Maextro V800. Credit: Maextro
- The Maextro V680 starts at 648,000 yuan ($95,450), while the V800 is priced from 766,000 yuan to 1.016 million yuan.
- The 2 models secured 2,115 firm orders within 1 hour of launch, with deliveries set to begin in September.
Huawei-backed luxury brand Maextro has launched 2 extended-range MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles), taking aim at a premium business mobility market in China long dominated by imported Japanese models.
Maextro, jointly developed by Huawei and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC), officially launched the V680 and the higher-positioned V800 on Wednesday. The 2 models had begun pre-sales in late June.
The Maextro V680 is available in a single Premium Edition, starting at 648,000 yuan ($95,450).
The Maextro V800 comes in 3 variants: the Premium Edition at 766,000 yuan, the Executive Edition at 866,000 yuan, and the Flagship Edition at 1.016 million yuan.
The final prices are below the pre-sales ranges announced in June, when the V800 was offered at 800,000 yuan to 1.2 million yuan and the V680 at 650,000 yuan to 900,000 yuan.
Initial demand has been strong. Huawei executive director Richard Yu said on July 17 that the 2 models had received more than 10,000 pre-orders within 23 days of pre-sales, with the V800 accounting for about 80% of the total.
Shortly after the MPVs were launched, Yu said on Weibo that they had secured 2,115 firm orders within 1 hour.
Deliveries will begin in batches. The V800 pioneer versions will begin deliveries in early September, while the remaining V800 variants and the V680 will follow in late September.
The V800 measures 5,495 mm in length, 2,006 mm in width and 1,850 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,430 mm. The V680 measures 5,320 mm in length, 2,006 mm in width and 1,850 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,290 mm.
Both models have 7-seat layouts and use a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine as a range extender, with a maximum output of 127 kW. Their front and rear electric motors deliver peak outputs of 160 kW and 230 kW, respectively.
The MPVs use Huawei’s next-generation Giant Whale battery pack, with a capacity of 65 kWh and support for 6C fast charging.
Both models have a CLTC battery-only range of 340 km. With a full battery and fuel tank, the V800 has a combined range of 1,335 km, while the V680 can travel 1,208 km.
Both vehicles come standard with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 5 driver-assistance system and 40 sensors, including a 3-dimensional array of 6 LiDAR units.
The V800 uses a native vehicle architecture designed for L3 autonomous driving, with redundant sensors, chips and power supplies.
Both MPVs are built on Maextro’s dedicated Tuling Longxing platform and feature an 800-volt fully active suspension system and steer-by-wire technology.
The V800 also offers rear-wheel steering of up to 12 degrees in either direction, giving it a turning radius of 5.4 meters, as well as a crab-walking mode.
Its second row features 2 AI-powered seats with 20-point massage functions, a 41.6-inch projection screen and a retractable starlight headliner.
The V680 has 2 zero-gravity seats in the second row and a 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted display.
The V800 is aimed at premium business mobilitys scenarios involving celebrities, luxury hotels, airlines and Fortune Global 500 companies. Its direct rivals include the Toyota Alphard and Lexus LM.
The V680 faces more intense competition from models including Li Auto’s (NASDAQ: LI) Li Mega and Zeekr’s 009.
Jointly developed by Huawei and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp, Maextro is the highest-positioned brand under HIMA (Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance). Before the launch of the 2 MPVs, its only model on sale was the flagship S800 sedan.
The Maextro S800 Grand Design starts at 1.388 million yuan ($204,400), taking aim at Mercedes-Benz Maybach.
($1 = 6.7889 yuan)
