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Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance didn’t wait for the Beijing Auto Show to steal the spotlight. At its spring press conference, the Huawei-backed brand group rolled out a fresh wave of cars, from a sharply priced new SUV to a first-ever MPV and an updated flagship that now looks even more serious about the premium fight.
The headline number came early. The Shangjie Z7 and Z7T officially launched at 219,800 yuan, or about 31,900 US dollars, putting them just 100 yuan below the new Xiaomi SU7. Close enough to matter. The Aito M6 followed with an official debut at 259,800 yuan, while Luxeed’s first MPV, the V9, opened for pre-sale at 399,800 yuan. Then came the new Aito M9, with pre-sale pricing starting at 499,800 yuan, and an even more ambitious Ultimate extended edition teased at 669,800 yuan.
Aito M6 arrives with youth on its mind
The Aito M6 is a five-seat mid-size SUV designed to land squarely in one of China’s busiest battlegrounds. Its proportions are substantial, with a length of 4,960 mm, a width of 1,985 mm, a height of 1,736 mm, and a wheelbase stretching to 2,950 mm. Inside, the cabin offers nearly two metres of lateral space, the kind of room that makes a long commute feel less like a chore.
Styling stays close to Aito’s familiar family look, but the M6 adds a cleaner, younger edge. The pure electric version gets a mesh-style front bumper, while the extended-range model switches to a bar-style treatment, giving the two powertrains their own visual identity.
The cabin is where the M6 tries to win people over. Bright two-tone themes in white, red and orange give it a more vibrant feel than the usual dark, conservative SUV interior. Up front, the passenger gets a magnetic tempered-glass “Inspiration Window” for personal items, paired with three e-ink screens that can even sync with smartphone photos. In the centre, a retractable and rotating screen can be controlled by voice from any seat. The car runs HarmonyOS Cockpit 5.0 and adds a 26.1-inch W-HUD, plus dual wireless charging pads.
Tech buyers will also notice the driving hardware. The M6 comes standard with Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 4.1 High Edition, supported by 36 sensors, including a dual-optical-path 896-line LiDAR. Safety engineering is a major talking point too, with an 11-horizontal, 11-vertical body structure, 83.62 percent high-strength steel usage, and 44.76 percent hot-formed materials in the passenger cell.
Power comes from dual-motor layouts in both extended-range and pure electric forms. Output reaches 160 kW, or 215 hp, in the extended-range version and 180 kW, or 241 hp, in the EV. Buyers of the range-extended model can choose either a 37 kWh or 53 kWh battery, while the electric version uses a 100 kWh pack.
Luxeed V9 turns HIMA into an MPV player
The Luxeed V9 matters for a simple reason: it is HIMA’s first MPV. It also stands as Luxeed’s third model. Size is a big part of the story here, with dimensions of 5,359 mm in length, 2,009 mm in width, 1,879 mm in height and a 3,250 mm wheelbase. This is not a small-family shuttle. It is a proper lounge on wheels.
Up front, the V9 uses a closed grille, through-type LED daytime running lights and an illuminated brand badge. More interesting are the new DLP intelligent projection headlights, which can project lighting onto the ground, assist with turning and create custom welcome sequences. Side door light carpets, triggered by millimetre-wave radar as the user approaches, help set the tone by automatically activating welcome lighting, opening the doors and rotating the second-row seats.
The cabin borrows some of the same futuristic energy seen in the Maextro S800. The front row gets a “Universe” triple-screen arrangement, including two 17.2-inch displays with 3.4K resolution and a 21:10 aspect ratio. Second-row passengers are treated to a 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted entertainment screen with eight-position tilt adjustment, plus a detachable rear control panel for climate and media settings. There is also a 10.9-litre constant-temperature refrigerator that can keep cooling for 12 hours after the power is cut.
The second row is clearly the main event. Dual zero-gravity seats support up to 123 degrees of adjustment and can move the backrest, leg rest and footrest together at the touch of a button. They also offer mechanical massage, active side support and rotation modes at 45, 90 and 180 degrees. In other words, this is the kind of MPV built to make passengers forget about driver distraction entirely.
