Huawei and JAC refresh the flagship Maextro S800 for 2026

The first edition of Maextro S800 hit the streets back in 2025, and now - only a few months later, a fresh update brings some interesting changes. The big news for the 2026 model is the improved drivetrain.

The S800 is an "extended-range" electric vehicle, or EREV, and it uses its battery and electric motors to drive the wheels, but keeps a small gasoline engine as a generator. When the battery gets low, the engine turns on to recharge it. For 2026, Huawei bumped the power of this generator from 125 kW to 127 kW. It is a small jump, but it helps keep the car's battery topped up more efficiently.

If you like choices, this car has plenty. You can get it with either two or three electric motors. The dual-motor version has a 160 kW (215 hp) motor in the front and a 230 kW (308 hp) motor in the back. But the triple-motor version is where things get serious. It keeps the same front motor but adds two separate motors in the back, each pumping out 237.5 kW (318 hp). The S800 is a heavy beast - it weighs 7,209 lb, but with all those motors, it moves with the grace of a private jet.

Size is another area where the Maextro S800 stands out. It measures 215.7 inches in length and is 79 inches wide. It has a massive wheelbase of 132.7 inches, which means there is a huge amount of room for passengers in the back. Interestingly, the updated version is 0.24 inches lower than before, sitting at 60.5 inches.

Inside, the tech is what you would expect from Huawei. The car features a 76-inch head-up display that projects information onto the windshield. It also has a sound system with 43 speakers. There are even crystals used for the controls and a ceiling that looks like a starry night sky.

The 2026 Maextro S800 uses a 63.262 kWh battery - a tiny bit smaller than the old 65 kWh battery, but it still offers decent range. On pure electricity, the dual-motor version can go between 160 miles and 168 miles. The triple-motor version actually does better in some tests, reaching between 188 miles and 196 miles. When the battery runs low, the gas engine kicks in, and the fuel consumption is impressively low - only 0.15 to 0.18 liters for every 62 miles driven.

Luxury like this does not come cheap. The price for the Maextro S800 starts at RMB 708,000 ($102,000) and can go all the way up to RMB 1,018,000 ($146,700). That is a lot of money, but it is still less than what many people pay for a top-of-the-line Mercedes or a Bentley. Huawei is betting that wealthy buyers will choose high-tech gadgets and smooth electric power over old-school heritage.

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