Rugged off-road vehicles are targeting young people

Author | Zhou Zhiyu

Editor | Zhang Xiaoling

China's hardcore off-road market is experiencing a surge.

The latest terminal sales data is the clearest annotation of this transformation: a market once dominated by traditional "god cars" like the Prado and Land Cruiser has now been replaced by domestic brands.

According to data from the Passenger Car Association, in September this year, the top 10 sales of hardcore off-road vehicles are now led by domestic brands such as Tank, Beijing, BYD's Fangchengbao, and Dongfeng Mengshi.

This is a clear signal. With the intensive entry of new players like Dongfeng Mengshi M817, Jietu Zongheng series, and the all-new Tank 400, this once niche track is becoming extremely crowded.

As the categories become more refined, this track is being expanded. By the first quarter of 2025, the penetration rate of hardcore off-road vehicles in the SUV market has risen to 2.91%. Looking back at 2024, its cumulative terminal sales surged by 110.1% year-on-year. The China Automobile Dealers Association's Passenger Car Market Information Joint Conference predicts that the market share for the entire year of 2025 will exceed 3%, and by 2030, this figure is expected to surpass 13%.

To carve out a larger share from this activated incremental market and rush towards the mainstream track vision of a 13% market share by 2030, the strategic focus of car companies has fundamentally shifted. Their target has moved from traditional off-road veterans to the new generation. A hardcore off-road battle centered around the new generation has already begun.

Recently, Great Wall Motors Chairman Wei Jianjun handed the first car key of the all-new Tank 400 to esports star Meng Lei from Chengdu AG Super Play, rather than to some off-road veteran.

This moment clearly reveals the "Z Generation ambition" of hardcore off-road vehicles. The true intention of the all-new Tank 400 is to use the unique form of hardcore off-road to capture young users who originally belonged to urban intelligent SUVs, thereby completely blurring the boundaries between hardcore off-road and urban SUVs.

The three locks are the hardcore ticket to entry, satisfying the spiritual totem demand of young people who spend 90% of their time in the city but must have the ability to go off-road at any time.

The core selling point has evolved from "three locks" to mecha aesthetics and intelligent cockpits. For example, the all-new Tank 400 is equipped with the industry's top Qualcomm 8295 chip and Coffee Pilot Ultra intelligent driving system, achieving full-scene coverage of urban NOA and highway NOA.

The fundamental reason for the success of domestic brands lies in the "new three samples" that have cracked the original sin of traditional off-road vehicles, bringing about an off-road equality.

The pain points of "high fuel consumption, low comfort" have been resolved; traditional off-road vehicles often consume 15-20L per 100 kilometers, and are hard to sit in and bumpy to drive. Meanwhile, technology centered around electric drive has simultaneously addressed fuel consumption and comfort issues, turning "capable in the city and off-road" from a marketing slogan into a daily reality in terms of technology.

In addition, the high price and high-tech barriers have further decreased. In the past, hardcore off-road vehicles were priced high, but now the all-new Tank 400 gasoline version is priced as low as 249,800 yuan, and Dongfeng Mengshi M817 will also lower its price to the 300,000 yuan range The intelligence has significantly lowered the control threshold for off-road driving, transforming it from an expert activity to a popular one.

The technological revolution on the supply side coincides perfectly with the changes on the demand side. In today's market, the competition in product strength has long surpassed parameter comparisons, entering the era of emotional value.

What car manufacturers are focusing on is the demand from young people for exquisite camping and outdoor socializing, and the boxy shape has become a visual symbol of toughness and individuality, turning into social capital for the youth.

In this trend, the V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) external power supply function is a typical highlight. It transforms new energy off-road vehicles from mere transportation tools into mobile camps. The all-new Tank 400 offers an external discharge capacity of 6kW and an internal capacity of 2.2kW. Data shows that up to 87% of new energy off-road vehicle owners have used the external power supply function, far exceeding urban SUV owners, indicating it has become a core necessity.

According to the "2025 Off-Road Lifestyle White Paper," 64.8% of hardcore off-road vehicle owners go off-roading no more than twice a month, but 100% of owners hope their vehicles can reflect the spirit and lifestyle of off-roading. Purchasing a hardcore off-road vehicle is a statement of lifestyle.

However, for hardcore off-road brands, being suitable for both urban and wild environments is just the entry ticket; the real competition lies in the second half.

With the rapid popularization of the new three essentials, a simple price war is unlikely to be favored, as technology and hardware will converge. The ultimate competition has shifted from a singular focus on product strength to a battle for ecological and community moats. Off-road vehicle owners (especially Generation Z) have a strong sense of identity and a desire for social sharing. Building brand-owned APP communities is a way to privatize these dispersed traffic flows and solidify them as brand assets. Through operations like points and events, users can be converted into fans, and then UGC (User Generated Content) can feed back into brand marketing.

As the first half of this battle for young people approaches its end, the real challenge may just be beginning.

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