2026 World Motor Show: AITO has big plans for Europe, but the hardest part remains
AITO took advantage of the Auto Show to announce its arrival in Europe in autumn 2027. But behind this display of strength, the premium brand of China’s Seres group still has a long way to go to adapt its lineup for the Old Continent.
Just a few dozen meters from the Mercedes booth, AITO’s stand was impossible to miss. Giant screens, carefully crafted displays, and a well-arranged range of SUVs: the Chinese brand went all out to impress visitors at the show. Already present in Paris in 2024 and Munich in 2025, it took another step forward this time by announcing a European launch date: autumn 2027.
Who is AITO?
Founded in December 2021, AITO (short for “Adding Intelligence to Auto”) is the luxury brand of China’s Seres group. Developed in China in partnership with Huawei, it claims to be the first Chinese luxury brand in its home market, having delivered over one million vehicles in 46 months.
Four SUVs, ranging from 4.96 to 5.29 meters
At the exhibition booth, AITO displayed its entire lineup: the AITO 6, 7, 8, and 9 models, which are sold in China under the names M6, M7, M8, and M9. There are four SUV options available in either all-electric form or with range extender technology (REEV), where a thermal engine acts as a generator to recharge the battery.
The AITO 9, shown in the gallery above (and the short video below), effectively illustrates the extravagance of Chinese automakers. As the brand’s flagship, this large SUV measures 5.29 meters long and claims 497 kW of power, equivalent to 676 horsepower, achieving 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. It features an 800-volt active suspension, rear-wheel steering, and a 32-inch projection screen at the back.
The AITO 8 (5.19 meters) and AITO 7 (5.08 meters) also target the large family SUV market, offering five or six seats depending on the version.
AITO 6
AITO 7
AITO 8
AITO 9
Length
4.96 m
5.08 m
5.19 m
5.29 m
Wheelbase
2.95 m
3.03 m
3.11 m
3.13 m
Seats
5
5 or 6
5 or 6
5 or 6
Max Power
340 kW (EV)
345 kW (REEV)
387 kW (EV)
392 kW (REEV)
392 kW
497 kW
0 to 100 km/h
5.2 s
4.7 s (EV)
5.1 s (REEV)
4.8 s (EV)
5.2 s (REEV)
4.6 s
AITO 6: The most European of the bunch
In this XXL-sized lineup designed for Chinese families, the AITO 6 seems best equipped to handle European roads. It occupies a segment similar to the Tesla Model Y, but with a larger size: 4.96 meters in length compared to 4.79 meters for the American model.
In electric version, it delivers 340 kW and 512 Nm of torque, while the range-extender version offers 345 kW and 478 Nm of torque, both achieving a 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.2 seconds. Regarding the battery, the manufacturer specifies 100 kWh for the electric version and 56 kWh for the range-extender variant.
In terms of practicality, the electric version features a powered front trunk with a capacity of about 200 liters, along with a two-level trunk whose capacity is quite limited considering the vehicle’s size. Inside, there is a sliding central screen that can pivot toward the driver or passenger, a 21-speaker audio system, and a connected cooler. As is typical of Chinese luxury vehicles, the finish is exceptionally meticulous.
A still very Chinese lineup
The manufacturer admits it itself: the vehicles displayed in Paris are Chinese models. Their features may therefore evolve for the European market. The task is enormous. AITO is still working to obtain European approval and aims for five stars in the 2026 Euro NCAP test across its entire lineup. The manufacturer also commits to complying with GDPR for data protection, a potential point of tension with Brussels given Huawei’s involvement.
Without Huawei, part of the work must be redone
The challenge for AITO is that it will need to revise a large portion of its version for Europe. In China, AITO’s success relies heavily on Huawei. The tech giant provides all the ADAS systems as well as the HarmonyOS interface for the vehicles displayed at the auto show. These technologies will not be included in European models due to regulatory reasons.
Huawei is indeed under Brussels’ scrutiny. Since 2020, the European Union has urged its member states to limit reliance on so-called “high-risk” suppliers in their 5G networks. In January 2026, the Commission proposed going further as part of the Cybersecurity Act revision, aiming to gradually phase out components from these suppliers in eighteen critical sectors, including connected and autonomous vehicles. Therefore, offering a car controlled by Huawei software in Europe would be a risky move for AITO. Since mid-September, the Seres group has taken over all aspects of design, distribution, and after-sales service. Huawei thus becomes merely a supplier for the brand it once helped create.
As a sign of this repositioning, Huawei’s name does not appear anywhere in the Mondial press materials. The brand highlights the “Seres MF platform” and mentions “partners” to tailor its driving and parking assistance features. In fact, Seres took over the design, marketing, and distribution of AITO in September, with Huawei assuming a supporting role.
In practice, much of the onboard electronics and user interface will need to be redesigned for Europe. This poses a risk of falling short compared to the Chinese tech giant, whose expertise in software and driver assistance is precisely one of its main strengths in China.
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Autumn 2027: An Ambitious Calendar
Given the path ahead, the 2027 autumn deadline seems highly ambitious. Bringing an entire range up to European standards doesn’t happen overnight. And that’s only part of the work: teams also need to be established in Europe—at the exhibition, a large portion of the staff were Chinese—and a proper distribution and after-sales network must be built, along with the necessary financial resources. A year before the deadline, AITO has not announced any prices, launch countries, or distribution partners. The same goes for the models and versions it plans to introduce in Europe. To put it plainly, we are highly skeptical, especially since AITO is entering a market where its Chinese competitors are becoming increasingly established.
It is therefore better to take the time to properly prepare for entering the French market to avoid facing the same fate as Seres. Launched in France in 2021 with the Seres 3, this Chinese brand never managed to establish itself and quickly disappeared from French showrooms.
