Huawei-backed Aito says its premium SUV M9 exceeds 100,000 orders

Aito, the new energy vehicle (NEV) brand backed by Chinese tech giant Huawei, said its M9 SUV (sport utility vehicle) has received more than 100,000 firm orders, marking a success of its most expensive model to date.

The Aito M9 surpassed 100,000 firm orders after six months on the market, placing it at the top of sales of luxury vehicles priced above RMB 500,000 (USD68,820), Aito said today on its social media channels.

Aito began pre-sales of the M9 on Sep 25, 2023, and launched the model on Dec 26.

At its launch event, Huawei's head of automotive business Richard Yu said the M9 had received 54,000 pre-orders since it began pre-sales.

In China, pre-orders are usually deposits that can be refunded at any time, while deposits for firm orders are usually only subject to a hesitation period of around three days.

Similar to some of Aito's other models, the M9 is offered in both extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) versions. EREVs are typically more popular in China today.

The model is a mid-to-large-size SUV with length, width and height of 5,230 mm, 1,999 mm and 1,800 mm respectively and a wheelbase of 3,110 mm.

These dimensions are comparable to those of Li Auto's flagship SUV, the Li L9, which measures 5,218 mm in length, 1,998 mm in width and 1,800 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 3,105 mm.

Aito is a premium car brand launched by local automaker Seres Group with Huawei on Dec 2, 2021, with its first model, the Aito M5, being announced on December 23, 2021, available in both EREV and BEV variants.

On Sep 12 this year, the brand launched the refreshed M7, allowing for a significant price reduction. The M7 is only available in an EREV version.

The new Aito M7 has also been a huge success. On May 31, Aito launched the Ultra series of the M7 and expects deliveries of the series to reach 20,000 units in Jun.