Dongfeng Motor's premium electric off-road brand M-Hero has officially launched the M817 off-road SUV (sport utility vehicle), another model that extensively utilizes Huawei technologies.
M-Hero rolled out the hybrid model at an event yesterday, offering two options -- Pro and Max -- with starting prices of RMB 319,900 ($44,540) and RMB 349,900, respectively.
This represents a reduction of RMB 10,000, or 3.03 percent, from the pre-sales starting price of RMB 329,900.
The M817 is a hard-core off-road SUV with a width, height, and length of 5,100 mm, 1,998 mm, and 1,899/1,919 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 3,005 mm.
The five-seat model's hybrid system includes a 1.5 L engine and dual electric motors. The system has a maximum power of 505 kW (687 horsepower) and a maximum torque of 848 Nm.
With this powertrain, the M817 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds.
The M817 is equipped with a 31.7-kWh battery pack, providing a battery range of 140 kilometers. With a full tank of fuel and a fully charged battery, its combined range reaches 1,300 kilometers.
Among the main selling points of the model are Huawei's latest ADS 4 assisted driving system and HarmonySpace 5 cabin system.
The M817 will compete with SUV models such as the Bao 8 from BYD's sub-brand Fang Cheng Bao and the Tank 500 from GWM.
The Bao 8 was launched in November 2024 and is also equipped with Huawei's driver assistance system, with a starting price of RMB 379,800.
GWM's Tank brand began pre-sales of the updated Tank 500 on August 11, offering two variants: the Tank 500 Hi4-T and Tank 500 Hi4-Z, with pre-sales prices of RMB 360,000 and RMB 388,800, respectively.
M-Hero is a brand officially launched by Dongfeng on August 27, 2022, alongside two concept vehicles, the M-Terrain and M-Terrain S.
In August 2023, the first M-Hero model, the M-917, was launched in China, offering extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) versions.
Currently, the starting prices for these two versions in China are RMB 637,700 and RMB 697,700, respectively.
In February 2024, Huawei and M-Hero entered into a strategic partnership. The two parties would collaborate to advance the commercialization of Huawei's intelligent automotive solutions, aiming to position M-Hero as a leader in shaping China's luxury electric off-road vehicle culture, Huawei said at the time.
($1 = RMB 7.1827)
