At roughly 216 inches (5.48 meters) long, the S800 is among the largest production sedans currently sold in China. Pricing starts around $97,000 and climbs well into six-figure territory for top configurations, positioning it directly against the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. In Huawei’s promotional materials, the company explicitly claims the S800 is superior to Mercedes’ flagship.
The Maextro S800 launches in both pure electric (BEV) and extended-range electric (EREV) configurations.
Huawei claims the BEV version uses a tri-motor setup producing up to 852 horsepower. Battery capacity and official range figures haven’t been disclosed yet, but the pure electric variant weighs approximately 220 pounds less than its EREV sibling.
The EREV pairs electric drive with a range-extending 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a battery reported at around 65 kWh, with Huawei citing CLTC electric-only range figures between roughly 170 and 230 miles depending on configuration. The EREV comes standard with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration producing 523 horsepower, though buyers can upgrade to the same tri-motor setup found in the BEV.
Huawei claims peak DC charging power of up to 390 kW, enabling a 10 to 80 percent charge in approximately 10.5 minutes under ideal conditions. That’s among the fastest charging speeds claimed for any production vehicle.
Reported curb weight approaches three metric tons, underscoring just how large and heavily equipped the S800 is.
Reported luxury and technology highlights include a rear-steering system that allows the car to move diagonally at angles reportedly reaching up to 16 degrees (a feature more commonly associated with specialty EVs than luxury sedans), crystal seat-adjustment buttons, a starry night-sky headliner using more than 680 optical fibers, a triple-screen dashboard integrating navigation and entertainment controls, a 40-inch rear projector for back-seat passengers, automatic doors that open as passengers approach, and an intelligent headlight system that adjusts in real-time to highlight pedestrians and avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.
Huawei says the S800’s sensor suite (reported at 32 sensors including LiDARs) supports Level 3-capable autonomous driving hardware, subject to regulatory approval. This means drivers could potentially take their hands off the wheel under certain conditions, a significant step beyond the Level 2 systems offered by most competitors.
The company doesn’t manufacture vehicles itself. Instead, Huawei partners with established Chinese automakers, providing technology like driver-assistance software, infotainment systems, and its retail network while the partner handles production. For the Maextro S800, that partner is Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp (JAC), which builds the sedan at its factory in the eastern city of Hefei.
This isn’t Huawei’s first automotive success. The Aito M9 SUV, another Huawei-powered vehicle built in partnership with Seres, became China’s best-selling luxury vehicle among those priced above 500,000 yuan (roughly $69,000) within six months of its late 2023 launch.
“Maextro S800 is the first time that a Chinese brand has managed to get a foothold in the one million yuan ultra-luxury segment,” Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei’s consumer business group, told state broadcaster CCTV in a program aired December 9. “We’re in the intelligence and electrification era and we’re leading through smarter technologies and innovation.”
The Maextro’s rise comes amid a broader decline in German luxury brand dominance in China. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi continue to lose market share as they struggle to match Chinese competitors on both price and technological advancement. The speed of innovation in China’s automotive industry has outpaced what traditional European development cycles can deliver.
Audi’s China-only E5 Sportback illustrates how European brands are now adapting locally. The vehicle, designed and engineered in China to compete with domestic rivals, isn’t available in Europe.
“The changing demands of Chinese customers and growing pride in domestic brands have upended the luxury market,” said Zhu Yulong, founder of consultancy Zhineng Auto. “It’s a sign of nationalist pride and also the premiumisation of Chinese brands is a big trend. But how long can this last? We still need to keep watch.”
Current trade restrictions and tariffs mean American consumers do not have access to vehicles like the Huawei Maextro S800. The combination of U.S. restrictions on Huawei, tariffs on Chinese vehicles, and the lack of any American distribution network makes that effectively impossible.
However, the Maextro’s success demonstrates that Chinese automotive technology has reached competitive levels across every segment, including ultra-luxury. A vehicle with diagonal-movement capability, Level 3-capable autonomy hardware, 852 horsepower, and obsessive attention to luxury details represents a genuine alternative to European offerings.
Huawei has not announced plans to sell the Maextro S800 outside China.
