Before the Wanjie M9 launched, few imagined a Chinese brand electric SUV priced over 500,000 yuan (68570$) could sell over 150,000 units and dominate its price range. The M9 shocked the market, but everyone knows an M8 will bridge the gap between the M7 and M9. The M8 will target consumers seeking high-quality large SUVs with precise positioning. Even before its name was officially confirmed, the M8 sparked discussions. During its pre-sale, it generated a market frenzy, securing 70,000 orders in two weeks. What is its product strength? Why can it become the next bestseller? We will explore the Wanjie M8 from a static perspective to assess its capabilities. The exterior continues the Wanjie DNA.
At first glance, the Wenjie M8 appears to stem from the existing Wenjie design. It maintains a “extreme, pure, minimalist” style but adopts the “Kirin Taha” design language. The vehicle features smooth contours with rounded decorations and geometric lines. This design emphasizes elegance and sophistication. The car comes in six colors: Golden Black, Warm Cloud White, Interstellar Blue, Pastoral Green, Dawn Glow, and Galaxy.
The front design is original. It follows the design language of the Kunpeng family. The closed grille is large and robust. The LED light strip runs across the top of the headlights and grille. The chrome strip measures 1.8 meters long but is only 37 millimeters wide. It features a 6-millimeter light strip embedded within. This “winged light strip” is highly recognizable at night.
The main headlight group features the iconic Nebula integrated design, but with a more regular shape. It includes a combined LED light source with lenses for high and low beams, AFS, and DLP smart headlights. The lower part has a dazzling Nebula light effect with a breathing light feature. The million-pixel smart projection headlights enable interactive functions. They can also display welcome light effects like Qilin crossing the sea, pets at home, and Kunpeng leaping through realms.
The exterior rearview mirror has a sleek design. A matte silver trim decorates the bottom. The camera sits embedded in the base.
The side profile remains steady and robust. The strong shoulder line runs along the entire body. The drag coefficient of 0.259cd stands out among mid-large SUVs. As a standard mid-large family SUV, the Wenjie M8 boasts impressive dimensions: 5190mm long, 1999mm wide, and 1795mm high, with a wheelbase of 3105mm. It offers two seating layouts: five or six seats. The presence is undeniably strong.
The Wenjie M8 features semi-hidden handles. A light touch on the internal switch unlocks the door. Notably, the door lock includes a separate CPM power redundancy module. It also retains a mechanical unlocking structure. A slight pull opens the door easily.
The rear of the new car echoes the design of the front. Its shape is stable and matches the car’s sleek character. The tightened rear window and broad tail create a solid look. The taillight design is simpler. It features the new ISD smart interactive taillight design. The lighting introduces new themes like city landmarks and urban displays. When lit, the visual effect stands out.
The actual model features a robust multi-spoke design. The 20-inch size creates strong visual impact, highlighting the car’s sporty character. The car uses Pirelli’s P ZERO tires, sized 255/50 R20. These tires focus on performance. Interior: The smart cockpit remains.
The Wanjie M8 cabin features a spacious, flat design with a prominent large screen. Its symmetrical layout emphasizes “balanced luxury.” It offers four color options: standard “White Sand Apricot” and “Red Tea Orange,” with optional “Amber Brown” and “Nebula Red.” The cabin includes high-quality leather and silver chrome accents. It uses baby-grade, skin-friendly materials for both health and environmental benefits. The full-color ambient lighting enhances the modern Chinese luxury feel.
The top of the center console features a hollow design. Inside, it houses the HUAWEI SOUND midrange tweeter and a smart component called the “Star Ring Diffuser.” The audio system includes 19 professional-grade units. It debuts the Rock Zero Resonance Door bass and supports ultra-sensory spatial audio. The driver’s headrest comes with 2 built-in speakers.
The 12.3-inch LCD dashboard features a tech style. Its digital multi-information display helps drivers grasp various car data. It also shows a large navigation map.
The car system maintains Huawei’s tradition. HarmonyOS 4 powers the smart cabin. The 15.6-inch central control screen and the 16-inch passenger entertainment screen respond quickly to touch and drag. Users experience smooth operation with no noticeable delay in Gaussian blur processing. The central screen UI keeps a flat card-style design like a smartphone. It now supports split-screen display. The system includes mainstream car functions and vehicle networking, along with a pet care theme.
The system optimizes the control center layout. It offers more customizable areas. The interaction mode is more convenient and secure. It also launches a custom toolbar.
