- The Aito M8 is set to be launched in April and the updated M9 will hit the market later this month.
- The M8 has a pre-sales starting price of RMB 368,000 ($50,790) and is expected to compete with Li Auto's Li L8.
Huawei-backed Aito has started taking pre-orders for its new SUV (sport utility vehicle) model M8 and the updated M9 SUV as their launches approach.
Aito announced today that it is accepting pre-orders for the M8, with a pre-sales starting price of RMB 368,000 ($50,790).
Customers who pay a RMB 5,000 deposit to reserve the SUV now can get a RMB 10,000 reduction on their final payment.
Shortly after the M8 began pre-sales, Aito announced on Weibo that the model had received more than 7,500 pre-orders.
Yesterday, Aito announced that its all-new model, the M8, a flagship SUV for families, would go on sale in April.
The Aito M8 is expected to compete with Li Auto's (NASDAQ: LI) Li L8, which is currently offered in three variants with starting prices of RMB 321,800, RMB 349,800, and RMB 379,800 respectively.
Li Auto is expected to launch updated versions of its on-sale models in May, focusing on upgrades to the smart driving hardware.
The Aito M8 entered a regulatory catalog from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last month, when Aito filed for an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) variant for the model only.
The model would be available in 5-seat and 6-seat options, and the exterior design continues the Aito family styling.
It measures 5,190 mm in length, 1,999 mm in width and 1,795 mm in height and has a wheelbase of 3,105 mm, according to its filing.
The Aito M8 has two options for battery pack capacity -- 51.975 kWh and 36.019 kWh -- and three options for battery range -- 235 km, 240 km and 161 km.
It has a combined range of up to 1526 kilometers when fully fueled and charged.
Apart from the M8, Aito is accepting pre-orders for its flagship SUV, the M9, from today at a pre-sales starting price of RMB 478,000 yuan.
Customers who pay a deposit of RMB 5,000 to reserve the M9 now would also receive a RMB 10,000 reduction on the final payment.
Huawei's HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance) business said today that the updated M9 would be officially launched later this month.
The Aito M9 was initially launched on December 26, 2023, when only a six-seater version was offered.
On September 10, 2024, Aito launched a five-seater variant of the M9 to expand the potential user base.
There are currently seven variants of the M9 with a starting price range of RMB 469,800 to RMB 569,800.
Last month, the updated Aito M9 made its way into a regulatory catalog of the MIIT, bringing its core specifications to light.
The SUV measures 5,230 mm in length, 1,999 mm in width and 1,800 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 3,110 mm, the same as the M9 currently on sale.
Alongside the start of pre-sales of the updated M9, Aito announced that it would offer optional hardware upgrades for the current M9, but no details were mentioned.
Aito starts pre-sales of M5 Ultra SUV, to feature Huawei's driver assist system and LiDAR
($1 = RMB 7.2455)
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