Aito launches updated M8 at 379,800 yuan as Seres takes brand lead

The updated Aito M8 starts at 379,800 yuan ($56,560), 10,000 yuan below the pre-sales figure announced on September 30 but 20,000 yuan above the outgoing model's entry price. Aito, the brand jointly developed by Huawei and Seres (HKEX: 9927), launched the refreshed large SUV on Friday. It is the brand's first major vehicle release since Seres took the lead in running the brand.

The launch tests a new division of labor. HIMA, the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (Huawei's automotive partnership network), announced on September 15 that Seres would lead Aito's product definition, design, marketing, retail and service, with Huawei in a support role. Huawei and Seres then signed a new five-year cooperation agreement on September 30, with plans for a dedicated Aito team.

Richard Yu, Huawei's executive director and chairman of its consumer business group, said at the launch event that Aito, the first brand in the alliance, is about to enter a new phase of cooperation. Huawei will continue to lead core technology, product definition and product design, Yu said. Seres will lead vehicle manufacturing, engineering development and implementation, marketing, sales, service, upgrades and maintenance. Both companies stressed that the new M8 was jointly designed and developed, and that Aito remains a HIMA member.

What does the new pricing structure look like?

The M8 line spans 379,800 yuan to 469,800 yuan across 10 variants in three trim levels: Max, Max+ and Ultra. Buyers choose between extended-range and battery-electric powertrains, and between 5-seat and 6-seat layouts.

The six extended-range variants run from 379,800 yuan to 469,800 yuan. The battery-electric version offers four variants in Max+ and Ultra trims, priced from 399,800 yuan to 469,800 yuan. The outgoing model offered six variants for each powertrain. Customers ordering during the initial sales period receive purchase benefits worth up to 35,000 yuan, Aito said.

What changed under the skin?

All variants now use an 800V high-voltage architecture and Huawei's Whale Battery Platform 3.0; previously only the battery-electric version carried an 800V platform. The extended-range version pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged range extender, rated at 118 kW (158 hp), with a 227 kW rear motor or a 397 kW combined all-wheel-drive system. Its 75.4 kWh and 56 kWh battery options deliver up to 432 kilometers of CLTC battery-only range and up to 1,435 kilometers combined.

The battery-electric version offers 227 kW in rear-wheel-drive form and 387 kW combined with all-wheel drive. Its 120 kWh and 100 kWh battery options give a CLTC range of up to 830 kilometers, against 705 kilometers for the outgoing standard 100 kWh pack. CLTC is China's official test cycle for range figures.

Body dimensions hold steady: 5,190 mm long, 1,999 mm wide, 1,795 mm tall, on a 3,105 mm wheelbase. Drag coefficient is 0.254. Aito said it invested 1.5 billion yuan in development and incorporated 126 technological innovations. The update arrives roughly 19 months after the original model went on sale in April 2025, initially as an extended-range only vehicle; the battery-electric version followed in August.

How far does the driver assistance go?

Driver assistance anchors the overhaul. Every variant carries Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5 as standard, built on an architecture designed for Level 3 autonomous driving (the level at which the car, not the person, is responsible in defined conditions) and equipped with a new generation of omnidirectional sensor fusion.

The sensor set numbers 38 units in total:

• 4 LiDAR units: an 896-channel roof unit, 2 side-facing solid-state units and 1 rear-facing solid-state unit
• 5 4D millimeter-wave radars
• 11 cameras
• 12 ultrasonic sensors
• 6 exterior microphones

Aito said the upgraded WEWA 2.0 architecture improves overall safety of its Navigation Cruise Assist system by 50%, while improving travel efficiency and ride comfort by 30%. The model also supports urban driving assistance without a navigation route and a parking-space-to-parking-space 3.0 function.

Options add cost quickly. Certain exterior and interior colors carry an 8,000 yuan charge. A 21-inch soft-light rear entertainment screen costs 10,000 yuan, rear-wheel steering 20,000 yuan and smart power doors 15,000 yuan. All three come standard on Ultra variants.

Can the update reverse the delivery slide?

The launch lands against a weak sales backdrop. M8 deliveries fell 95.88% year-on-year to 720 vehicles in October, according to CnEVPost data. Deliveries totaled 37,570 vehicles from January through October.

Aito positions the new M8 as a flagship smart SUV for families. Whether the 800V standardization and ADS 5 equipment can restore volume in a crowded large-SUV segment is the central question for the coming quarters.

Watch next: monthly delivery figures through the first quarter of 2026, which will show whether initial order benefits translate into sustained production, and how the Seres-led operating structure affects launch cadence for the rest of the Aito range. ($1 = 6.7152 yuan)