HarmonyOS Drive (鸿蒙智行) 2026 AITO M9 (问界 M9) uncamouflaged again — front/rear privacy glass and Huawei (华为) QianKun (乾崑) 896-line LiDAR spotted

What was seen

It has been reported that a Xiaohongshu user (@拍车的马小跳) shared live, uncamouflaged photos of the 2026 AITO M9 (问界 M9) that show a sharper, more angular exterior and a partially redesigned front end with a through-style chrome strip and a mesh grille. The daytime running lights run across the face, with headlamp contours that lean toward the M8’s styling, while the rear loses the silver tail-light border found on the older model and gains a beefier bumper. Reportedly the car also sports new door handles — said to mirror the ZunJie S800 (尊界 S800) “Jiutian Xingchen” motif — and both front and rear privacy glass; air-gesture door opening is suggested but not confirmed.

Sensors and official filing

Significantly, images and filings indicate the 2026 M9 will carry Huawei’s (华为) QianKun (乾崑) 896-line LiDAR, and it has been reported that an additional in-cabin LiDAR may sit under that unit. The model appeared in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s 405th batch vehicle announcement, making the basic product paperwork public. The MIIT documents and related disclosures also detail a range‑extender powertrain developed with Chongqing Sokon (重庆小康): a 1.5L turbo range extender (1496 ml, 118 kW) paired with front and rear electric motors rated at 220 kW and 277 kW respectively. Curb weights listed are 2,995 kg, 3,070 kg and 3,150 kg with corresponding WLTC fuel consumption figures ranging roughly 0.22–0.29 L/100 km. A “large pancake” wheel option is noted in the filing but hasn’t shown up in the leaked test shots.

Why it matters

Why watch this closely? The AITO M9 is a flagship vehicle in Huawei’s HarmonyOS Drive (鸿蒙智行) ecosystem — a testbed for the company’s push into vertically integrated software and sensors for vehicles. Reportedly fitting an in-house branded high‑resolution LiDAR underscores Huawei’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers as Western export controls and sanctions have tightened access to certain advanced chips and components. For Western readers unfamiliar with China’s auto-tech landscape: this is not just a styling refresh. It’s a continuation of a broader shift in which telecom and consumer-electronics giants are building complete automotive stacks — software, sensors and cloud — to compete in China’s fast-moving smart car market and, increasingly, beyond.