I don’t know if you have noticed that in recent months, the direction of the discussion about Wenjie M9 in the car circle has quietly changed. Last year, it still topped the sales list of SUVs with more than 500,000 yuan. Since the end of last year, the sales curve seems to have become less steep. From time to time, you can see some analysis articles about “weak growth” and “high competitive pressure” popping up. Some people have even begun to discuss whether the “SUV King”, which was once hard to find, is about to enter a weak period at the end of the product cycle? Amid this kind of discussion, on March 13, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s 405th batch of new car announcement lists quietly arrived, and the “ID photo” of the new Wenjie M9 was thrown out without warning. This time, it was like throwing a big stone into a calm lake. All speculations about it being “dead” were instantly drowned out by a series of staggeringly hard-core upgrade parameters.
The first thing that strikes the eye is the door handle that can no longer be hidden. The hidden design on the current model that needs to be pressed to pop up has been completely abandoned on the new model, replaced by an outward-pull door handle that is almost the same as that of its million-level flagship sedan Zunjie S800. This change may seem small, but it sparked huge discussion. Many people say that although hidden door handles have a strong sense of technology, when it rains and snows in the northern winter, or an emergency occurs, the reliability and ease of use of the physical structure always come first. Is Wenjie M9’s “return” to tradition this time a compromise to pragmatism, or is it a more mature expression of luxury? After all, the door handle design of Zunjie S800 itself incorporates multi-layer mapping technology, which will have a unique light and shadow effect under light, without losing any sense of luxury. This may imply that what the new M9 wants is a more solid and anxiety-free luxury experience.
In addition to the door handles, the “body” of the new M9 has also truly expanded. Public information shows that the length, width and height of the new car reach 5285 mm, 2026 mm, 1845 mm, and the wheelbase is 3125 mm. If you have the data of the current M9 at hand, you will find that the length of the car has increased by 55 mm, the width of the car has increased by 27 mm, the height of the car has increased by 45 mm, and even the wheelbase has been lengthened by 15 mm. what does that mean? This means that when viewed from any angle, this car will have more aura, and it will look like a moving fortress when parked there. For passengers in the car, especially in the second and third rows, every millimeter of increase in size may translate into a more comfortable sitting posture, more legroom, or just the psychological satisfaction of being wrapped in huge space. For a full-size SUV positioned for family and business reception, this “increasing size” is almost a bonus with no side effects.
The details on the front face also stand up to scrutiny. The original penetrating light strip has evolved into an integrated design with a more complex craftsmanship. The middle grille has been replaced with a mesh chrome decoration and is completely surrounded by bright metal trim strips. Chrome strips are also added to the taillights and rear surround at the rear of the car. These shiny elements are stacked together and intuitively convey a signal: the sense of luxury needs to be further enhanced. Some sharp-eyed netizens even discovered that a new camera has been added to the third row of windows. This likely means that its panoramic image or lateral sensing capabilities for intelligent driving have been enhanced, paving the way for more powerful functions in the future.
If the appearance upgrade is a “face-saving project”, then the innovation in power and battery life is a real “inner revolution”. This announcement focuses on the changes in the extended-range version, which can be said to be a heavy punch. It provides two capacities of ternary lithium battery packs from CATL, one with a temperature of 60.014 degrees and the other with a temperature of 75.408 degrees. The corresponding pure electric cruising ranges under WLTC operating conditions reach 265 kilometers and 335 kilometers respectively. The battery of the current M9 extended-range version is 52 kilowatt-hours, and the WLTC battery life is about 226 kilometers. This improvement is astonishing, especially for the 75-kWh version, which has a pure electric range of 335 kilometers, which means that most urban users can completely use electricity to commute for a week, completely bidding farewell to the frequent energy replenishment rhythm of “every two days”, and maximizing the advantage of extended-range vehicles that can use both fuel and electricity. Someone on the Internet has already settled the accounts. If there is a charging pile at home, the cost of daily commuting will be so low that it makes people laugh.
The power part has also been strengthened simultaneously. The new M9 extended range version continues to use the mature 1.5T range extender with a maximum power of 118 kilowatts. The change lies in the motors, with the power of the front and rear dual motors set at 220 kW and 277 kW respectively. After a simple calculation, the comprehensive power of the system reaches 497 kilowatts. For comparison, the system power of the current extended-range version is 365 kilowatts. This extra 132 kilowatts will be directly reflected in the acceleration experience. Although the specific zero-to-100 acceleration time has not been announced, considering that the pure electric version is expected to enter the 3-second club, the performance of the extended-range version is definitely worth looking forward to. The top speed has also been increased from the current 200 km/h to 220 km/h. For such a large car, stronger power reserves mean more calm high-speed overtaking capabilities and a more comfortable driving experience.
