After a nearly six-week pre-sale period, the AITO M8, the fourth model from the collaboration between Huawei and Thalys, officially debuted on April 16.

Regarding pricing, which is a significant concern for the market, the AITO M8 is priced between RMB 359,800 and RMB 449,800, closely aligning with market expectations and offering an RMB 8,200 discount from the pre-sale price.

This pricing strategy also fills a gap in AITO's lineup, targeting the RMB 350,000 to RMB 450,000 price range. Deliveries of the AITO M8 will commence on April 20, with initial customers benefiting from a RMB 27,000 incentive valid until May 19.

Yu Chengdong, Executive Director of Huawei and Chairman of the Terminal BG, announced at the launch event that small reservations for the AITO M8 have surpassed 150,000 units, with over 20,000 large reservations secured within the first hour. This is expected to provide a much-needed boost to Thalys, which has seen a sharp decline in sales this year.

According to Thalys Group's monthly production and sales report, sales of AITO series vehicles declined by 46.31% year-on-year to 45,135 units in the first quarter. The company's overall sales also dropped by 40.1% to 68,368 units, with the AITO series' sales contribution decreasing by 8 percentage points to 66%.

Following the launch of the M9 in 2024, the combined wholesale sales of AITO's M5, M7, and M9 models surged by 275.8% year-on-year to 389,000 units, accounting for over 78% of Thalys Group's total sales.

Positioned as a "family-oriented flagship SUV," the AITO M8 offers both five-seat and six-seat extended-range versions, with Max, Max+, and Ultra trim levels available for each. The five-seat version is priced between RMB 359,800 and RMB 429,800, while the six-seat version ranges from RMB 369,800 to RMB 449,800.

As the primary competitor to Li Auto in the domestic mid-to-large-sized extended-range SUV market, the M8's launch aims to counteract AITO's previous disadvantage of having only the M7 to compete against Li Auto's L6, L7, and L8 models. The M5, a mid-sized SUV, has not yet been able to compete effectively with these models.

Furthermore, the M8 boasts a pricing advantage, with its starting price matching that of Li Auto's top-of-the-line L7 and encompassing the pricing range of the Li Auto L9.

In the large extended-range SUV segment, the AITO M8 is well-positioned to compete due to its size being comparable to the Li Auto L9, sharing the same wheelbase and differing in length by just 28mm.

Currently, the AITO M8 is equipped with the HUAWEI ADS3.3 intelligent driving system, supporting functions such as "parking space to parking space," similar to the M9 facelift. Both models will receive a full-lineup upgrade to HUAWEI ADS4 in the third quarter of this year.

In contrast, Li Auto's L series will not see a 2025 model but will introduce an "intelligent driving refreshed version" based on the current model in May. This version will focus on upgrades to intelligent driving hardware while maintaining the same battery, electric drive, exterior, and interior design.

During Li Auto's Q4 2024 earnings call last month, Zou Liangjun, Senior Vice President of Sales and Service, stated that the intelligent driving system would experience a significant boost in capability after being upgraded to the V13 version, which is trained on 10 million clips.

Additionally, Li Auto's first pure electric SUV model, the i8, will be released in July this year. It was unveiled in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's announcement on the same day as the M8's launch. Li Xiang, the company's CEO, posted on social media that evening, "Friends who are in need of a family car, stay tuned for Li Auto's i8."