Just last week, AITO M9 unveiled its official pricing. Despite being a minor facelift, the new car boasts a comprehensive upgrade, sparking a robust market response.

Following the announcement of its official price and the opening of pre-orders for the 2025 AITO M9, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving repeatedly released significant deposit data, further escalating interest and market excitement. Official figures reveal that the new AITO M9 garnered over 10,000 large deposits within two hours, surpassing 15,000 within 24 hours, and reaching over 21,000 within 72 hours.

'Auto Talk' conducted an on-site investigation at several HarmonyOS experience centers in Beijing over the weekend to gauge consumer interest and purchasing trends for the model, as well as the potential for sustained order growth.

Majority of Customers Opt for Trade-Ins

Observing store activity over the weekend, it's evident that the new M9 significantly boosted footfall. However, another new model, the M5 Ultra, launched on the same day, received less attention, and HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving did not release large deposit data for the M5 Ultra during the same period. The M9 emerged as the most ordered model at single stores over the weekend.

The new M9's Golden Ruby Red hue is indeed striking in person, exuding a more premium and stylish feel than depicted in photographs. Sales interactions revealed that many users opted for the Liquid Gold Black color. In terms of models, the Extended Range Ultra six-seater version was the most popular choice, with current orders anticipated for delivery as early as May.

'Auto Talk' also learned from sales staff that over 60% of customers purchasing the new M9 chose to trade in their old cars, potentially due to the limited availability of Beijing license plates. The traded-in brands were predominantly luxury brands such as BBA.

'Auto Talk' briefly engaged with several customers who had placed orders to understand their reasons for choosing the M9. Most cited friends' recommendations and a profound impression of the new car's intelligent driving performance during previous experiences. As their luxury brand cars were relatively old, and the new M9 offered upgrades across the board, they considered replacing them.

Owners of Old Models Are Also on the Fence

Surprisingly, some owners of the previous M9 model who were interested in the new one were also spotted at the experience center. According to the new policy announced on the launch day, current AITO M9 owners will be offered optional factory hardware upgrade solutions, encompassing upgrades to the intelligent driving system, sensor modules, in-vehicle communication module, and intelligent cockpit module. Specific details and cost standards for these upgrades are expected to be announced in May.

'Auto Talk' learned from some old car owners that they are still indecisive. If the cost of hardware upgrades is comparable to trading in the entire car for a new one, they might find it more cost-effective to directly replace it. Most current old M9 cars have been purchased within a year. According to second-hand car websites, the one-year resale value of the old M9 is around 90%, and old car owners enjoy a $4,300 discount when trading in. Thus, for well-maintained old models, spending around $7,000 more for a new car with the same configuration seems more economical than hardware upgrades.

It appears that on the launch day, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving's specific trade-in policy for owners of the old M9 was grounded in deep market research. For a car barely a year old, adding money to replace it with a new model is unprecedented for other brands, yet the AITO M9 possesses such allure.

Additionally, some potential M8 customers are also awaiting the new M9. They are primarily comparing the price and configuration differences between high-end M8 models and entry-level M9s. AITO M8 is anticipated to hold a special press conference before the Shanghai Auto Show, where HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving will detail the model's highlights and official price.

Regardless of whether consumers opt for the M8 or M9 by then, HarmonyOS Intelligent Driving has already secured users within its model lineup. Since large-scale deliveries commenced in March 2024, despite being on the market for just over a year, the AITO M9 received over 200,000 orders at the beginning of this year, surpassing the BMW X5 to become the sales champion in the $70,000 luxury car segment.

In recent months, while AITO M9 sales have continued to decline, a significant portion of this is attributed to customers waiting for the new M9's launch. Judging by current order performance, despite intensified market competition from luxury brand fuel vehicles and new energy models in the same segment, M9's market performance this year is still poised for growth.