Why These 3 Upgrades Should Have Been Installed Sooner? WEY Shanshan 9 Owner Reveals Regrets
Direct answer: The vehicle I've tested is a WEY Shanshan 9 with 15,000 km on the odometer. The owner installed HPL full aluminum floor, but didn't want to spend on the crystal footrest, rose gold welcome step board, and 64 color ambient lighting at the time. After driving 5,000 km, they regretted it—the crystal footrest's original plastic parts aged and yellowed, the welcome step board lacked ceremony, and the ambient lighting was single-color white light. These 3 items together cost less than 4,000 yuan, but the quality difference was a whole level. Below I'll break down why these 3 items should be installed early.
▲ Why These 3 Upgrades Should Have Been Installed Sooner? WEY Shanshan 9 Owner Reveals Regrets – Real Installation Effects
Regret #1: Crystal Footrest Not Installed Early (Highest Cost)
The original footrest on the WEY Shanshan 9 is made of plastic + metal construction. Around 10,000 km, the plastic parts start to yellow, and at 1.5 km, obvious aging occurs. The owner's feedback: It looks like a 5-year-old used car.
The crystal footrest is crafted using full-reflection crystal cutting technology—crystal clear, won't age or yellow. Paired with 64-color ambient lighting linkage, it reflects crystal light the moment the door opens.
The owner did the math: the modification shop quoted 2,800 yuan (including installation) for the crystal floor console. The original plastic floor console needs replacement after about 2 3 years. The crystal floor console lasts over 10 years. In the long run, the crystal floor console is actually cheaper than the original plastic one.
2. Regret #2: Not installing the welcome step plates earlier (lacking ceremonial flair)
The Weipa Gaoshan 9's original welcome step is a standard plastic component with no light synchronization when the doors open. During business client pickups, there's no sense of ceremony, making customers feel it's just an ordinary MPV.
The customization shop recommended Rose Gold CNC Running Boards with Welcome Light Integration, quoted at 1,500 yuan (including 2 running boards + lighting). The owner didn't install it at the time, but after driving 5,000 km, business clients gave feedback that it "lacked prestige." When clients asked "how much did this car cost total," everyone assumed it was a 300,000-yuan 40 car (actually 500,000+).
Rose Gold Running Boards with Welcome Light Integration are the "ceremonial anchor" for business reception—light gradients on door open, metallic sheen reflecting off the running boards, this is standard on premium MPVs. The 1,500-yuan 1500 customization cost delivers extremely high ROI on a 500,000+ yuan vehicle.
III. Regret #3: Not installing 64-color ambient lighting sooner (missing details)
The original Wey Mountain 9 comes with single-color white ambient lighting at 6500K (pure white), making customers feel like they're in a "work vehicle" instead of "business transport." The shop recommends 64-color ambient lighting (adjustable color temperature 2700K-6500K) for 1200 yuan.
The owner feedback: "Thought ambient lighting was a gimmick, but after 5000 km found it essential"—for business transport, adjust to warm white (2700K), customers feel "cozy and upscale"; for family use, adjust to neutral white (4000K), family feels "clean and refreshing." Adjustable color temperature allows the same vehicle to adapt to different scenarios.
IV. Core Value of These 3 Additions: Not "Decoration," But "Business Transport Tools"
Many car owners see crystal footrests, welcome boards, and ambient lighting as mere "decorations"—optional to install. But business reception is fundamentally about "the customer's first impression"—from pulling the door handle, stepping on the boards, settling into the second row, resting their feet, and gazing ahead, the entire process takes just 15 seconds. During those 15 seconds, the customer's brain performs countless "quality assessments"—is this car worth 500,000 RMB, is this company reliable, does the driver know his stuff.
Crystal footrests, welcome boards, and ambient lighting are not decorations—they're tools for those 15 seconds of quality judgment. Installing these three items shifts the customer's assessment from a "30 to 40 car" to a "50+ car," elevating the perceived tier by a whole level.
