There’s a saying “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” to better understand another person’s perspective and experiences before judging them.
I didn’t walk a mile, but rather I drove many miles in Aito’s flagship M9 full-size SUV to better understand and experience it. The M9 officially hit the Chinese market in late 2023 and made its Philippine debut at MIAS last April.
A recalibration of the senses
The Aito M9 is a vehicle that demands a recalibration of one’s perspective of a car. You need both that mental and seat-of-the-pants recalibration when you jump from a nimble Honda Brio to a fast Toyota GR Yaris to a downright brutal Porsche 911 GT3 RS. You immediately experience the relativeness of the word “quick” with those three cars—and it can be rather disorienting.
Ditto when it comes to luxury. You still need that recalibration, especially when you talk about a Chinese car that costs as much, as or even more than, a Mercedes or BMW.
Pricing
The Aito M9 is a 3-row 6-seater luxury SUV that starts at P5,757,000 (for the RE-EV Max) and tops out at P6,557,000 for the fully electric EV Ultra. I tested the midrange model—the range-extended plug-in-hybrid RE-EV Ultra—which is priced at P6,357,000.
Even for those familiar with the likes of MG, BYD, Chery and Geely (all of which compete against mass market brands from Japan, Korea, and the US), the pricing of the Aito M9 demands a recalibration of expectations.
And this is where my 30 years of being an automotive journalist helps me. I’ve driven every car from every carmaking country and have been to their factories and HQs in Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, UK, and even Sweden and India—which helps me place just about any brand of car in its proper perspective.
The all-wheel drive Aito M9 isn’t trying to be a Porsche Cayenne sports SUV, even with its generous 490hp and 675Nm of torque from its dual (front and rear) electric motors. The M9 is more a luxury tourer along the lines of a Toyota Land Cruiser 300/Lexus LX, Nissan Patrol, Ford Explorer/Expedition, Audi Q7/Q8, BMW X5/X7, Mercedes GLS, Land Rover Defender and Range Rover. (I’m talking about luxury cruising here, not off-roading capabilities.)
Price-wise, its closer to the Japanese and American brands, but in terms of sheer luxury, space, opulence, and comfort, it’s right up there with the European luxury brands (plus Lexus). The Aito M9 even has the sheer size and road presence of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan—and I’ve driven and ridden a Cullinan both in Manila and in the UK.
A fuel-efficient Learjet on wheels
I drove the Aito M9 from Quezon City to Clark, Pampanga early July and also in its hometown in Chongqing, China the week after. My impressions? It absolutely delivers in the luxury/space/comfort equation. The interior aesthetics, materials (genuine Nappa leather), and craftsmanship will make you feel like you’re in a Bentley. The space (long 3,110mm wheelbase) will make you feel like you’re in a large German SUV. And the surreal silence (a whisper-like 60.8 dBA at 120 km/h) and sheer riding comfort (thanks to the air suspension) will make you feel you’re in a Rolls-Royce. The Aito M9 even has the seriously quick acceleration of a high-performance SUV—0-100 in 4.9 seconds.
Driving range? Up to 1,474 kms (CLTC) with a full charge and full tank (for the M9’s 1.5L turbo gasoline engine, which functions as a generator to charge the battery).
Cutting-edge autonomous tech
It’s a rewarding vehicle, whether you’re the driver or a passenger. It’s effortless to drive. Bulky size hard to park? Its self-parking capability for both parallel and perpendicular parking makes it a non-issue. We tried its autonomous self-parking (with no driver behind the wheel) and it parked by itself perfectly. We even tried its autonomous driving capabilities in Chongqing where the car drove straight, negotiated curves, braked for turns, and accelerated up inclines by itself while my hands and feet were off the wheel and pedals and I was taking photos. Amazing! (The system does remind you to place your hands on the wheel and foot prepped on the brake pedal every 30 seconds or so.)
Triple high-definition screens that span the full width of the dashboard serve as superb instrument and infotainment displays for both driver and front passenger.
Feature-packed, ultra-lux cabin
There are cooling and massage functions for the front- and middle-row seats (it has 2+2+2 seating with power adjustments for all seats). With the power-retractable leg rests and the fully reclining seatback for the 14-way adjustable rear captain’s seats, you can have an almost horizontal laying position. There is even a cooler box accessible for the rear passengers. There are 25(!) Huawei Sound speakers (including two headrest-mounted speakers) spread around the interior delivering 2,080W of superb 7.1 Surround Sound.
State-of-the-art safety and solidity
Safety? The M9 has 9 airbags that cocoon the cabin in a collision (and even has an airbag to separate the driver and passenger so their bodies don’t collide) as well as a full suite of the latest generation ADAS features working with numerous HD and surround-view cameras on the vehicle exterior abetted with roof LIDAR, millimeter-Wave radar, and ultrasonic radar for continuous, accurate, real-time monitoring of road and driving conditions. The reason the Aito M9 feels so solid is that its aluminum and steel chassis/body is made with 9,800-ton die-casting and 2,000 Mpa hot-formed steel. It achieved a rare “super” 5-star C‑NCAP safety rating of 93.9%—the highest ever.
Sales? Aito may be a new name in the Philippines, but when the M9 was launched in China in 2023, it received over 60,000 global orders in just 86 days. The model has been so successful that when Aito launched the slightly smaller M8 at the Shanghai Auto Show three months ago, it received 80,000 global orders in 30 days. Aito has sold a total of 660,000 M5, M7 and M9 vehicles since its founding in 2021.
Seres Aito Super Factory Tour
Adding more insight to this amazing vehicle was the plant tour we took in Chongqing two weeks ago. I thought using “Super” in the name seemed a bit presumptuous—until we entered the 1 million-square meter manufacturing/assembly plant. Imagine three Megamall (buildings A and B) put together. That’s how long the factory is. Now imagine it’s a square instead of a long and narrow rectangle. That’s how wide the factory is. And there are stunningly few human workers—just hundreds of robots effortlessly and seamlessly putting together hundreds of cars per day. And the whole place is spotlessly clean (it uses global Green Manufacturing Technology and Green Waste Management standards).
All things considered, the AITO M9 stakes its claim as a tech-laden luxury SUV bristling with features. More impressively, it feels thoroughly developed in every aspect, particularly in its on-road performance. Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to come up with a stylish design and dump all manner of features and technologies into a new car. But the driving experience often leaves something to be desired, i.e. too soft suspension, sluggish transmission, etc. But the Aito M9 is polished and refined to all your senses.
Who would buy an Aito M9? It could be someone moving up from a P4-5 million large SUV from a mass market brand or someone who has already owned SUVs from Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, or BMW and is intrigued with the notion of a full-size high-end Chinese SUV with ultra-luxury features and technology.
Either way, he or she won’t be “settling,” That’s for sure.
Photos by Manny de los Reyes
