In the past 15 months, AITO M9’s total delivery has surpassed 200,000 vehicles. On the streets of Shanghai, the likelihood of spotting an AITO M9 is increasingly high. For a model in the 500,000 CNY price range, an average monthly delivery of nearly 14,000 vehicles attests to its success, demonstrating that AITO M9 has mastered the sales formula.
Reviewing the past year’s sales data reveals an interesting trend: AITO M9 not only leads in sales for luxury SUVs in the 500,000 CNY bracket, but even when the price is adjusted to the 300,000 CNY level, no SUV outperforms the M9.
Moreover, the 500,000 CNY price range has long been the “forbidden zone” for domestic brands. Conquering long-standing leaders like BBA in this segment was unthinkable, yet M9 has accomplished both feats.
Clearly, AITO M9 outperforms competitors of the same class and price due to its comprehensive product strengths and continuous technological advancements, staying at the forefront of the industry.
A report by Jalan Road on the first group of AITO M9 owners shows they are affluent and pioneering, with an average household post-tax annual income of 920,000 CNY. Intelligent cockpit, driver assistance, brand, safety, and comfort are the core reasons for choosing this car, contributing to AITO M9’s status as a top performer.
Intelligence Determines Success
By 2025, buying a new car likely means prioritizing intelligence as an essential feature for most consumers. AITO M9’s inaugural owners place a premium on driver assistance and intelligent cockpit experience. However, the intelligence experience differs across brands and price points. If choosing a top-tier intelligent vehicle, AITO M9 stands among the few contenders.
When AITO M9 was launched in 2024, it was equipped with ADS 2.0, featuring mapless driver assistance across China. Later, an OTA update brought ADS 3.0, realizing capabilities like stall-to-stall driver assistance and VPD valet parking.
With the release of the 2025 AITO M9 model, the driver assistance hardware has been upgraded to an omni-directional stereoscopic perception system, adding 3 high-precision solid-state LiDARs and a matrix of 5 4D millimeter wave radars as perception hardware.
In the recent OTA update, the AITO M9 was upgraded to ADS 3.3, enabling its assisted driving system to easily navigate highway toll booths. On the 2025 AITO M9, activating the assisted driving will illuminate blue lights at the front and rear of the vehicle for better visibility.
Later this year, based on the current hardware of the AITO M9, ADS 4 will also be upgraded.
It can be said that since its launch, the AITO M9 has been at the forefront of advancements in assisted driving technology with its pioneering assisted driving features, continuous OTA evolution, and upgraded new model experiences.
The intelligent cockpit is no different.
In the past two years, cars ranging from tens of thousands to million-dollar luxury vehicles have been striving for intelligent cockpits with large screens, app ecosystems, and seamless connectivity. However, when it comes to user experience, the AITO M9 offers its unique differentiation.
Sitting inside the AITO M9, you can see up to 11 screens throughout the vehicle. These include a three-screen setup in the front row, the HUAWEI XHUD immersive head-up display, the HUAWEI XPIXEL interactive headlights that can project forward, projection screens in the middle and rear rows, four Pads behind the seats, and finally an LCD control screen MagLink Mini located at the rear of the armrest box.
On the 2025 AITO M9, the Huawei Car Voice System 2.0 is officially introduced, enabling the HUAWEI XPIXEL interactive headlights to integrate with ADS and Starlight Flash for autonomous intelligent lighting. When encountering oncoming traffic, the AITO M9 can precisely shield light to avoid glare, enhancing night driving safety. It can also project a dynamic light carpet on the ground. Whether in assisted or manual driving scenarios, the headlights can project the vehicle’s trajectory, enabling precise lane changing, narrow road recognition, and other prompt information.
The HUAWEI XHUD immersive head-up display system has also been upgraded to provide risk warnings via ADS integration on the HUD. During manual driving, this HUAWEI XHUD supports lane-level navigation.
In the rear, the newly added MagLink Mini will surely be appreciated by many. Particularly when you’re too tired to activate voice commands, this 6.58-inch screen allows you to control many in-car functions with ease, following a logic similar to a smartphone.
Think the screen is too small for watching shows? The AITO M9 offers a 32-inch projection screen for you. On the 2025 AITO M9, the projection resolution has been enhanced to 1920*1080, supporting 98% DCI-P3 color gamut for a better viewing experience.
Certainly, behind these ten screens, the entire system operates on HarmonyOS, ensuring a consistent and excellent experience for all vehicle occupants. This intelligent cockpit experience created by the deep integration of software and hardware in the AITO M9 is notably absent in traditional luxury brands.
Clearly, the AITO M9 has excelled in its performance in both driver assistance and intelligent cockpit, naturally positioning it as a technological flagship.
Balancing Safety and Comfort
As a luxury vehicle in the 500,000 RMB range, safety and comfort are the core concerns for users when choosing a car. “Safety is the greatest luxury” has become an industry consensus.
Regarding active safety, the AITO M9 leverages sensors throughout the vehicle to achieve comprehensive active safety features.
One important active safety feature is AEB; the AITO M9 can provide collision avoidance capabilities from 4 to 150 km/h forward, 30 to 130 km/h laterally, and 1 to 60 km/h reverse. Additionally, it includes emergency steering assistance, emergency lane keeping, and adaptive AEB adjustments based on road conditions.
