Written by Akimoto Yukiko
Chinese automaker Aito said on Wednesday that cumulative deliveries of its M7 SUV crossed 190,000 units this year. The Shenzhen-headquartered brand claimed in a social media post that its SUV has maintained its position as the top-selling model among China’s emerging automakers for 12 consecutive months.
Aito, which is backed by the tech giant Huawei and China’s Seres Group, is currently offering incentives worth up to 42,800 yuan ($5,900) for new customers placing orders until early January.
The SUV is Aito’s second model and it was first launched in July 2022 with three variants, priced between 319,800 yuan ($43,900) and 379,800 yuan ($52,100).
In late September 2023, the updated Aito M7 was released with a lower starting price of 249,800 yuan ($34,300) and substantial feature improvements. The new model saw strong sales, with over 60,000 orders in its first month, 90,000 deliveries within 64 days, and 130,000 deliveries within four months.Â
In May 2024, the Ultra variant of the model was launched, featuring Huawei’s advanced intelligent driving system across all trims and significant upgrades to the chassis and seating, offering a driving experience comparable to the premium Aito M9.
Despite a price increase compared to the 2023 version, the Ultra proved highly popular, achieving over 30,000 deliveries in just 50 days—breaking the record previously held by the Li Auto L6, which reached the same milestone in 64 days.
In August 2024, the Aito M7 Pro variant was launched. The Pro model replaced LiDAR with Huawei’s vision-based intelligent driving system across all trims and adopted CATL’s LFP battery. Other improvements were on par with the Ultra version, while the starting price was reduced by 40,000 yuan ($5,500), returning to 249,800 yuan ($ 34,300).Â
In each of its 3 factories in Chongqing, AITO has over 3,000 robots allowing the company to be fully automated in key processes. The company claims it was the first to adopt a 10,000-ton-level die-casting unit in its factory to guarantee “efficient, lightweight, and safe” production.
Written by Akimoto Yukiko
