(Yicai) Sept. 29 -- As new energy vehicles gain ground in China, major automakers are upgrading their internal combustion engine models with smart features to narrow the user experience gap with NEVs, while recognising that a significant share of buyers will continue to choose fuel vehicles.

Several carmakers, including Geely Automobile Holdings and Chery Automobile, have launched new generation fuel-powered vehicles with enhanced core technologies such as intelligent driving systems and cockpits, according to the latest product directory from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Hangzhou-based Chery recently unveiled its New Fuel Vehicles in China strategy and launched two models, the Tiggo 9X and the Tiggo 9, based on it. The Tiggo 9X comes with Chery’s Falcon 500 smart assisted driving system, and is the first car in its class to be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8255 auto chip.

Geely launched upgraded versions of its high-end Xingrui and Xingyue L models in March, featuring integrated artificial intelligence models and advanced smart driving systems. This series is also equipped with the company’s Flyme Auto intelligent cockpit and Qianli Haohan H3 intelligent assisted driving solution.

Despite the surging popularity of NEVs, domestic automakers still attach a lot of importance to the fuel vehicle market. Yang Dayong, the newly appointed executive vice president of Changan Automobile Group, said earlier this month that 35 percent of customers still go for fuel vehicles, so Changan will continue to meet this demand.

Domestic sales of ICE passenger vehicles climbed for the third month in a row last month, gaining 14 percent from a year earlier to 902,000 units.

Editor: Tom Litting