William Li said at the ES9 launch that people can now forget about MPVs. Buick — with 27 years of MPV history in China — responded publicly on Weibo and invited Li to sit in their new Century before making that judgment.Today Obi breaks down what's actually happening beneath the brand beef.The numbers tell the real story: 11.88 million SUVs sold in China in 2025 vs just 1.06 million MPVs — and the gap is growing. The market has already voted.The ES9 starts at 420K yuan, the Buick Century starts at 470K yuan. They're fighting for the same wallet. But the ES9 isn't just competing on product — it's competing on technology, ecosystem, and the kind of brand momentum that has people in Chinese restaurants talking about NIO stock for the first time.Buick's response is good marketing. But when a legacy brand publicly defends its category against you — that's not strength. That's confirmation you're winning the narrative.ES9 deliveries start June 1st. 46 days away.Courtside Financial. Hosted by Obi.Nord Security Products:NordVPN: ⁠https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id=15&aff_id=143053&url_id=902⁠NordPass: ⁠https://go.nordpass.io/aff_c?offer_id=488&aff_id=143053&url_id=9356⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/GSbp4wR

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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