AITO relaunched its flagship M9 on May 27, 2026 with more than 140 changes, and the range-extender (REV) version reviewed here opens the lineup at CNY 479,800 (about $71,600 at CNY 6.70 per dollar). Built with Huawei inside its Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, the same tie-up behind Luxeed (Chery), Stelato (BAIC) and Maextro (JAC), the new M9 pairs a redesigned front end with a six-LiDAR "ADS 5" driver-assist suite and an 800V dual-silicon-carbide DriveONE platform. The REV range climbs from the Max+ to the tri-motor Ultimate Extended Edition at CNY 659,800 (about $98,500), and a separate 120 kWh pure-electric BEV version is also on sale. This particular walkaround covers the six-seat REV Max+ (CNY 489,800, about $73,100) in its standard dual-motor form, the entry trim of the update.
Performance & Specs
The M9 REV pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged range-extender engine (118 kW) with two electric motors, a 220 kW unit up front and a 277 kW unit at the rear, for a combined system output of 497 kW (667 hp) and 765 Nm of torque. The manufacturer rates 0-100 km/h at 4.5 seconds for the Max+ and 4.6 seconds for the Ultra, with a 220 km/h top speed. Buyers who want more can step up to the Ultimate Extended Edition, which swaps in a 2.0-liter range-extender and a third motor for 664 kW (890 hp) and 865 Nm, dropping 0-100 to 3.99 seconds and raising top speed to 251 km/h. The battery is a CATL pack: 60 kWh on the entry Max+ (340 km CLTC electric range, 1,345 km combined) and 75.4 kWh on the Ultra (422 km electric, 1,405 km combined). The Ultimate also uses the 75.4 kWh pack, but with its three-motor drivetrain it is rated at 375 km electric and 1,260 km combined.
| Powertrain | EREV (1.5T range-extender + dual motors) |
|---|---|
| Power | 497 kW (667 hp) |
| Torque | 765 Nm |
| 0–100 km/h | 4.5 s (Max+) / 4.6 s (Ultra) |
| Top speed | 220 km/h |
| Battery | 60 kWh (Max+) / 75.4 kWh (Ultra) |
| Range | 340–422 km EV / 1,345–1,405 km combined |
| POWERTRAIN TYPE | Range-extender electric (EREV); BEV also offered |
|---|---|
| HORSEPOWER | 667 hp (497 kW); 890 hp (664 kW) on Ultimate Extended Edition |
| ACCELERATION | 4.5 s (Max+) / 4.6 s (Ultra) / 3.99 s (Ultimate Extended Edition) |
| TOP SPEED | 220 km/h (Max+ and Ultra) / 251 km/h (Ultimate Extended Edition) |
| DRIVETRAIN | All-wheel drive (dual-motor; tri-motor on Ultimate) |
| BATTERY | 60 kWh (Max+) / 75.4 kWh (Ultra, Ultimate) |
| ELECTRIC RANGE | 340 km (Max+) / 422 km (Ultra) / 375 km (Ultimate) CLTC |
| COMBINED RANGE | 1,345 km (Max+) / 1,405 km (Ultra) / 1,260 km (Ultimate) CLTC |
| CURB WEIGHT | 2,920 kg (Max+) / 2,995 kg (Ultra) / 3,200 kg (Ultimate) |
Dimensions & Practicality
| Length | 5,285 mm (5,402 mm Ultimate) |
|---|---|
| Width | 2,026 mm |
| Height | 1,845 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,125 mm (3,236 mm Ultimate) |
The M9 is a genuinely large SUV, 5,285 mm long on a 3,125 mm wheelbase, and the Ultimate stretches that to 5,402 mm and 3,236 mm. The reviewer reported ample leg- and headroom in both the second-row captain's chairs and the third row of the six-seat car. The five-seat layout lists 1,063 liters of cargo volume, while the six-seat car gives some of that floor space to its third row. The demo car rode on 22-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin tires.
