Yu Chengdong First Publicly Responds: Huawei Supports Seres Taking Lead on AITO

Huawei Vice Chairman Yu Chengdong made his first public comments on the evolving partnership with Seres over the AITO brand, confirming that Huawei supports Seres' move to take greater control.

Speaking at a Honghu (HarmonyOS) Alliance retail store in Hefei on September 24, Yu said: "After years of cooperation, Seres has grown significantly in capability, and they proactively proposed they want to take things into their own hands — we support them." The remarks mark the first time a senior Huawei executive has publicly addressed the rumored reshuffling of the AITO partnership.

Maextro: The Ultimate Flagship SUV

Yu gave the most detailed preview of Maextro's upcoming large ultra-luxury SUV, which is scheduled for launch in early next year. Having recently attended a pre-production review at the JAC Motors facility, Yu said the vehicle's pricing is "very sincere" and used three superlatives to describe it: "the ultimate car for premium users, the ultimate SUV you'd drive yourself, and the ultimate SUV period."

He dismissed online spy shots, saying the final design "is far more premium than what has been leaked." Yu hinted the model could be unveiled as early as this year's Guangzhou Auto Show, with deliveries expected in February or March next year.

Updates Across the HarmonyOS Alliance

On Stelato, Yu noted that the G9's first deliveries began in Beijing the previous day and stressed that handover was only the beginning — he said he would continue personally monitoring user experience. He also called the upcoming Stelato V8 "the next family hit."

For Luxeed, two major new models launch next week. Yu called the Luxeed RX "the best-handling vehicle HarmonyOS Alliance has ever produced," and said the refreshed Luxeed R7 is now arriving at showrooms with upgraded ambient lighting details.

Regarding Shangjie, Huawei's partnership with SAIC Motor continues to deepen. SAIC has assembled a dedicated team of over 5,000 people and upgraded its Jinqiao Shangjie facility. Yu previewed that Shangjie's next model will be a mid-to-large family SUV.

AITO: Huawei Still Leading Current Models

Addressing the AITO brand directly, Yu confirmed that new AITO models launching this year are still being led by Huawei's design and product teams. In a separate social media post, he acknowledged that the product, design and marketing teams had been running at full capacity for years, and that the shift would allow resources to concentrate on Maextro, Stelato, Luxeed and Shangjie — enabling each brand to receive more focused attention.

"No matter which 'Jie' (brand) a user chooses, we hope the car serves them well for years to come," Yu wrote.