Recently, there's been a hot topic online: "Do people who buy hardcore off-road vehicles do it to look cool, or because they actually go off-roading?" Two camps have been arguing quite heatedly. One side says, "Can't I just think boxy SUVs look cool?" The other side says, "A boxy SUV without off-road capability is just a poser."

But honestly, the question itself may be a false premise—who says buying a boxy SUV means you can't have both city and wilderness?

Since the Chery Zongheng G700 launched last year, it has surpassed 30,000 units in cumulative global sales over 11 months. On September 29, the 2027 Zongheng G700 refresh edition officially launched, with the tagline "one car, two lives"—city commuting and outdoor off-roading, no compromise needed. Limited-time benefit price starting at 304,900 yuan.

What's its approach? Is it genuinely good or just sloganeering? Brothers, keep reading.

What's the story behind this car?

Zongheng is Chery's luxury off-road brand, and the G700 is a model launched by Zongheng. The 2027 model year is a refresh edition, with adjusted exterior details making it overall more refined, but the core off-road foundation remains unchanged.

First, pricing and configurations. Official guide price is 329,900–442,900 yuan, limited-time benefit price is 304,900–422,900 yuan. Five models are offered this time:

Tanye Edition 5-seat: limited-time benefit price 304,900 yuan

Zongye Edition 5-seat: limited-time benefit price 332,900 yuan

Zhijing Qiankun Edition 5-seat: limited-time benefit price 365,900 yuan

260km Zhijing Qiankun Edition 5-seat: limited-time benefit price 390,900 yuan

260km Zhijing Qiankun Edition 6-seat: limited-time benefit price 422,900 yuan

Both 5-seat and 6-seat options are available, covering the price range from entry-level to top trim. Next, let's see whether this car is worth paying attention to.

Is the off-road foundation tough enough?

People who buy boxy SUVs, whether or not they actually go off-roading day to day, always have a thought in the back of their mind: "If I ever want to go wild someday, can this car handle it?"

Let's get to the conclusion first: the Zongheng G700's off-road configuration is fairly comprehensive at this price point.

Three locks are standard across the entire lineup, which is worth noting. Many competitors on the market make differential locks exclusive to high trims, giving the entry version only the look. With the Zongheng G700, no matter which version you buy, front and rear electronically controlled dog-clutch locks and a central energy lock are all included.

In terms of chassis, body-on-frame construction plus an internal high-pressure integrated ladder frame—this is the standard structure for hardcore off-roaders. Combined with the XWD-S super fully automatic intelligent four-wheel drive, plus 14 terrain modes and 6 conquest modes (climbing, jungle, mud/sand, snow, tug-of-war, rescue), it can basically handle common off-road scenarios.

Some versions are equipped with air suspension supporting five-level height adjustment, with ground clearance up to 320mm and wading depth up to 970mm. A weekend trip to unpaved roads or climbing a gravel slope—handling these scenarios is no big deal.

Also worth mentioning is the Ark amphibious technology on the Supreme Voyage Edition—this car can support navigation in 1.2-meter-deep water, and previously underwent a Yangtze River crossing verification. Honestly, most people may never use this feature once in their lifetime, but it represents the vehicle's foundation in terms of sealing and reliability. Like insurance—you may not need it, but having it gives you peace of mind.

Of course, to be objective: the Zongheng G700 has a 35° approach angle and 28° departure angle, which is upper-middle level among hardcore off-roaders—it's not an extreme climbing-oriented vehicle. If you're really going for extreme rock-crawling scenarios, you might need to look at more specialized modification solutions. But for the vast majority of users doing "weekend light off-roading + daily commuting," this setup is basically sufficient.

City experience shouldn't be compromised

There's an old problem with buying hardcore off-roaders: off-roading is fun, but driving to and from work every day feels like steering a boat, the seats are so hard they dig into your back, and parking in the city feels like driving a tank.

The Zongheng G700 has put considerable effort into the city experience this time.

On the driver assistance front, the Zhijing Qiankun Edition is equipped with Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 driver assistance system, featuring an 896-line dual-path lidar, supporting city and highway navigation assistance, and full-scenario parking 3.0. For daily scenarios like stop-and-go traffic, highway cruising, and narrow road passing, things get easier once driver assistance kicks in. However, note that Huawei driver assistance is only available on the Zhijing Qiankun Edition and above. The entry version and Zongye Edition have basic driver assistance—this needs to be considered in advance.

