Stelato emerges from a new joint venture between tech giant Huawei and Chinese automaker BAIC, and the S9 is its very first product. This large sedan, available in both pure battery electric and range-extender EV variants, made an early entrance at the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), flaunting familiar styling and unveiling the majority of its technical specifications.
As part of their HIMA project, Huawei has
formed a number of joint ventures with different Chinese automakers, including
AITO (Seres), Luxeed (Chery), Stelato (BAIC), and the upcoming Aojie (JAC).
This explains the noticeable similarities between the Stelato S9 and the Luxeed
S7.
The similarities between the two sedans
are striking, suggesting they were designed by the same team and could easily
be confused as products of the same brand due to their shared styling traits.
However, there are differences in size, as well as slight variations in
lighting units and unique badging. Nevertheless, we’ll forgive you for finding
similarities with basically dozens of other Chinese sedans of this size these
days, not to mention that very Lincoln Continental-like backend. The Stelato S9
measures 5,160 mm in length, 1,987 mm in width,
and 1,486 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,050 mm. This renders it 189 mm longer than th Luxeed S7, with an
additional 100 mm between the axles.
Compared to EVs from other brands, the
Stelato S9 is 180 mm longer than the Tesla Model S but 63 mm shorter than the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan and 231 mm (9.1 inches)
shorter than the BMW i7. The Stelato S9 will be available with fully electric
and range-extender powertrain options, utilizing Huawei-sourced electric motors
and CATL-sourced batteries. The flagship trim boasts dual electric motors
producing 304 hp and 212 hp. It’s safe to
assume that the sedan will inherit the latest evolution of infotainment,
connectivity, and safety features from Huawei. The photos reveal a roof-mounted
Lidar, additional ADAS sensors on the front, side, and rear, along with a set
of optional mirror-replacing cameras.
The public debut of the Stelato S9 is
expected to take place at the Beijing Auto Show in April. According to Chinese
media reports, the market launch will follow in June, with prices ranging
between ¥ 300,000-500,000 (US$ 42,000 to US$ 70,000). Alongside its initial rollout in China, BAIC aims to export the Stelato
S9 to other markets across Asia and Europe.
