In the fiercely competitive premium automotive landscape, the AITO M9 has not only established a firm foothold but also sustained robust growth within the 500,000-yuan luxury car segment. By November 2025, cumulative deliveries had soared past 260,000 units, setting a new benchmark for vehicle sales in this price bracket.

This achievement is rooted in Seres' strategic foresight and unwavering commitment to the "software-defined vehicle" approach, coupled with its pioneering cross-border collaboration with Huawei four years ago. The two entities jointly designed and marketed the AITO brand, forging an unprecedented partnership between an automotive manufacturer and an ICT enterprise. By leveraging the "traditional luxury + tech-luxury" concept, they opened doors to the high-end market.

As Bloomberg reported on May 19, "Seres has outpaced traditional luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, positioning itself at the forefront of the premium automotive market." This underscores AITO's ability to shatter the entrenched belief that emerging brands cannot challenge established luxury players.

Dual Leadership: Market Performance and Brand Reputation

The AITO M9's market dominance stems from both its sales prowess and brand reputation. In 2024, it claimed the title of China's best-selling luxury car in the 500,000-yuan segment, with 200,000 deliveries, far outpacing competitors.

Consumer purchasing decisions further highlight the brand's influence. A 2024 survey by Jeran Road of early AITO M9 adopters revealed that "brand" ranked third among purchase-influencing factors, accounting for 57%. Nearly half of the owners cited the brand as their primary reason for purchase, while 20% stated they "bought solely because of the brand."

The "2024 New Car Buyers NCBS – Population Segmentation Research Report" reveals that upper-middle-class consumers prioritize "brand prestige." AITO is increasingly attracting users from higher social strata with modern values. According to the report, the "Power Elite" group—a core user base for traditional luxury brands—demands stringent brand prestige, image, and product aesthetics, quality, and performance. Among BBA owners, this group constitutes 32.6% of Mercedes-Benz buyers, 28.2% of BMW buyers, and 26.7% of Audi buyers. For AITO, the "Power Elite" accounts for 27.3%, surpassing Audi, approaching BMW, and nearly tripling the average for new energy brands (9.9%).

This data underscores AITO's strong appeal to high-end consumer groups, successfully disrupting traditional luxury brands' long-standing monopoly over discerning buyers and carving out a competitive niche in the premium new energy vehicle market.

As 2025 progresses, the AITO M9's influence continues to grow.

Jeran Road's 2025 first-half study on new energy vehicle brand health (NPS section) shows that the AITO M9 ranked first in overall NPS with a score of 85.2, leading the industry in user loyalty. This recognition stems from its multidimensional value proposition.

At the 2025 Automotive Evaluation Innovation Conference hosted by the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, the AITO M9 earned dual authoritative certifications as the 2024 "Safety Star" and "Intelligence Star" under the C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program) and C-ICAP (China Intelligent Connected Vehicle Assessment Program). Additionally, it achieved a G+/G+/G+/G super safety rating in the 2025 China Insurance Automotive Safety Index—the highest ever awarded—reinforcing the notion that "safety is the ultimate luxury."

This reflects the exceptional quality of the AITO M9.

To date, cumulative deliveries across the entire AITO lineup have surpassed 900,000 units, with intelligent extended-range electric vehicles accumulating over 21.4 billion kilometers driven, 70% of which were purely electric. Assisted driving has covered over 4.45 billion kilometers, with assisted parking activated 280 million times.

This showcases both AITO's product strength and the accumulation of user reputation.

These elements combine to create a unique high-end perception of the AITO M9 in consumers' minds.

Redefining Luxury Through the "New Luxury" Concept and Technological Ecosystem

The AITO M9's sustained leadership is rooted in its differentiated strategic layout of "traditional luxury + tech-luxury."

In terms of brand philosophy, AITO transcends the limitations of traditional luxury vehicles, which focus solely on materials and craftsmanship, by integrating technological elements such as AI large models, the HarmonyOS ecosystem, and advanced intelligent driving into the entire product lifecycle.

