Bigger Than a Tahoe, Loaded With Huawei Tech, Priced From $44,500, Meet the Epicland X9

Epicland opened pre-sales for the X9 at a launch event in Chengdu on August 18, offering three range-extended trims from 299,800 to 379,800 yuan with deliveries planned for this quarter and actor Aaron Kwok as global ambassador. The flagship is built at Dongfeng's Epicland plant in Chengdu, a facility that used to be a Peugeot-Citroen factory.

On driver assistance, Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5 Max is standard across the range, fed by one 896-line dual-optical-path imaging lidar, three solid-state lidars, five 4D millimeter-wave radars and 32 sensors in total, the same setup as the Aito M9. The cabin debuts Huawei's HarmonySpace 6 with twin 17.2-inch 3.4K screens, a 75-inch AR head-up display, an in-car laser projector and a detachable AI companion robot called Hamomo.

On size, the X9 stretches 208.7 inches on a 122.8-inch wheelbase, a step up from the Aito M9, in a 2+2+2 layout with a third row that reclines to 133 degrees. Cargo runs 17.1 cubic feet with all seats up and 48.3 with the third row folded.

The powertrain is range-extended across the board, pairing a 1.5-liter generator with dual motors for 563 hp and 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, with a 74.29 kWh CATL battery on an 800V system delivering 289 miles of CLTC electric range and more than 932 miles combined. The all-aluminum chassis comes standard with dual-chamber air suspension, adaptive dampers and 14 degrees of rear-wheel steering, for a 17.4-foot turning circle.

On price, the Aito M9 range extender starts at 479,800 yuan (about $71,200), so the X9's top trim still sits below the M9's entry point, a gap of nearly $26,000. A brand-new badge has its own bills to pay though, with the dealer network, delivery quality and long-term reputation all unproven, and Dongfeng's track record in premium cars is hardly spotless.

The same Huawei recipe for $26,000 less makes the infighting among Huawei-backed brands look increasingly like the old Volkswagen Group food fight.