- The Maextro S800 joins the Nio ET9 and Yangwang U7 as the latest challenger to Mercedes-Maybach.
- The Maextro S800 has a starting price of RMB 708,000 ($98,330), significantly lower than the previously marketed price range of RMB 1 million to RMB 1.5 million.
Maextro, the new automotive brand jointly developed by Chinese tech giant Huawei and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group (JAC), has officially launched the S800 luxury sedan, becoming the latest challenger to Mercedes-Maybach in the Chinese market.
Huawei rolled out the Maextro S800 at an event tonight, marking the brand's first model. The starting price is RMB 708,000 ($98,330), significantly lower than the previously marketed range of RMB 1 million to RMB 1.5 million.
Setting the official price below the pre-sales price is a common strategy in China's automotive industry, aimed at creating a sense of expectations being exceeded.
The Maextro S800 offers two battery electric vehicle (BEV) variants, with the five-seat version starting at RMB 708,000 and the four-seat version at RMB 818,000.
The large sedan offers four extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variants, with the two five-seat versions starting at RMB 708,000 and RMB 788,000, respectively, and the two four-seat versions starting at RMB 818,000 and RMB 1,018,000, respectively.
Maextro is offering a limited-edition pioneer version of the model, with only 599 units available, and deliveries will begin on June 26. The standard version will begin volume deliveries in mid-August.
Maextro is one of the new brands jointly developed by Huawei and a domestic automaker, and it is the highest-positioned brand under Huawei's Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) umbrella.
Other brands under the HIMA business include BAIC Group's Stelato, Seres Group's Aito, Chery's Luxeed, and SAIC Motor's Shangjie.
The Maextro S800 measures 5,480 mm in length, 2,000 mm in width, and 1,536 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,370 mm.
Both BEV variants are dual-motor models, with the front motor delivering a peak power of 160 kW and the rear motor delivering a peak power of 230 kW. They can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and 4.5 seconds, respectively.
Both variants are equipped with a 97-kWh ternary lithium battery pack, offering CLTC ranges of 702 km and 650 km, respectively. They can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in as little as 12 minutes.
The EREV variants come standard with a 1.5T engine as a range extender and offers dual-motor and tri-motor options.
The dual-motor versions of the Maextro S800 EREV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, while the tri-motor versions can do so in as little as 4.5 seconds.
The EREV variants come standard with a 65-kWh ternary lithium battery, which is not commonly seen for a hybrid vehicle and provides about 200 kilometers of CLTC battery range. The battery pack can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in as little as 10.5 minutes.
With a full tank of fuel and a fully charged battery, the Maextro S800 EREV has a combined range of up to 1,333 kilometers.
Huawei emphasized the luxury of the Maextro S800's interior and its focus on privacy and safety during today's launch event.
The model is equipped with Huawei's ADS 4 smart driving system, which is Huawei's latest system with driving capabilities that more closely resemble those of a human driver.
The Maextro S800 is one of the few luxury sedans launched by a Chinese domestic brand in a market dominated by German luxury automakers, particularly Mercedes-Maybach.
Nio (NYSE: NIO) launched the ET9 at Nio Day 2024 on December 21, 2024, with a starting price of RMB 788,000, making it one of the few domestic luxury models.
The ET9 began deliveries on March 29 and delivered 810 units in April, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
BYD's (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY) ultra-luxury sub-brand Yangwang launched the U7 sedan on March 27, with a starting price of RMB 628,000, another domestically produced model targeting the luxury car market.
Yesterday, Yangwang announced that it had seen the first batch of U7 sedans for customer delivery roll off the production line, with deliveries set to begin soon.
($1 = RMB 7.2002)
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