For ride comfort, front-row seat heating, ventilation, and massage are standard across the lineup. The six-seat version's second row gets dual zero-gravity seats. The five-seat version adds a roof-mounted entertainment screen. The audio system is Harman's Lexicon brand with 20 speakers.

Putting this level of comfort configuration on an off-road-focused boxy SUV also reflects a trend: people who buy these cars may spend less than 10 days a year actually on the trails—the other 350 days are spent in the city and on highways. Doing the daily experience well is just as important as doing the off-road performance well.

For pure electric commuting, the high-trim versions carry a 59.45kWh CATL battery with 260km CLTC pure electric range. For daily commuting, you can basically drive it as an EV without hitting the gas station every day.

Exterior changes are worth mentioning. The 2027 model switched the front and rear bumpers and side skirts to body-color, dropping the old model's rugged black cladding, and the front face is cleaner and more refined. Driving to an office building garage or business occasion no longer gives off that "just came from a construction site" vibe.

However, an objective limitation should be noted: the body dimensions are what they are—5,198mm long and 2,050mm wide. Parking and U-turns in the city are indeed not very convenient. Fortunately, the assisted parking function is fairly usable and can relieve some of the pressure.

Range and power—no anxiety even on long trips

Let's briefly talk about power and range.

The G700 is equipped with the Kunpeng Super Hybrid CDM-O system, a 2.0T engine plus front and rear dual motors, with a combined system output of 665kW and 0-100km/h acceleration in 4.6 seconds. This kind of power on a 3-ton vehicle is more than enough for city overtaking and highway merging.

For range, there are two battery versions:

34.13kWh version: 150km pure electric, suitable for short commutes and those who care more about price

59.45kWh version: 260km pure electric, suitable for long daily commutes and those who want to use it as an EV

With a full tank and full charge, the combined range is 1,400km—no need to hunt for gas stations all along a long journey. Fuel consumption on depleted battery is around 7.95L/100km, which is fairly acceptable for a 3-ton physique.

How to choose among the 5 configurations?

This is probably what everyone cares about most. From a car-buying perspective, here's a reference by need:

Budget capped at 300K, just need a solid off-road foundation → Tanye Edition

Three locks, four-wheel drive, and ladder frame all included—the entry version isn't skimpy. Suitable for people who say "I just want a boxy SUV that can off-road, everything else just needs to be good enough."

Want a comfort upgrade → Zongye Edition

Upgraded in configuration and interior quality compared to the Tanye Edition, same mechanical suspension. Suitable for users who drive in the city most of the time and occasionally go wild.

Going for driver assistance → Zhijing Qiankun Edition

Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 + lidar start being equipped from this version. If you deal with a lot of stop-and-go traffic daily and drive a lot on highways, this driver assistance system will improve the experience. However, on-road cost reaches about 380K—depends on your budget.

Strong pure electric commuting need → 260km Zhijing Qiankun Edition 5-seat

Battery doubles from 34.13kWh to 59.45kWh, pure electric range goes from 150km to 260km. Suitable for users who have a home charger, have long daily commutes, and want to maximize electric driving to save money.

Two-child family → 260km Zhijing Qiankun Edition 6-seat

Top trim fully loaded, six-seat layout with second-row independent seats + zero-gravity function. Suitable for users with larger families and high comfort requirements.

Final thoughts

Back to the question at the beginning: "Do you buy a hardcore off-roader to look cool or to go wild?"

The 2027 G700 gives a pretty clear answer—you don't have to choose. City commuting has driver assistance and zero-gravity seats, off-roading has three locks and a ladder frame, long journeys have 1,400km range, and daily commuting can even run as an EV.

Of course, it's not a perfect car. The large body is inconvenient in the city, Huawei driver assistance is only on high trims, and most people won't use the amphibious technology... These are real trade-offs. But at a price just over 300K, being able to offer this kind of configuration coverage is worth comparing in the 300K-class hardcore off-road segment.

Finally, let me ask the brothers: Are you in the "350 days in the city, occasionally want to go wild" camp, or the "any chance I get, I'm heading into the mountains" camp? Chat in the comments.