As the brand manifesto states, "Wisdom redefines luxury. 'Wen' (Question) signifies exploration and progress; 'Jie' (Boundary) represents transcending limits and creating new realms. AITO uses technology to explore new answers and reshapes luxury with wisdom." While other brands compete on hardware specifications, the AITO M9 has evolved from "software-defined vehicles" to "AI-defined vehicles," incorporating the full HarmonyOS ecosystem and Xiaoyi AI agent. This transforms the vehicle from a mere mode of transportation into an "all-scenario companion" that can "listen, see, and think," delivering a level of convenience and enjoyment that traditional luxury vehicles cannot replicate. This tech-centric luxury concept precisely meets contemporary consumers' demands for intelligent mobility.

On the technological front, Seres unveiled the Magic Cube Technology Platform 2.0 at the Guangzhou Auto Show on November 21, providing critical support for the AITO M9's tech-luxury features. Led by panoramic intelligence, the platform integrates "ultra-intelligent, ultra-efficient, ultra-safe, and ultra-quiet" intelligent extended-range technology, paired with a "central vehicle control + zonal control" electronic and electrical architecture that supports large model applications and end-to-end evolution. The intelligent chassis ensures responsive handling and safety redundancy, while the intelligent space covers nine major travel scenarios, offering users a "personalized" immersive experience.

In terms of ecological synergy, the deep collaboration between Seres and Huawei is a core advantage of the AITO M9. Their joint design and marketing efforts deeply integrate ICT technology with automotive manufacturing, forming a unique technological barrier. The seamless interaction of the HarmonyOS cockpit and the safety redundancy of ADS advanced intelligent driving extend to the brand level, with initiatives such as the 780 M9's intelligent light show at the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala Chongqing sub-venue, sponsorship of the WTT Chongqing Champions, strategic partnership with the 2025 Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, and serving as the official vehicle for the 2025 Tianjin Summer Davos. The AITO M9 continuously explores cross-border models of "technology + X," not only making the brand image more three-dimensional but also becoming a representative symbol of "Made in China with Intelligence." When users choose AITO, they also feel a sense of "pride in association," further strengthening brand loyalty.

Meanwhile, AITO boasts a roster of celebrity owners, including Ma Li, Yu Hewei, Liu Yijun, Hu Jun, Huang Bo, Zhong Liti, Tu Songyan, and Liu Tao. This not only amplifies brand visibility but also allows users to feel a sense of identity and taste, delivering emotional value that resonates with the times.

Leading Chinese Automotive Brands in Breaking Through to the High-End Market

The success of the AITO M9 is not merely the breakthrough of a single model but also signifies the elevated discourse power of Chinese automotive brands in the luxury segment.

As Bloomberg reported on May 19, "Seres has outpaced traditional luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, positioning itself at the forefront of the premium automotive market," breaking the entrenched belief that emerging brands cannot challenge established luxury players and showcasing a shift in Chinese consumers' luxury preferences.

The Xinwen Lianbo (News Broadcast) program commented that AITO "reshapes experiences through cross-border innovation and wins the market with leading technology," setting an example for domestic brands aiming to break into the high-end market.

From a market performance perspective, the entire AITO lineup has surpassed 900,000 users, with multiple models such as the M9, M7, and M8 dominating their respective segments. This drove Seres' revenue to 110.534 billion yuan in the first three quarters of 2025. This positive cycle of "technological breakthroughs - product popularity - brand upgrade" provides a replicable path for Chinese automotive brands to ascend to the high end. With a global vision of "intelligent new luxury," it enables "Made in China with Intelligence" to resonate more loudly in the global luxury vehicle market.

The AITO M9's benchmark status in the 500,000-yuan luxury car segment is the inevitable result of the "traditional luxury + tech-luxury" concept. When technology becomes the core element defining luxury, its market performance of "constantly being benchmarked against, yet never surpassed" is not only a vote of confidence from users but also a microcosm of the Chinese automotive industry's ascent to the pinnacle of the global value chain.