Chinese flagship electric saloons compared (2026): S800, ET9, U7, Avatr 12, S9, L7

CRAVEUO EV Export · Sources last checked 2026-10-31 · General information, not legal advice. Nothing here is a promise or a quote.

Quick answer

For rear passengers, the Maextro S800 has the longest wheelbase, 3,370 mm, and the NIO ET9 has the tallest body, 1,621 mm. For battery range, the Yangwang U7 EV is rated 1,006 km CLTC. For long trips with weak charging, the Stelato S9 EREV Ultra reaches 1,378 km CLTC combined. For speed at a lower price, the Avatr 12 three-motor does 0–100 km/h in 2.9 s or less from ¥353,900.

The six saloons side by side

China guide prices, not delivered prices. All figures are for China-market cars.

\* Battery bought. ¥660,000 applies with battery rental in China. Exported China-market cars come with the battery bought and can't use NIO battery swap or battery rental (BaaS) abroad; NIO's swap stations in Europe are for the cars NIO sells there.

† Yangwang's configuration table says 300 km. Autohome reported 200 or 220 km. We use the maker's figure and leave the PHEV battery blank, because the only size we hold came with the lower range.

‡ The site's only L7 version is the 2024 Max Long Range. Ask which model year is on sale.

CLTC is China's test cycle and reads higher than WLTP, so never set the two side by side. "Electric" is distance on the battery alone. "Combined" adds the fuel tank. EREV means range-extender, PHEV plug-in hybrid and BEV battery-electric.

No Hongqi is listed. Its top saloons in our data, the Guoya and Guoli, are hybrid or petrol, and this site shows plug-in and battery cars only.

Rear passengers: Maextro S800 or NIO ET9

The S800's wheelbase is 120 mm longer than the ET9's and 350 mm longer than the Avatr 12's. The ET9 answers with height: it stands 79 mm above the S800 and over 150 mm above the Avatr 12.

The share is our own arithmetic from the site's figures. It is not a measure of legroom.

Seat count decides much of this:

• Maextro S800 Executive, from ¥838,000: four seats, with 20-way zero-gravity rear seats. The ¥728,000 five-seat version also has twin zero-gravity rear seats.
• NIO ET9, ¥768,000: four seats on every version, with 20-way rear seats.
• Yangwang U7 4-seat Flagship, ¥738,000: electric rear leg rests, massage and ventilation. It costs ¥100,000 less than the S800 Executive, with 210 mm less wheelbase on the EV.

The IM L7 uses its length well. Its wheelbase beats the Stelato S9's by 50 mm in a body 52 mm shorter.

Driving it yourself: Yangwang U7 or Avatr 12

The U7 makes 960 kW from four motors in the EV and reaches 100 km/h in 2.9 s. The ¥888,000 Super Four-motor version adds active body control and a 300 km/h top speed, and drops to 860 km CLTC.

The Avatr 12 three-motor reaches the same 2.9 s or less on 712 kW, from ¥353,900. That is ¥304,100 below the U7's start. At up to 2,430 kg it is also lighter than a three-motor S800 at 2,822 kg or more.

Two lower-cost comparisons from the site:

• The rear-drive Avatr 12 EV Max, ¥303,900, does 4.1 s or less. The ET9 also does 4.1 s at ¥768,000. The ET9's money goes to the rear seats and active suspension.
• The Stelato S9 EV Ultra, ¥379,800, does 3.92 s, against 6.0 s for the EV Max, and gives up 95 km of range.

The S800 EV Prestige does 4.3 s. It is the longest car here at 5,480 mm.

Long trips and weak charging: Stelato S9 EREV

With few fast chargers, choose a car with a fuel tank. These are the top figures for each.

The S9 Ultra's range comes with a rear-drive 227 kW motor and 7.35 s to 100 km/h. The S800 has the longest electric range of the four, 400 km, on dual-motor versions. Its three-motor versions fall to 1,155–1,200 km combined. The U7 PHEV has the lowest combined figure of the four and by far the quickest time, 2.9 s.

For battery-only versions, the U7's 1,006 km comes from sheer pack size. The S9 goes further per kWh.

The last column is our own division of the site's figures, using CLTC range. Treat it as a rough ranking. The S9's low drag, 0.193 Cd at 160 km/h on the site, helps explain its place.

Charging conditions: read the start and end points

Yangwang's 10–97% in 24 minutes fills a 150 kWh pack, so it is not slower than the Avatr's 10 minutes in any simple way. The ranges differ. Stelato also quotes about 400 km in 15 minutes on a 480 kW charger.

All these times need a Chinese charger that can deliver the car's peak power. The ET9 and L7 have no time on our site. The ET9 runs at 900 V, so ask how it charges on your local network.

The ET9 has a further limit. Exported China-market cars come with the battery bought and can't use NIO battery swap or battery rental (BaaS) abroad; NIO's swap stations in Europe are for the cars NIO sells there.

GB/T charging

China-market cars use GB/T plugs for AC and DC. GB/T does not fit a CCS2 or Type 2 charger directly. GB/T-to-CCS2 adapters exist, but one listed adapter is rated 250 kW at most, well under the U7 EV's 640 kW, and the listing names no tested chargers. Ask which inlet your exact version has before you order. On a 150 kWh pack, slow local charging costs far more time than on an EREV.

Steering side

Our site marks no right-hand-drive version for any of these six. When our site marks one on another car, it only means a right-hand-drive version exists abroad, not that we have one. Treat all six as left-hand drive.

Export reality, brand by brand

• Maextro: Export availability depends on the brand's authorised exporters, so ask us to check before you plan a purchase.
• NIO: Treat the ET9 as official channel only or to be confirmed.
• Yangwang: New cars from this BYD brand go through the group's own export route on our records, so treat the U7 as supply to be confirmed.
• Avatr: New Avatr cars are currently exported only through Avatr's official authorised channels, so ask us to check what is available for your country.
• Stelato: Export availability depends on the brand's authorised exporters, and our records do not yet show one for this model's maker.
• IM: Export availability depends on the brand's authorised exporters, and our L7 data is for the 2024 model.

Battery-only versions have one more step. Since 1 January 2026, China requires an export licence for pure-electric passenger cars. That covers the ET9, the L7 and the EV versions of the S800, U7, Avatr 12 and S9.

Send your country, model and version through the inquiry form. We tell you whether we can supply that car before any contract. Nothing is paid before it is signed, and payment goes only to the company account on the invoice.