BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As August begins, Autohome, a leading online destination for car buyers, has kicked off the seventh edition of the 818 Car Shopping Festival under the theme "20 Years of Trust, Smart Future with AI, Powered by Love." This year's festival, running from August 1 to September 30, focuses on the core promise of "real benefits and real subsidies," blending immersive digital experiences, multi-tiered purchase incentives, and enhanced smart services to offer a more efficient and engaging car buying journey.

It comes at a time when new energy vehicle sales are surging, Chinese automakers are accelerating their global expansion, and AI is reshaping the automotive industry, making the festival a valuable platform for automotive enthusiasts, consumers, and industry partners to connect and explore. It also reflects the automotive industry's rapid shift toward smarter, more connected, and experience-driven mobility.

Since its debut in 2019, the Autohome 818 Car Shopping Festival has grown from a domestic promotion into a global stage where technology, entertainment, culture, and the automotive world meet, giving automakers, dealers, and consumers a vibrant space to connect and share meaningful experiences.

Marking its 20th anniversary, Autohome is showcasing two decades of technological expertise and industry insight through three major highlights at this year's festival:

• Seamless online–offline experience: From online access through Ping An, Alipay, and Amap to the "Help Buy a Car" livestream, buyers can explore, compare, and choose their cars with ease, while a 100-city offline network offers exclusive side-by-side model comparisons and on-the-spot test drives for a true "see it, drive it" experience.
• Genuine benefits and subsidies: Four layers of incentives, including RMB 30 million in exclusive Autohome funding, make buying or replacing a car more affordable. The August 18 "Car Buying Carnival Night" featured live broadcasts nationwide with prize draws and interactive giveaways to keep the excitement high.
• AI-driven decisions: Showcasing its "ALL in AI" strategy, Autohome spotlights its Cangjie large language model along with AI Assistant and AI Buyer tools. These technologies help users compare models, check prices, and match financing options quickly and accurately.

Other complementary activities include a Hundred-City Auto Show blending music, esports, and automotive showcases, and a Used Car Fair with live bargaining, expert guidance, and exclusive deals.

The 2025 festival goes beyond promotions to reinforce consumer confidence, drive industry innovation, and set new benchmarks for experiential marketing. It expands the reach of the 818 IP as China's most renowned automotive festival brand, deepening engagement between consumers and the global automotive ecosystem. By combining AI-powered solutions with dynamic on-site experiences, Autohome continues to position itself at the forefront of smart mobility trends.  

Autohome's AI leadership has been further validated by its self-developed "Cangjie Model", which recently ranked first in the authoritative SuperCLUE-AutoQA benchmark, underscoring its leadership in vertical AI capabilities. Building on 20 years of expertise and unique data assets, Autohome has developed a full-stack AI ecosystem: for consumers, this includes the in-app AI Assistant, offline AI Buyer, and the world's first AI-powered VR automotive film experience. AI and ecosystem synergies are helping to upgrade the automotive industry, with AI embedded across the entire "view–choose–buy–use–replace" journey to deliver end-to-end empowerment, setting new standards for intelligent automotive internet services.

Looking ahead, Autohome is also accelerating its global expansion. In June 2025,it launched its global English-language platform featuring 57 Chinese auto brands and over 2,000 models, covering vehicle specs, configurations, prices, and local dealer networks. Coupled with official presences on global social media platforms, and upcoming offline experience hubs, Autohome is helping Chinese automakers lower costs, increase visibility, and build stronger global recognition.

"Our mission has always been to make car buying easier, smarter, and more enjoyable," said Song Yang, CEO of Autohome. "The 818 Car Shopping Festival is designed to do two things: stimulate automotive consumption and bring the industry's technology and culture closer to everyone. This year, we have brought in more partners, offered consumers greater benefits and subsidies, and put a spotlight on our AI capabilities. From our industry-leading Cangjie large language model to the AI Assistant in our app, the AI Buyer in our nationwide offline network, and AI toolkits that help the industry reduce costs and improve efficiency, we are reshaping how both consumers and businesses experience smart mobility."

About Autohome

Autohome Inc. (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX: 2518) is a leading online platform for automobile consumers. In March 2025, its average mobile daily active users reached 76.92 million, up 10.8% year-over-year (QuestMobile). Autohome offers professionally generated, user-generated, and AI-generated content, a comprehensive automotive database, and an extensive marketplace covering the entire car ownership cycle. Its advertising, subscription, and transaction services help automakers and dealers expand reach, enhance efficiency, and drive sales.

For more information, please visit global.autohome.com & www.autohome.com.cn

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