In fact, the active safety capabilities of the AITO M9 are the result of years of evolution, and it’s believed that through subsequent OTAs, the boundaries of active safety features will continue to expand.
In terms of passive safety, the AITO M9 has achieved G+/G+/G+/G ultra-safety ratings from CIRI and a five-star rating from the China Auto Center safety tests. These excellent test results are derived from multiple aspects:
- The AITO M9’s “Xuanwu body” employs an integrated casting process to enhance torsional rigidity. High-strength hot-formed steel, reaching 2,000 MPa, is used in the A and B pillars and within the doors.
- The “Xuanwu architecture” features a dual crash beam design and a rigid body frame with eight horizontal and five vertical beams.
- The battery cells are covered in five layers; during a collision, they can promptly disconnect to ensure occupant safety.
- The vehicle is equipped with nine airbags, and each of the four doors has mechanical switches.
In addition to active and passive safety, health safety is an often-overlooked aspect.
According to official information, the AITO M9 achieves zero formaldehyde and low radiation inside the vehicle and is also equipped with a sterilization system to ensure fresh air inside. In the 2025 AITO M9 model, UWB life detection has been added to prevent users from accidentally leaving pets or infants inside the car.
On the foundation of safety, luxury and comfort configurations are essential. This has always been a strength of traditional luxury brands, so what does the AITO M9 offer in this aspect?In the AITO M9 five-seat model, the second row is equipped with two near-zero gravity seats. With the center armrest down, the vehicle transforms into a spacious four-seater. In fact, the front passenger seat can fold up to create more space for the rear “boss seat.”
The six-seat version offers more flexible spatial arrangements. Folding down the third row opens up the AITO M9’s large four-seat space, accommodating more luggage. For family camping trips, fold down the first-row seats, transforming the first and second rows into a large bed.
Meanwhile, the hallmark of AITO M9’s comfort lies in its zero gravity seats. With the push of a button, you can recline into a semi-lying position within the car, ensuring great comfort.
Luxury and comfort are not confined to the seating area; the trunk of the AITO M9 exudes luxury as well.
The five-seat model of the AITO M9 comes standard with dual slides, on which you can opt for multifunctional loading trays, customized storage boxes, aluminum luggage restraints, and even mountain and sea seats.
These features are typically found in traditional ultra-luxury brands and require costly upgrades. For the AITO M9, these luxury options elevate the model’s positioning.
Indeed, the AITO M9’s luxurious configuration, comprehensive safety, and robust intelligence combine to form its core product strength. These strengths act as a moat, firmly anchoring its status in the luxury car market.
The High-end “Social Code”
Since its launch 15 months ago, the AITO M9, with its “technology flagship” positioning, has become the standard for China’s new business elite.
Among AITO M9 owners, many were former enthusiasts of traditional luxury brands like Benz, BMW, FAW Audi, and Porsche, but now consider the AITO M9 a purchasing priority.
In the first batch of owner surveys, up to 40% expressed they wouldn’t purchase a car if the market didn’t have the AITO M9. Meanwhile, the first batch of AITO M9 owners reported an average post-tax household income of ¥920,000, aligning well with the “high-net-worth individual” criteria.
As a result, the ranks of AITO M9 owners are populated with entrepreneurs and social elites. Concurrently, according to media reports, celebrities like Yu Hewei, Liu Yijun, Hu Jun, Ma Li, Yan Hexiang, Huang Bo, Ma Dong, Han Geng, and Liu Tao have also adopted the AITO M9.In today’s world, the AITO M9 is even becoming a key to stepping into high-end social circles. The vehicle is not limited to luxury, intelligence, and mobility but also possesses a certain social attribute.
This is another powerful aspect of the AITO M9 beyond its product capabilities.
On the detailed luxury configuration, the AITO M9 also creates a sense of ceremony for high-end travel. From the moment you get in, the four electric doors allow you to enter and exit gracefully. Moving into the second row, you can draw down the curtains and activate the privacy sound shield function to effectively protect the privacy of rear passengers. These details have also become a bonus for the AITO M9 in business social interactions.
In fact, the AITO M9 and the HarmonyOS-powered brand are mutually reinforcing. Just last month, the HarmonyOS-powered brand achieved sales of 44,000 units, and since June, its weekly sales have topped the ranks among new power brands.
Traditional luxury car enthusiasts often consider the brand power of the AITO M9 to be insufficient, but in reality, an average transaction price exceeding 400,000 RMB and an industry-leading NPS score have already proven the comprehensive strength from the brand power of HarmonyOS-powered vehicles to the product capabilities of the AITO M9.
After a year of extensive use, we can see that the AITO M9’s sales surpassing 200,000 units within 15 months is no coincidence. With advanced intelligent configurations, solid safety and comfort design, and a brand positioning aligned with the needs of high-net-worth individuals, it is pioneering a new landscape for Chinese brands in the 500,000 RMB luxury car market. This dual focus on “technology + experience” is steering Chinese new energy vehicle brands toward higher-end horizons.
This article is a translation by AI of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.