size pure electric sedan with a "mid‑size pure electric trendy run" concept aimed at Generation Z users. It measures 4,830×1,845×1,503 mm with a 2,731 mm wheelbase and a drag coefficient of 0.243 Cd. Its exterior features a polyhedral styling language and a tri‑wing light group design. Electronic exterior mirrors come as standard across the lineup, offering a 14° wider horizontal field of view and 50% more horizontal viewing area compared to traditional mirrors, ensuring good visibility in dark, glaring, and heavy‑rain conditions. Two variants are available: the "Ready Player One Edition" and the "Ready Player One Edition + Super Doubling Option Package," priced from 149,800 to 155,800 RMB.

Power comes from the new Lingxi Intelligent Electric Platform, equipped with a front‑axle permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 160 kW and 310 N·m of torque, with energy consumption of 12.9 kWh per 100 km and a CLTC range of 520 km. Four driving modes are available: Super Sports, Sports, Standard, and Comfort. The cockpit features a through‑type five‑screen layout (three central 12.3‑inch screens supporting three‑finger swipe cross‑screen connectivity, with the left and right screens displaying electronic mirror feeds), along with the smart voice assistant "Xiao Xi" and a HUD. The Lingxi DRIVE Intelligent Driving System includes 18 intelligent assistive devices, with multi‑scenario automatic parking, a 360‑degree panoramic view, a transparent chassis, and 14 other intelligent driving assistance functions. The 2026 Lingxi L adds standard Lingxi DRIVE, front parking radar, 360‑degree view, and transparent chassis, but does not include mature solutions from Huawei or Momenta—the optional package is priced at 20,000 RMB. The chassis uses a torsion‑beam suspension, which some media have criticised for a lack of specification.

Planned Models (Lingxi X): Dongfeng Honda has confirmed the launch of a second Lingxi model in 2026. Media reports suggest it will be an SUV, potentially positioned above the Lingxi L. In October 2023, Dongfeng Honda registered the "Lingxi X" trademark with the Trademark Office, which is expected to be the model name. The new car will help establish Dongfeng Honda's position in the pure electric market alongside the H‑brand's fourth and fifth models, contributing to brand premiumisation. Drawing on the Lingxi L's design language, the Lingxi X is expected to feature polyhedral styling and the Lingxi SPACE smart cockpit.

Market Performance

The Lingxi brand's market performance has fallen well short of expectations. The first model, the Lingxi L, was launched in late September 2024. Sales in its first month on the market were 178 units, followed by 221 units in October 2024, 292 in November, and just 35 in December. Cumulative sales for the full year 2025 reached 3,412 units, compared to only 413 units in 2024. Monthly sales from January to December 2025 were: 969, 561, 362, 1,555, 1,087, 989, 1,220, 750, 545, 947, 957, and 526 units. Sales temporarily rebounded to 947 units in October 2025, but September 2025 sales were only 147 units—a 76.4% year‑on‑year drop. From January to March 2026, cumulative sales stood at just 130 units. One year after launch, total sales were 1,921 units, with an average of just over 100 units per month—and in six of those months, sales were only in the dozens. In February 2026, the Lingxi brand recorded zero sales, a 100% year‑on‑year decline.

In terms of market share, the Lingxi brand has long held between 0.01% and 0.04% of all brands on sale in China. More than a year and a half after the Lingxi L's launch, its annual sales ranking failed to break into the top 400 (ranking 479th in 2025).

Core Technologies

The Lingxi brand's technology system is built around three core pillars: the Lingxi Intelligent Electric Platform, the Lingxi DRIVE Intelligent Driving System, and the Lingxi SPACE Smart Fun Cockpit.

Lingxi Intelligent Electric Platform: This pure electric platform serves as the technical foundation for the Lingxi brand. The powertrain features a high‑power permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 160 kW (approximately 218 hp) and 310 N·m of torque, with energy consumption of 12.9 kWh per 100 km. The battery is a BYD FinDreams‑supplied Blade Battery, offering a CLTC range of 520 km. The platform supports four driving modes—Super Sports, Sports, Standard, and Comfort—to meet the handling needs of different scenarios. On the chassis and control front, it inherits Honda's excellent chassis tuning, refined through over 5,000 real‑world tests, delivering four driving characteristics: "smooth starts, stable on rough roads, steady cornering, and comfortable braking." High‑speed cornering achieves a "fast, precise, and stable" level. The suspension is a front MacPherson independent setup with a rear torsion‑beam non‑independent suspension.

Safety: The Lingxi brand is supported by a "High‑Rigidity All‑round Safety Platform" under its "Peace of Mind Guard" framework. The Lingxi L features an ultra‑high‑strength steel body cage structure, performing well in frontal, side, rear, roof, and underbody crash tests. The battery pack is protected by a 360‑degree body structure and has passed multiple tests exceeding national standards—including a waterproof test 48 times more stringent than the national requirement. The vehicle has also passed durability testing equivalent to 480,000 km of harsh road conditions.

Lingxi DRIVE Intelligent Driving System: The system is equipped with 18 intelligent driver‑assist devices, including multi‑scenario automatic parking, a 360‑degree panoramic view, a transparent chassis, and 14 other intelligent assistance functions. It covers a range of urban driving scenarios, offering a degree of convenience and safety redundancy for daily travel. The 2026 Lingxi L includes the system as standard equipment, whereas the 2024 model and earlier versions relied primarily on optional configurations.

Lingxi SPACE Smart Fun Cockpit: The cockpit features a through‑type five‑screen layout, with three central 12.3‑inch screens supporting cross‑screen switching and three‑finger swipe connectivity; the left and right screens display electronic mirror feeds. The cockpit is equipped with an iFlytek voice assistant, Face ID facial recognition, APP remote control, 128‑colour LED ambient lighting, five major scene immersion modes, and a rich APP ecosystem. However, the cockpit has not yet integrated mainstream chips such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 or 8295, leaving a gap in computing power and interaction experience compared to similarly priced models.

Global Footprint

The Lingxi brand currently focuses primarily on the Chinese domestic market, with no independent export plans or significant overseas sales deployment reported in public sources. At the broader Dongfeng Honda level, the company is actively promoting exports—multiple Dongfeng Honda models have been shipped to overseas markets, with full‑year export sales reaching 21,799 units in 2024, up from 18,695 units in 2023. These exports are primarily driven by Dongfeng Honda's best‑selling models, including the e:NS series, CR‑V, and Civic. The Lingxi brand has not yet been clearly included in Dongfeng Honda's export product sequence.