The central control screen integrates the entire air conditioning interface. This setup allows for intuitive adjustments to the cabin climate. It features a smart air management system, which includes air quality control and a PM2.5 monitoring system. Our six-seat version includes a four-zone independent air conditioning system. The front offers dual temperature zones, while the second and third rows have independent temperature control. All six seats can customize temperature and airflow direction.
The three-spoke multifunction steering wheel looks stylish. It uses a large amount of silver chrome and stitching for a premium feel. The buttons at three and nine o’clock are large and well-placed. They feel solid and easy to use.
Driving assistance remains a strong point. The hardware includes an omnidirectional fusion perception system. This system features one top-mounted 192-line LiDAR, one high-precision solid-state LiDAR, a distributed 4D millimeter-wave radar matrix with three units, two 4D millimeter-wave corner radars, eleven high-definition visual perception cameras, and twelve ultrasonic radars. In total, it has thirty perception hardware components. This setup enables full-scene and all-weather perception of dynamic and static targets. It enhances safety in rain, fog, and dust. It also improves recognition of backward floating objects and negative scenarios.
The Xiao Yi smart assistant has upgraded. It now features an AI model. It relies on the Pangu model and the DeepSeek model. This makes it more comprehensive to use.
The Wenjie M8 adds the Drive ONE logo in the armrest area. It lacks the crystal knob. Instead, it features a larger storage compartment with a cover. This design makes it easier to store personal items. The space remains very executive.
The front seats of the new car are wide and comfortable. The perforated stitching design exudes a sense of luxury. The headrests include soft padding, and the shoulder area provides support. The overall shape reflects extensive research on human samples. Functionally, both front seats support electric memory adjustment, ventilation, heating, and massage features. The car offers high comfort levels in its seating configuration.
The second row seats match the front row’s design. They feature contours and extended cushions for better thigh support, unlike the flat seats common in many cars. Our six-seat model offers an interior length of 3510mm, with a “usable area ratio” of 67.6%. The front row provides 935mm of space. The second row offers 900mm. The third row has 840mm. The trunk depth measures 573mm.
The high-end six-seat version features new Zero Gravity Seats 3.0 on the right side of the second row. With one button, the seats expand to create a 121° lumbar zero-pressure angle and a zero-pressure angle for the legs. They include heating, ventilation, and massage functions. The seats also have adaptive armrests and four-way leg supports, making them very comfortable. Even the standard seats have upgraded with dual hidden slide rails and screw-type floor tracks. They produce less noise and move more smoothly during adjustments.
The Wenjie M8 has controls in the third row. Passengers can adjust the seatback angle. It also supports heating. Such features are rare.
The Wenjie M8 features a conventional front sunroof and a large rear skylight. It includes a full-coverage sunshade. The design uses a hidden single hook. It achieves over 98% shading and a 93% sun protection rate with high-density mesh.
The Wenjie M8 offers 41 storage spaces throughout the vehicle. It features several specially designed compartments with limits. Passengers can store personal items easily. This design better meets their storage needs.
The compressor vehicle cooler and warmer has a volume of 7.3L. It cools from 0 to 15℃. It heats across a range of 35 to 50℃.
The trunk opening of the Wanjie M8 sits low. This design makes it easy to access items. The trunk offers ample space with a neat shape. It has a regular capacity of 353 liters, which is more than enough for daily use. The third-row seats fold down in a split ratio. When both the second and third rows fold flat, the backrests align with the trunk floor. This expands the capacity to 1,284 liters. Additionally, there is a hidden compartment with 39 liters of space. Moving small items is not a problem.
The Wenjie M8 features a 1.5T range extender across all models. The range extender delivers a maximum power of 118 kW. The front motor produces 165 kW, while the rear motor generates 227 kW. The total system power reaches 392 kW.
The Wenjie M8 range-extended Max version features a 37 kWh battery. It offers a pure electric range of 201 kilometers under CLTC conditions. The range-extended Max+ and Ultra versions come with a 53.4 kWh battery, providing a pure electric range of 310 kilometers. Their CLTC comprehensive ranges are 1405 km and 1526 km, with a fuel consumption of 6.6 L/100 km when the battery is depleted. Edit Summary: Is the Wenjie M8 the “youth version of the M9” as some say? Clearly not. The M8 excels in presence, space, and smart experience, even gaining an advantage in certain details. To me, the M8 and M9 serve as dual flagships targeting family and business, with distinct roles. After all, its market focus is clear on its poster: “Family Smart Flagship SUV.”