Maextro S800 Grand Design Takes China’s Flagship Sedan Into Ultra-Luxury Territory

Maextro is already competing at the top end of China’s luxury market, but the new S800 Grand Design moves the brand even closer to the world of Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Created by Huawei and JAC’s ultra-premium joint venture, the special version adds richer detailing, more advanced electronics and a more exclusive visual identity to the S800 flagship sedan.

The standard Maextro S800 is not a small or understated car. It measures 5,480 mm long and rides on a 3,370 mm wheelbase, giving it the proportions of a chauffeur-focused luxury sedan. The Grand Design version builds on that presence with a new two-tone exterior combining deep blue-green and light silver.

Gold is the key visual theme. Maextro has applied gold accents to the hood ornament, disc-style wheels, body stripes, rear badging and exterior lettering. The result is intentionally more ceremonial and status-focused than the regular S800.

The cabin has not been fully shown yet, but the Grand Design is expected to keep the four-seat layout centered around rear passenger comfort. The regular S800 already offers a triple-screen dashboard, zero-gravity rear seats, a retractable laser projection screen and a 43-speaker Huawei audio system, so the new version will likely focus on even richer trim and more exclusive detailing.

Technology is where the Grand Design becomes more than a styling package. The sedan gains a roof-mounted 896-line LiDAR unit and an additional camera integrated into the B-pillar. This hardware points to Huawei’s newer Qiankun ADS 5.0 driver-assistance system, replacing the ADS 4.1 setup used on current versions.

Powertrain choices are expected to mirror the regular S800. The fully electric model uses a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system producing 523 hp, paired with a 97 kWh battery. The range-extender version combines a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with three electric motors and a 63 kWh battery.

The Maextro S800 Grand Design is expected to reach Chinese dealers in June. Pricing has not been officially announced, but Huawei executive Richard Yu previously suggested a figure close to ¥2 million, or more than $294,000.

That makes it far more expensive than the standard S800, which starts from ¥708,000, but still dramatically cheaper than a Rolls-Royce Ghost in China, where prices begin around ¥5.03 million.

The timing is logical. The S800 has become one of China’s strongest domestic luxury sedans, leading the market above ¥700,000 for eight straight months and passing 17,000 cumulative deliveries. With the Grand Design, Maextro is now trying to prove that a Chinese flagship can compete not only on technology, but also on exclusivity and prestige.