Lightweight design represents one of the core technical competencies in automotive engineering, playing an important role in enhancing the international competitiveness of China’s automobile industry. Under the trend of automobile electrification, network connection, intelligence and sharing, the form and performance requirements of automobile products have undergone transformative changes. This paper comprehensively describes the new characteristics of highly integrated, modular, and bionic structural design in the field of lightweight structural design in the world. It profoundly analyzes the influence of the progress of new architecture, new materials and new technology, and artificial intelligence technology on the technical innovation of lightweight structural design of automotive products. Based on the study of the status quo, problems, and deficiencies of lightweight structural design in China, it is pointed out that multi-material structural design, integrated design, monolithic design, and artificial intelligence design have become the important development directions of lightweight structural design in China in the future, and the development suggestions are put forward.