Underneath, the V9 rides on Huawei’s TuLing platform with a front double-wishbone and rear H-arm multi-link aluminium suspension, dual-chamber air springs and CDC adaptive dampers. Rear-wheel steering with up to 7 degrees of angle trims the turning circle down to 5.35 metres, which is a useful trick for a vehicle this large.
The powertrain uses a 1.5T Huawei Snowy Owl intelligent extended-range system, with the range extender producing 115 kW, or 154 hp. The top configuration uses a 53 kWh battery and claims a CLTC combined range of more than 1,250 km. Safety is another strong pitch, with 13 airbags and a so-called follow-protection concept. The second-row seats even incorporate full-dimensional wrapping airbags that adapt to seat angle and occupant posture, deploying in U-shaped form during side impacts or rollovers to protect the head, neck and chest.
The new Aito M9 gets even more ambitious
The revised Aito M9 is not a subtle update. It grows by 55 mm in length, 27 mm in width, 45 mm in height and 15 mm in wheelbase, now measuring 5,285 mm by 2,026 mm by 1,845 mm. That places it even more firmly in flagship territory.
Inside, the triple-screen layout remains, with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 17.2-inch centre display and a 17.2-inch front passenger screen. The difference is in the execution. Bezels are slimmer, display clarity is better, and the door trims now feature upgraded wood-grain finishes. The wireless charging area also gets an adjustable partition to better handle foldable phones, a small touch that says a lot about where this market is headed.
Intelligent driving hardware has taken a major step forward. The new M9 now uses six LiDAR units in total, including one Huawei-developed 896-line front LiDAR, one cabin radar and four solid-state radars spread around the body. High-mounted side cameras and additional sensing hardware have been moved to the C-pillar area.
The chassis package is equally ambitious. Dual-chamber air springs, CDC dampers and rear-wheel steering form a fully active suspension setup that works with forward-looking perception technology to anticipate road conditions before the car reaches them.
Both the electric and range-extended versions receive new CATL ternary lithium battery packs. Extended-range models keep the dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout, but now the front motor rises to 220 kW, or 295 hp, and the rear motor to 277 kW, or 371 hp, with 60 kWh or 75 kWh battery options. The pure electric version uses the same motor output combination and a 120 kWh battery.
HIMA also previewed the Aito M9 Ultimate extended edition, which will stretch beyond 5.4 metres in length and wear an “Ultimate” badge on the D-pillar, along with an illuminated shield-shaped logo. Buyers will apparently be able to choose between 4, 5 or 6-seat layouts.
Since its launch in 2023, the Aito M9 has already racked up more than 280,000 deliveries. But the premium EV and extended-range SUV field in China is getting crowded fast, with rivals such as the Zeekr 9X and Nio ES9 closing in and Li Auto continuing to sharpen the pressure. This revised M9 is HIMA’s answer. Bigger, more advanced, and clearly aimed at staying ahead of the pack.
There is one more subplot worth watching. HIMA has not yet published its March sales figures, even though automakers in China usually release monthly results at the start of each month. According to the China Passenger Car Association, HIMA sold 26,582 vehicles in March, down from 28,212 in February. That is unusual. Most Chinese brands see February soften because of the Spring Festival, then rebound in March. HIMA, instead, went the other way. And that may explain why the numbers have not been put front and centre just yet.
Comments
skyspin
Aito M6 interior = youth vibes, love the two tone and rotating screen. Battery options sound solid, still wanna drive one before deciding though
Marius
Pricey M9 Ultimate, nice flex but feels a bit overhyped. If that extended edition really stretches past 5.4m and handles like they claim then ok, else meh.
turbo_mk
V9 looks like a flying lounge, crazy features... but 1,250 km CLTC range? lol, that always reads optimistic. real world numbers pls, and whats the fuel/recharge reality?
mechbyte
Wow, 100 yuan under Xiaomi — cheeky move. The LiDAR, e-ink screens and 26.1" W-HUD sound futuristic, but can software keep up? curious and kinda hyped, but cautious.
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