| LENGTH | 5,285 mm (5,402 mm Ultimate) |
|---|---|
| WIDTH | 2,026 mm |
| HEIGHT | 1,845 mm |
| WHEELBASE | 3,125 mm (3,236 mm Ultimate) |
| CARGO VOLUME | 1,063 L (five-seat layout) |
| SEATING | 5 or 6 seats; six-seat car has a 2+2+2 captain's-chair layout |
Charging & Battery
The 60 kWh pack in the Max+ delivers 340 km of CLTC electric range, while the 75.4 kWh pack in the Ultra reaches 422 km. The 800V platform supports DC fast charging from 20 to 80 percent in about 15 minutes at a suitable charger, and the manufacturer lists a 20–90% AC charge at roughly 7 hours for the 60 kWh pack and 9 hours for the 75.4 kWh pack on a charger of about 7 kW. The reviewer's car showed separate fast and slow charge ports on the left side and a fuel filler on the right. Once the battery is depleted, the 1.5T range-extender takes over from a 55-liter fuel tank, which is what carries the combined range to 1,345–1,405 km.
| BATTERY | 60 kWh (Max+) / 75.4 kWh (Ultra, Ultimate), CATL |
|---|---|
| ELECTRIC RANGE | 340–422 km CLTC (Ultimate: 375 km) |
| ARCHITECTURE | 800V dual-silicon-carbide DriveONE |
| DC FAST CHARGING | 20–80% in about 15 min |
| AC CHARGING | ~7 h (60 kWh) / ~9 h (75.4 kWh), 20–90% at ~7 kW |
| FUEL TANK | 55 L |
Design & Interior
The refreshed M9 keeps its predecessor's silhouette and rear-end design almost unchanged but gets a new front fascia with a full-width LED light bar, a chrome mesh lower grille, and a repositioned badge above the headlights. The walkaround car wore a new two-tone black-over-silver finish with a chrome roof rail. Inside, wood trim runs across the dashboard and door cards, paired with a glass roof and sunshade, a power-adjustable steering wheel, and a head-up display. The second row swaps a bench for a pair of captain's chairs with their own entertainment screen, a small refrigerator between them, and enough leg- and headroom that the reviewer called out both rows as comfortable for taller passengers, with the third row usable too rather than a token seat.
Technology & Features
The M9 runs HarmonyOS, the same software platform AITO shares with the other brands in Huawei's Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, including Luxeed, Stelato and Maextro. The dual-screen setup pairs a driver display with a wide central touchscreen running Huawei's smart-cockpit software, and the settings menu includes a language toggle between Chinese and English — a language switch was visible on camera during the walkaround, though the car ships Chinese-first out of the factory. The digital instrument cluster shows live charge state, estimated range and charge-time-remaining directly behind the steering wheel.
Safety & ADAS
The new M9 is built around Huawei's ADS 5 driver-assist system, and every trim carries six LiDAR units: one 896-line main LiDAR, four solid-state blind-spot LiDARs and one in-cabin unit. That is a step up from the previous generation's four-LiDAR array and is aimed at closer-range obstacle detection in dense urban driving. The suite pairs LiDAR with a 360-degree camera system and a dense parking-sensor array for low-speed maneuvering, and the reviewer specifically called out the autonomous-driving system as one of the M9's strongest selling points in the Chinese market.
