Huawei-backed Maextro to expand its presence in China’s luxury car market with six new models

Maextro, an automotive brand jointly developed by Huawei and JAC Motors, entered the luxury car segment this year with its first model priced in the RMB 1 million (USD 140,000) range. Next year, the brand plans to expand aggressively with six additional models.

Multiple industry sources told 36Kr that Maextro will launch both SUV and MPV models, each offered in standard and long-wheelbase versions. In addition, the Maextro S800 will introduce a high-end edition. This means that, including the current S800 sedan, Maextro is expected to roll out six models in total next year.

The standard Maextro MPV will target family use, while the long-wheelbase MPV will focus on premium business customers. According to the initial plans from Huawei and JAC, both MPVs will be priced significantly higher than today’s mainstream family and business MPVs.

For Maextro’s SUV lineup, one source said the two SUVs will be positioned in the high-end market, though at a price point below the S800. Among traditional luxury brands, long-wheelbase SUVs generally elevate brand presence, while standard SUVs carry sales volume.

Maextro is created through a partnership between Huawei and JAC under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA). Under this model, Huawei is deeply involved in vehicle definition, marketing, and sales.

The Maextro S800 is the brand’s first model. Positioned as an executive sedan, it is built on Huawei’s Tuling Longxing platform, with prices starting at RMB 708,000 (USD 99,120) and going up to RMB 1.018 million (USD 142,520). Deliveries began in August.

By the end of October, Maextro had delivered about 5,000 units of the S800. Its closest competitor, the Mercedes-Maybach S-class, delivered roughly 9,000 units in the first ten months of the year.

At Auto Guangzhou, Huawei executive chairman Richard Yu announced that the S800 had accumulated more than 18,000 firm orders in just over 100 days.

To support Maextro’s development and delivery operations, JAC has merged its heavy truck R&D and marketing teams into its light truck division. Its passenger car brand Yiwei has been suspended, and while the Sehol and Refine brands remain in production, they will receive little new investment moving forward.

JAC throws its full weight behind Maextro

Once the new additions enter the market, Maextro will have a more complete product portfolio, strengthening its position in China’s premium segment.

Early market performance suggests that high-net-worth consumers recognize Huawei’s technological strengths, giving Huawei and JAC confidence to launch a higher-end S800 variant and enhance pricing power. A person familiar with the S800’s development told 36Kr that the high-end program will offer limited bespoke editions for select customers.

Huawei and JAC are drawing from luxury automakers’ playbooks by using limited editions to increase exclusivity. The Maybach S-class, the S800’s benchmark rival, has long used scarcity as a strategy, helping maintain a residual value of up to 70% over three years.

Launching SUVs and MPVs in multiple wheelbase options reflects Huawei and JAC’s effort to serve the varied needs of high-net-worth customers. Standard wheelbase vehicles typically offer more agile handling, while long-wheelbase versions provide greater cabin space and often command higher prices. Huawei expects the standard versions to appeal to family-oriented users, while long-wheelbase versions will attract buyers who prioritize space and a more premium presence for business travel.

As Maextro’s lineup expands, and given Huawei’s previous high-end performance with Maextro and Aito, the brand’s technological capabilities appear well positioned to support sustained pricing power. This gives reason to expect higher Maextro sales next year, which could lift overall HIMA deliveries.

This year, HIMA introduced new models including the Aito M8 and the Maextro S800, driving stronger sales. Last year, HIMA delivered around 440,000 vehicles. From January to October this year, deliveries exceeded 410,000 units, including a record 68,000 units in October.

A car market headed for turbulence

However, competition within HIMA’s own portfolio is expected to intensify next year.

If Maextro’s SUVs are priced below the S800, the lineup may overlap with the Aito M9’s target customers.

36Kr also learned that HIMA’s Stelato brand plans to launch a high-end SUV next year, creating potential overlap among the SUV portfolios of Aito, Maextro, and Stelato.

Maextro’s MPVs may face similar internal competition from the MPV planned under the Luxeed brand.

On November 20, Yu announced at Auto Guangzhou that HIMA will debut a flagship MPV next year equipped with Huawei’s latest technologies. He claimed it will outperform all MPVs currently on the market. Luxeed later reposted the information, fueling speculation that the model will launch under its brand.

Based on Yu’s comments, the new MPV will likely be positioned at a high price point. How HIMA avoids internal competition between the Luxeed MPV and the Maextro MPV remains a key challenge for its product planning teams.

New Maextro models will also pressure high-end offerings from other automakers.

In the segment Maextro is targeting, current competitors include the Li Mega, Zeekr 009, and Toyota Alphard:

• The Li Mega launched in March last year at RMB 550,000 (USD 77,000) and delivered about 15,000 units from January to October.
• The Zeekr 009 launched in 2022 at RMB 439,000–469,000 (USD 61,460–65,660), with a special edition starting at RMB 899,000 (USD 125,860). It sold around 20,000 units in the first ten months of this year.
• Toyota’s imported Alphard is priced around RMB 900,000 (USD 126,000). As China’s new energy vehicle market has strengthened, Alphard sales have declined from more than 20,000 units annually to about 11,000 units from January to October.

Once the Maextro MPV enters the market, these models will likely see varying degrees of customer diversion. For JAC, the brand’s rise could reshape its broader trajectory.

According to JAC’s third-quarter report, the company generated RMB 30.873 billion (USD 4.3 billion) in revenue in the first three quarters, down 4.14 percent year-on-year, and recorded a RMB 1.434 billion (USD 200.8 million) net loss, down 329.43% year-on-year. These results indicate that JAC has yet to benefit financially from Maextro’s strong momentum in the premium market.

However, assuming no cancellations, Maextro’s 18,000 S800 orders alone could generate more than RMB 12 billion (USD 1.7 billion) in revenue. With five new Maextro models scheduled for launch next year, JAC’s financial performance is likely to strengthen substantially.

KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Fan Shuqi for 36Kr.