Huawei and JAC’s Maextro has unveiled its second model, the Maextro V800 luxury minivan, and it is pitched squarely at the same wealthy buyers who shop for a Lexus LM or a Toyota Alphard with delusions of grandeur. This luxury minivan has a two-tone body, a very busy face, a cabin trimmed like a mobile lounge, and a hybrid powertrain that puts out 530 hp.
The timing is hardly subtle. China’s premium MPV segment has become a showcase for brands that want to sell status as much as transport, and Maextro is clearly trying to skip a few rungs by borrowing cues from its own flagship sedan while stacking on the sort of theatrical details that usually win social media before they win customers.
Maextro V800 design and cabin details
The V800 follows the same visual language as the Maextro S800 sedan, but stretched into minivan form. It gets dual-level LED lighting, a two-tone paint scheme, plenty of chrome, and rear lamps made up of thousands of tiny LEDs that can show different images and animations. That is not exactly understated, but understatement was never the brief here.
Inside, the V800 seats seven in a 2+2+3 layout. Maextro says the cabin uses premium leather and crystal decorative accents, plus a panoramic roof with a ”starry sky” lighting effect lifted from the Rolls-Royce playbook. In a market where luxury MPVs are often judged by second-row comfort and first-glance theater, those flourishes do a lot of the talking.
Hybrid power and driving range
The hardware is less decorative and more serious. Maextro’s hybrid setup pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 173 hp, two electric motors with a combined output of 530 hp, and a 63.2 kWh battery. Claimed electric range is 275 km, while total range exceeds 1,200 km.
- Engine: 1.5-liter turbo, 173 hp
- Electric motors: 530 hp combined
- Battery: 63.2 kWh
- Electric range: 275 km
- Total range: more than 1,200 km
Price expectations and Lexus LM rival
Maextro has not announced official pricing or a sales start date yet. Chinese media expect the V800 to cost more than the Maextro S800 sedan, which is sold in China from 708,000 yuan, about 7.5 million rubles. That would place it in rarefied territory, but the whole point of this segment is that buyers are paying for exclusivity first and practicality second.
Its clearest rival is the Lexus LM, itself a luxury take on the Toyota Alphard formula. Maextro is betting that flashy lighting, a richer cabin spec and a big hybrid system will give it enough punch to pull attention away from the established Japanese nameplate. The real question is whether the badge is still the hardest part to beat, or whether China’s premium brands are finally getting close enough to make the comparison uncomfortable.