| ADAS LEVEL | L2+ with six-LiDAR ADS 5 |
|---|---|
| ADAS FEATURES | Six LiDARs (896-line main, four solid-state, one in-cabin), 360° camera, parking sensors, highway/city driver assist |
Available Versions
| VERSION | POWER | TORQUE | 0-100 | TOP SPEED | DRIVETRAIN | BATTERY | EV RANGE | COMBINED RANGE | PRICE | KEY DIFFERENCES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REV Max+ | 667 hp | 765 Nm | 4.5s | 220 km/h | AWD | 60 kWh | 340 km | 1,345 km | $71,600 | Entry REV trim; five-seat CNY 479,800, six-seat CNY 489,800 (about $73,100) |
| REV Ultra | 667 hp | 765 Nm | 4.6s | 220 km/h | AWD | 75.4 kWh | 422 km | 1,405 km | $80,600 | Larger battery, longest EV range in the REV lineup; five-seat CNY 539,800, six-seat CNY 549,800 (about $82,100) |
| Ultimate Extended Edition | 890 hp | 865 Nm | 3.99s | 251 km/h | AWD (tri-motor) | 75.4 kWh | 375 km | 1,260 km | $97,000 | 2.0T range-extender, three motors, long-wheelbase body (5,402 mm); five-seat CNY 649,800, six-seat CNY 659,800 (about $98,500) |
Pricing & Availability
The new-generation M9 launched in China on May 27, 2026 after more than 50,000 pre-orders, with the REV opening at CNY 479,800 (about $71,600), CNY 20,000 below the CNY 499,800 pre-sale price. The Max+ costs CNY 479,800 in five-seat form and CNY 489,800 (about $73,100) in six-seat form, the Ultra CNY 539,800 and CNY 549,800 (about $80,600 and $82,100), and the tri-motor Ultimate Extended Edition CNY 649,800 and CNY 659,800 (about $97,000 and $98,500). A separate 120 kWh BEV version, rated up to 750 km CLTC, is sold alongside the REV. Max+ and Ultra deliveries began in June, Ultimate deliveries were scheduled to begin in September 2026, and the launch-period order incentives ran only through June 30. According to AITO's published figures, about 10,000 M9s were delivered in June, 9,639 in July and about 10,000 in August, more than 30,000 in the first 12 weeks, and the M9 has been China's best-selling vehicle above CNY 500,000 for three consecutive months. The reviewer noted that rivals like the ZEEKR 9X and XPeng GX have started cutting into its lead since their own launches. The REV is sold in China; AITO's first export market is the UAE, where the M9 is sold as the Aito 9 through Performance Plus Motors. As of September 2026, AITO has not confirmed a UAE, European or North American launch of the new generation.
How It Compares
At about $71,600, the M9 REV sits just above the 2026 Li Auto L9 (from CNY 459,800) and the six-seat ZEEKR 9X REV (from CNY 465,900), and far above the XPeng GX REV (from CNY 289,800). The reviewer's own comparisons make the trade-off explicit: he flags the ZEEKR 9X and XPeng GX as the better choice for budget-conscious buyers, reserving the M9 for "those who got the money." Against the closest direct rival, the L9, the M9 REV offers more power (667 hp vs 563 hp) and Huawei's six-LiDAR ADS 5 suite, but the L9 undercuts it by about $3,000 and leads on combined range (1,650 km vs 1,405 km). The ZEEKR 9X REV's dual-motor Max makes 885 hp for about $2,000 less, though its 1,200 km combined range trails the M9's 1,345–1,405 km. The XPeng GX REV is the value play of this group by a wide margin, at roughly $28,000 less than the M9, with 496 hp and 1,585 km of combined range, though it gives up a lot of power to the M9.
- 667 hp and a 4.5-second 0-100 time are genuinely quick for a large family SUV, with an 890 hp/3.99s Ultimate Extended Edition available for more
- Electric-only range grew meaningfully over the outgoing generation, to 340 km on the Max+ and 422 km on the Ultra (CLTC)
- Huawei's six-LiDAR ADS 5 driver-assist suite is a genuine step up in obstacle detection versus the prior four-LiDAR generation
- Starting price of about $71,600 is $2,000–3,000 above the Li Auto L9 and ZEEKR 9X REV, and far above the XPeng GX REV
- Heavy at 2,920–2,995 kg (3,200 kg for the Ultimate), and the Ultimate's combined range falls to 1,260 km
The refreshed M9 REV is a genuine improvement over the outgoing generation — more power, more EV-only range, and Huawei's latest driver-assist hardware — but the price hasn't moved down to meet an increasingly crowded segment. It's for buyers who specifically want the Huawei ecosystem and don't mind paying a premium over the ZEEKR 9X REV or Li Auto L9 for it. For everyone else cross-shopping six-seat EREVs on a budget, the M9's own reviewer points toward cheaper alternatives, and it's hard to argue with that read of the market.
