Huawei on Thursday detailed the first model under its top-end brand Maextro, developed with manufacturing partner JAC Motor, adding that the companies will begin delivering the car in May at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show.
Why it matters: This is the latest bet by Chinese automakers looking to upscale to the absolute top segment of luxury cars. Rivals such as BYD and GAC have made similar moves although few have had instant success.
- The Maextro S800 will be priced at RMB 1-1.5 million ($137,800-$206,700) and is touted by the Chinese technology giant as its first model priced directly against the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Roll-Royce Phantom family.
Details: Huawei said (in Chinese) the Maextro S800 full-sized luxury saloon will feature a type of chassis that can be adapted to various driving scenarios because of its modular architecture, providing its passengers with the utmost safety in extreme cases.
- This would prevent a front tire blowout from causing the car to swerve at speeds higher than 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph). Similarly, NIO had said that owners of its flagship executive sedan ET9 could maintain some steering control in the case of a blowout at a speed of 170 km/h.
- The first model co-developed by Huawei and JAC features a top-of-the-line hardware stack for Level 3 semi-autonomous driving, including 11 cameras, a dozen ultrasonic sensors, and four Lidar units. The technology allows the car to travel at 80 km/h and quickly stop to avoid an obstacle, and improves the car’s handling by detecting and helping to prevent a skid.
- The hybrid version of the luxury sedan will come with what it calls the world’s first battery for extended range hybrids (EREV) with an 800-volt electrical system for fast charging, which has a capacity of 65 kilowatt-hours (kWh). This allows the car to recharge from 10% to 80% of the range in 10.5 minutes. The all-electric variant can be recharged from low to 80% in 12 minutes.
Context: The Maextro S800 made its debut at a Huawei press conference last November. It measures around 5.5 meters in length, and 2 meters in width, and spans a 3.4-meter-long wheelbase, featuring a modernized two-tone color scheme, vertical daytime running lights, and designer wheels in polished silver finish to elevate its status further.
- Huawei and JAC said last month that they had jointly kick-started the development of two new models under the Maextro brand. The smartphone maker has introduced three other brands in separate collaborations with automakers Seres, Chery, and BAIC under its Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) umbrella, while a growing list of automakers are sourcing its assisted driving technologies, such as Audi, BYD, and others.
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