• China will soon launch its own interpretation of a Maybach, the Huawei-backed Maextro S800.
• It will become China’s largest sedan and one of the country’s most expensive vehicles at around $200,000.
• Pure electric and range-extended versions will be offered.

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There is a huge variety of Chinese electric cars these days, including tiny city cars, sedans, hatches, and crossovers, as well as some truly fancy high-end luxury models. One of them is the Maextro S800, a range extender or pure electric luxury sedan aimed squarely at the Maybach version of the current Mercedes S-Class. That’s a big target; can this newcomer really pull it off?

The Maextro S800 is the product of a Huawei and JAC collaboration, and it’s the first car to bear the Maextro name. The car was released in China last week.

Huawei intends to release more cars, mirroring what another smartphone giant, Xiaomi, is doing. In the promotional videos, Huawei suggests that the S800 is a superior offering to the top-of-the-range version of the S-Class, and it has some pretty unique features to back that up.

Just like an S-Class, the S800 features rear-wheel steering, which makes this 216-inch (5.48-meter) sedan feel smaller and more maneuverable in tight spaces. However, the S-Class can’t crab walk at up to 16 degrees like the S800—this is an unheard-of feature in a luxury sedan, usually only reserved for more off-road-oriented vehicles to make them even more capable over rough terrain or help them avoid obstacles.

Photo by: Huawei

Photo by: Huawei

Photo by: Huawei

Another Chinese EV, the Denza D9 GT, also offers this feature, touting it as the solution for fitting the car into tight parking spaces.

The car is capable of Level 3 (drivers can take their hands off the wheel under certain conditions) semi-autonomous driving thanks to an array of 32 sensors, which includes Lidar. Its headlights also adjust in real-time not just to not dazzle oncoming cars but also to highlight pedestrians or other road users. Occupants breathe clean air that’s passed through two sets of filters before it reaches the cabin, although it doesn’t have an ionization function like in some other high-end cars.

The pure electric version of the S800 has a standard three-motor configuration, which has a total system output of 852 horsepower. The S800 EREV has a dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration with 523 hp, but buyers will be able to upgrade to the same tri-motor setup as the BEV variant.

We don’t know the EV’s battery capacity or official claimed range, but the manufacturer has revealed that the range extender variant will have a 65-kilowatt-hour battery, which is good for a claimed CLTC range of between 169 and 230 miles (272 and 371 kilometers). Like the Chinese test cycle, that seems wildly optimistic for a vehicle that in EREV configuration weighs almost 6,400 pounds (2.9 tons) with its 1.5-liter turbocharged engine used as a generator adding to the weight.

The BEV version is lighter by about 220 lbs (100 kg), so it should also be the quicker of the two. It charges slower than the EREV, which has a peak charging power of 390 kilowatts, enough for the 10 to 80% charge to happen in just 10.5 minutes.

From a design standpoint, the S800 makes its intentions pretty clear. The two-tone paint almost makes it look like a Maybach, as does the design of its wheels. So far, it looks pretty good, but we still haven’t seen its interior, and some technical details are still kept under wraps since it’s not expected to make its official debut in China until May.

It will have a projected starting price equivalent to between $135,000 and over $200,000 depending on the version and options, suitable for what will become China’s largest and most luxurious sedan. At that price, it really needs to be Maybach-good, and what we want to know is how they plan to outdo the established luxury cars for rear seat comfort, gadgets, and configurability. After all, this is even more important in China than it is in Europe or the United States.