China’s ultra-luxury sedan market is looking increasingly unfamiliar. The Huawei and JAC-backed Maextro S800 recorded 1,142 sales in April 2026 in the segment for vehicles priced above 700,000 yuan (around €93,000), according to ECC Intelligence data, comfortably holding first place ahead of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class at 736 units and the Porsche Panamera at 616.
The BMW 7 Series and i7 combined fell to fifth place with just 436 sales, a notable drop from January when BMW ranked second in the same segment. The Audi A8 followed in sixth with 260 units.
| Rank | Model | April 2026 Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maextro S800 | 1,142 |
| 2 | Mercedes-Maybach S-Class | 736 |
| 3 | Porsche Panamera | 616 |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | 521 |
| 5 | BMW 7 Series / i7 | 436 |
| 6 | Audi A8 | 260 |
| 7 | Nio ET9 | 136 |
| 8 | Yangwang U7 | 75 |
| 9 | Porsche Taycan | 18 |
Looking at the cumulative January to April 2026 picture, the S800’s lead becomes even clearer. With 5,465 sales over those four months, it is more than 2,400 units ahead of the second-placed Mercedes-Maybach S-Class at 3,012 units. BMW 7 Series and i7 combined sit third with 2,976 units, followed by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class at 2,596 units.
The April result was itself a recovery for the S800, whose monthly sales had dipped in February (922 units) and March (783 units) after a strong 2,798-unit January. The 45.9% month-on-month rebound in April brings the model back toward its late 2025 trajectory, when it recorded 4,223 sales in December 2025 and 2,205 in November.
The broader backdrop for European brands in China is not encouraging. BMW Group’s China deliveries fell 10% year on year to 143,958 vehicles in Q1 2026, while Mercedes-Benz dropped 27% to 111,600 units. Audi reported similarly lower figures, with A6L sales down 9% year on year in March.
Maextro S800
The Maextro S800 is a joint project between Huawei and JAC Motors under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance framework, the same structure behind the Aito and Luxeed brands. The S800 is available in battery-electric and extended-range electric configurations, with the flagship Yaoguang edition priced above one million yuan. If you want to understand how Huawei’s automotive ecosystem works and what distinguishes its HIMA model from conventional car company partnerships, I covered it in detail in this explainer on Huawei’s HIMA strategy.
For European readers, the S800 is not currently available in Europe. But the direction of travel in the ultra-luxury segment in China is worth paying attention to: the same market that took Chinese brands from curiosity to dominance in mass-market EVs is now seeing the same shift play out at the very top of the price spectrum. I covered which electric cars are currently available in Europe above €100,000 in this overview of ultra-luxury EVs in Europe, and for now the S800 is not among them. Whether that changes is one of the more interesting questions in the premium EV space.
FAQ
What is the Maextro S800?
The Maextro S800 is an ultra-luxury electric sedan developed jointly by Huawei and JAC Motors under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) framework. It entered the Chinese market in 2025 as the brand’s first production vehicle and is available in both battery-electric and extended-range electric configurations. The flagship Yaoguang edition is priced above one million yuan.
How does the Maextro S800 compare to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in China?
In April 2026, the S800 outsold the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class by a significant margin, recording 1,142 units versus 736 for the Maybach. Over the January to April 2026 period, the S800 accumulated 5,465 sales compared to the Maybach’s 3,012, giving it a lead of more than 2,400 units in China’s above-700,000-yuan sedan segment.
Is the Maextro S800 available in Europe?
No, the Maextro S800 is not currently available in Europe. It is sold exclusively in the Chinese market. There has been no official announcement of a European launch.
What is the Huawei HIMA model and how does it work?
HIMA stands for Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, Huawei’s framework for partnering with established Chinese automakers to produce vehicles incorporating Huawei’s technology stack, including its HarmonyOS infotainment system, DriveONE electric drivetrain, and ADS advanced driver assistance system. Huawei does not manufacture cars itself but contributes the software, connectivity and driving intelligence that define the product.
Featured Image Source: Maextro
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