The power parameters of the pure electric version are the same as those of the extended-range version. It is also a dual-motor combination of 220 kW in the front and 277 kW in the rear. The combined power is also 497 kW. Regarding its battery and battery life, this announcement did not list it in detail, but according to the existing information, it is likely to continue to be equipped with a large battery of about 100 degrees, and with the support of an 800V high-voltage platform, it will have faster charging speeds. In terms of energy consumption, according to the declaration information, the WLTC fuel consumption of extended-range models with different curb weights can reach as low as 0.22 liters/100 kilometers and as high as 0.29 liters/100 kilometers. With such a large battery and strong power, this feed fuel consumption data is still very well controlled.
Of course, the most core aspect of this upgrade, which has aroused the most heated discussions among technology enthusiasts, is the leap forward in intelligent driving hardware. At the Hongmeng Smart Technology Renewal Conference on March 4, 2026, Huawei officially released a new generation of dual-light path image-level lidar. The Wenjie M9, together with the Zunjie S800, became the first models equipped with this radar. Now, the “ID photo” from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirms that it is indeed “on the bus”.
The parameters of this radar are terrifying: 896 lines. What is this concept? Currently, many high-end models on the market still use 192-line or 128-line lidar. The line number is like the density of the scan. The higher the line number, the denser the point cloud is perceived, resulting in a clearer and more detailed image of the surrounding environment. Huawei officials stated that the resolution of this 896-line radar is four times that of the previous generation 192-line product, and its perception capabilities have moved from “point cloud level” to “image level”. To use an inaccurate analogy, it’s like watching a video that suddenly jumps from standard definition to 4K ultra-high definition.
Its core technology is Huawei’s first dual-optical path architecture, which integrates two sets of optical receiving systems. One is a wide-angle unit with a 120-degree field of view, which is responsible for covering a wide range of near and side, preventing jamming and “ghost probes”; the other is a telephoto unit with a 30-degree field of view, which is dedicated to staring far ahead and capturing tiny details. The two work together to achieve “wide-angle + telephoto” integrated imaging, which can not only grasp the overall situation, but also gain insight into details. Actual measurement data shows that it can identify objects at a distance of up to 162 meters, and can identify small target obstacles with a height of only 14 centimeters at a distance of 120 meters. For tires, low bricks or cones scattered on the road, its recognition distance and accuracy have made a qualitative leap. In official tests, vehicles equipped with this radar can successfully and continuously avoid small targets and low-reflectivity obstacles at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour.
Even, in order to cope with the harsh environment of the real world, the window glass of this radar adopts the industry’s first tempered film process, which increases the hardness by 25% and the durability is said to be doubled. This means that sand and stone impact, rain and snow erosion will have less impact on it, ensuring the long-term stability and reliability of the sensing system. All these upgrades ultimately serve one core goal: security. As repeatedly emphasized at the press conference, “Safety is the greatest luxury.” The new M9 is turning this “perceived safety” into its new luxury label.
In addition to these core upgrades, the public information also revealed many details that reflect “user thinking.” For example, the wheel hub style provides up to 7 choices at one time. From the blackened multi-spoke wheels that emphasize sportiness to the “pancake” style densely spoked wheels that are full of old-money luxury, there is always one that catches your eye. For another example, electric side steps and a rear tow hook also appear on the options list. For families with elderly and children, electric pedals make it more convenient to get on and off the vehicle; for car owners who like outdoor camping, cycling or motorcycles, the original tow hook means that small trailers can be towed legally and safely, expanding the use scenarios of this vehicle. These seemingly inconspicuous options just show that the new M9 is striving to cover wider and more specific user needs.
In terms of price, in fact, we already had an idea at the press conference on March 4. The new Wenjie M9 equipped with this 896-line lidar has a suggested retail price starting from 479,800 yuan. For comparison, the starting price of current models equipped with 192-line radar is 469,800 yuan. In other words, for this top-level lidar currently in mass production, the threshold has been raised by 10,000 yuan. At the same time, users who open reservations can also enjoy multiple benefits such as a purchase tax subsidy of 15,000 yuan, product option bonus rights, and subsidies for ADS high-end function packages. Regarding the specific model configuration distribution, the accurate price corresponding to each battery version, and complete information about the pure electric version, it is estimated that all will not be revealed until closer to the official launch.
From the moment the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced it on March 13, 2026, the new Wenjie M9 has shed the label of “minor facelift”. It uses its fully enlarged size, disruptive battery life solution, violent power parameters, and the lidar that stands at the top of the industry to complete a complete iteration from the outside to the inside, from hardware to experience. Instead of tinkering with the shortcomings of the current model, it chose to use an almost “stacked” but methodical approach to raise the competitive threshold for the large smart luxury SUV market segment by a large margin. Those discussions about its declining sales and its unsafe throne seem to have suddenly lost weight in the face of such an upgrade list. Now, the pressure is undoubtedly on the market and on its competitors. Everyone is waiting to see what kind of waves it will stir up when such an M9 with “magic equipment” actually enters the market.
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