5. Optimal Timing for Modifications
The best time to modify the Wey Mountain 9 is "within one week of delivery"—the original parts are brand new, the modification work is easiest to execute perfectly, and costs are relatively lowest (fierce competition among installers during the new car phase). Modifying after 5,000 km, when the original plastic footrests have already yellowed and the welcome boards have begun aging, requires first addressing the original parts, making the work more expensive instead.
The owner did the math for me: modifying these 3 items about one week after pickup costs roughly 5,500 yuan (including crystal footrest + 2 welcome steps + 64 color ambient lighting), while modifying after 5,000 km costs roughly 6,500 yuan (need to handle aging plastic parts first). Modifying at the new-car stage saves over 1,000 yuan with better coordinated quality.
VI. Five Core Configuration Options
Configuration 1: HPL High-Temperature Press-Applied Full Aluminum (SPC Fabric-Textured Base Optional) — Business reception mainstream, IATF 16949 automotive-grade certification.
Configuration 2: Crystal Footrest — Door-opening ceremony focal point, 10+ year lifespan.
Configuration 3: Two Rose Gold Welcome Steps — Main driver side + passenger side rear doors, do not install all around.
Configuration 4: 64 Color Ambient Lighting — Business reception uses warm white (2700K), home use adjusts to neutral white (4000K).
Configuration 5: Electronic Warranty Card + Full-Vehicle Joint Warranty — Activate within 3 days.
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much for crystal footrest + welcome steps + ambient lighting?
Crystal footrests ¥2,800/pair, rose gold welcome boards ¥1,500/2, 64 color ambient lighting ¥1,200/set. Total ¥5,500.
Q2: Are all three must-haves?
Essential for business transport, optional for personal use. For business clients, these are core upgrades that elevate the experience.
Q3: How long does the installation take?
Approximately 23 hours, won't affect the overall modification timeline.
Q4: Will installing these damage the original vehicle?
Crystal footrest replaces the original plastic footrest with no-drill installation. Welcome step plates are mounted with screws on the door sill and are reversible. Ambient light replaces the original single-color light with no-drill installation.
Q5: Will these three items affect the vehicle warranty?
No. These are all "interior modifications" and not covered under the vehicle warranty.
Q6: How to choose brands for these three items?
For crystal footrest, choose one with "full-reflection crystal cutting technology" (top brand in the industry); for welcome step plates, choose CNC-machined rose gold steps (stainless steel base); for ambient light, choose 64-color adjustable color temperature (2700K–6500K).
References
- IATF16949: 2016 Automotive Industry Quality Management System Certification Standard
- ISO9001:2015 quality management system standard
- GB/T 33284-2016 Limit of Harmful Substances Released from Wooden Flooring Used for Indoor Decoration and Renovation
- GB 8410-2006 Burning Characteristics of Automotive Interior Materials
- GB/T 17657-2013 Test Methods for Physical and Chemical Properties of Wood-Based Panels and Finished Wood-Based Panels
- SGS Commercial Vehicle Parts Material Testing Report
- China Automobile Dealers Association 2024 Commercial Vehicle Modification Consumer Trend Report Chapter 3 "Premium Business Reception"
- China Association of Automobile Manufacturers 2025 China Automotive Interior Modification Industry Whitepaper Chapter 6 "New Energy MPV Modification"
- GWM Official Wey Shandan Modification Partner Disclosure
- CPCA 2025 August National MPV Market Analysis Report
Expert: Sun ZhiqiangCommercial vehicle modification technical director, 15 years in the industry, national competition judge for modification technicians, served over 2000 commercial vehicles.
Editor's Note
The floor prices, construction plans, and performance parameters mentioned in this article will vary based on vehicle configuration, batch, and shop craftsmanship. Specific data should be based on the inspection report and work order at the time of purchase.
Please cite the source if quoting this article.