I went to see the new Aito M9 in a HIMA shop in southern Beijing. The Aito M9 is a large high-tech machine with EV and EREV powertrains. It isn’t super pretty in the traditional sense, but it sure is very impressive.
About Aito and HIMA
Aito is a Chinese car brand, founded in 2021. Aito stands for “Adding Intelligence to Auto”. The Chinese name is 问界 (Wènjiè). The brand is doing well, selling 30.199 cars in June 2026, good for the 18th spot in China’s brand-sales ranking (out of 103 brands).
The ownership is divided between the Seres Group and HIMA, the car-making subsidiary of Huawei. HIMA stands for Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance. The Chinese name is 鸿蒙智行 (Hóngméng Zhìxíng). HIMA also jointly owns four other brands: Luxeed, Maextro, Stelato, and SAIC.
Aito cars are sold in 4 ways: via Aito experience stores, Aito dealers, HIMA experience stores, and HIMA dealers, such as this one. All the HIMA brands are under one roof, so consumers have a lot to digest – and a lot of choice. The station wagon in front of the building is a Stelato S9T.
The new Aito M9
The all-new second-generation Aito M9 debuted in the spring of 2026. It is, at least for now, the flagship SUV of the Aito brand. But don’t be surprised if Aito launches an even bigger SUV in the near future. The Aito dealer had two M9s on display; one in Gold/Gold Red and one in Blue/Serene Green.
The Aito M9 is an enormous car. Its dimensions are 5285/2026/1845, with a 3125 millimeter wheelbase. It is also a little heavy; curb weight is a crazy 2945 to 3030 kilos. Yes, that’s the curb weight! Part of that comes from the heavy use of shiny chrome all over the vehicle; in the bumpers, on the doors, and around the windows.
It has 21-inch manhole cover wheels, prettier than the wheels of a Rolls-Royce. The tires are Michelin Pilot Sport 5 Energy, size 265/50 R21.
The taillights feature pixel-style light modules that can display animations and text. The blue lights are ADAS warning lights, which automatically switch on if the car is in autonomous-driving mode.
Ocean Wave door handle
One of Aito’s most interesting recent innovations is the “Ocean Wave” door handle. It projects a wave-like light effect inside the door handle. Aito designed this to make passengers feel relaxed before they get into the car.
The projection is super sharp; it really seems there is water in there. A bit fuzzy, but well-designed.
The interior of the Aito M9
These high-end SUVs are all about the cabin, and Aito’s interiors look fantastic. Nappa leather seats, beautiful wood trim, aluminium detailing, and loads of tech.
Just check the fit and finish of these speakers. They don’t just sound great; they look great too.
The dashboard features three screens: a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and two 17.2-inch 3.4K displays for the infotainment system. A perfectly round steering wheel with a thick rim and scroll wheels sits in front of the driver. That’s notable, as most other brands in this segment fit oddly-shaped steering wheels. Huawei supplies the 39-speaker, 2920-watt Huawei Sound audio system, as well as the Harmony OS Cockpit 5.0 infotainment system.
Aito offers the M9 with 5-seats or six seats. Both cars on display had six seats, with a 2/2/2 setup. The middle row features two luxurious captain seats with leg rests and tray tables. The seats are heated and ventilated, and feature a 21-point massage function. It also has a 35-inch drop-down projector screen in the ceiling, located between the two sunroofs.
Sadly, the screen was up in both demo cars, so I borrowed a pic from Aito to show you what it looks like.
The projector is in the ceiling too, above the third row.
There’s endless space and luxury everywhere. Even the third row comes with speakers, separate air conditioning, reading lights, and a window. The trunk has a 484-liter capacity, and 1343 liters with the third row folded down. The seats on the second row are fixed in place.
Specifications of the Aito M9
With the advancement of advanced EV and EREV technology, the specifications of top-end Chinese SUVs become ever more complicated. Here we go:
EV: Dual-motor AWD with 497 kW and 765 Nm. It sprints from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and tops out at 220 km/h. A 120 kWh NMC battery delivers 700-750 km of range. The 800V system charges from 30% to 80% in 15 minutes.
EREV: AWD with a 118 kW 1.5-liter turbo engine and two electric motors, delivering the same 497 kW and 765 Nm as the EV version. It reaches 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and tops out at 220 km/h. A 55-liter fuel tank and a 60 or 75.4 kWh NMC battery provide 340-422 km of electric range and 1,345-1,405 km combined. The 800V system charges from 30% to 80% in 15 minutes.
EREV Performance: AWD with a 133 kW 2.0-liter turbo engine and three electric motors, producing a combined 664 kW and 865 Nm. It reaches 100 km/h in 3.99 seconds and tops out at 251 km/h. A 55-liter fuel tank and a 75.4 kWh NMC battery provide 378 km of electric range and 1,260 km combined. The 800V system charges from 30% to 80% in 15 minutes.
Huawei ADS 4.0
The Aito M9 features a Huawei ADS 5.0 L2+ ADAS system with 36 sensors: 11 cameras, 15 ultrasonic radars, 9 millimeter wave radars, and a lidar with a forward detection distance of 250 meters.
The M9 can drive autonomously on highways and in cities (Highway & Urban NOA), and it can park itself, even in a parking garage. Walk around the car, and it feels like the sensors are tracking your every move.
Price of the Aito M9
The Aito M9 costs between 499.800 and 549.800 yuan, and that translates to $74K to $81.3K. Expensive for China, but cheap for what you get. It has to be, because even in this segment, there’s a lot of competition in China. The M9’s main rivals are cars like the Denza N9, the NIO ES9, the Voyah Taishan, and the Zeekr 9X.
The outgoing first-generation Aito M9, made from 2023 to early 2026, was on display as well. It looks hopelessly outdated compared to the new one. That’s a thing in China: product cycles move so fast that cars look old after just a few years.
The sign says: “All-New AITO M9 Series. Rise above the world. Pre-orders are now open. Pre-sale price: from 499,800 yuan. Order now and a 5,000 yuan deposit counts as 10,000 yuan toward the final purchase price.”
In other words, buyers receive a 5,000 yuan purchase credit. This kind of promotion is very common in China. Aito’s offer is actually pretty low; many brands go for 10,000 yuan in credits or even more. Other brands also offer free insurance and/or free charging. Aito probably doesn’t need to offer any steep credits or discounts – the M9 is as good as it gets.