Gasgoo Munich- STELATO, the premium marque jointly developed by BAIC Group and Huawei under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), unveiled the STELATOG9 and opened pre-orders on August 5. The full-size luxury SUV is scheduled to go on sale and begin deliveries in the third quarter, expanding a lineup previously centered on sedans and shooting brakes.Image source: STELATOThe STELATOG9 has also secured a Beijing permit for Level 3 autonomous-driving road tests at speeds of up to 120 km/h, making it the first vehicle model approved for testing at that speed in the capital. The authorization applies to designated road-testing activities and does not mean that unsupervised L3 driving will be immediately available to private customers.The STELATOG9 adopts an upright, squared-off design intended to convey a more rugged character. It measures 5,206 mm in length, extending to 5,377 mm when fitted with the optional externally mounted spare wheel, while its wheelbase spans 3,160 mm. Those dimensions make it larger than several flagship SUVs in the Chinese market, including the AITO M9 and Li Auto L9, and provide the basis for a six-seat cabin.An available pop-up roof can be raised to create a tent-like space for camping. At the rear, vertically arranged split taillights incorporate circular elements that connect the SUV visually with other STELATO models.Image source: STELATOInside, STELATO has retained a relatively extensive set of physical controls alongside the digital interface. Buttons and rotary controls are positioned below the central display, around the center console and in the overhead control panel. A dedicated overhead switch allows occupants to deploy the roof tent without navigating through the touchscreen.The infotainment system uses a HIMA-specific version of Huawei's HarmonySpace platform, integrating the vehicle with the company's broader ecosystem of smartphones and connected devices.Both BEV and REEV versions are built around an 800-volt electrical architecture and use a Huawei-developed dual-motor all-wheel-drive system. The powertrain produces a combined 437 kW, with STELATO placing zero-to-100-km/h acceleration in the four-second range.Image source: STELATOThe BEV model carries a claimed CLTC range of 728 km, while the range extender is rated for more than 1,300 km of combined CLTC range. As with all CLTC figures, real-world range will vary with driving conditions, temperature and vehicle configuration.Air suspension and continuously controlled electronic dampers are intended to balance urban ride comfort with capability on unpaved roads. Despite its rugged styling, the STELATOG9 uses a unibody structure reinforced by integrated longitudinal members. Its engineering focus is therefore closer to everyday driving, touring and moderate off-road use than to extreme rock crawling.Advanced sensing hardware is central to the STELATOG9's positioning. The SUV features Huawei's 896-line, dual-optical-path LiDAR as standard, supplemented by two solid-state LiDAR units to form a three-LiDAR perception suite.Image source: STELATOHuawei says the primary sensor offers denser point-cloud data and longer-range detection than conventional 128- or 192-line units. According to the manufacturer's testing, it can detect an obstacle measuring 14 cm high from 120 meters away while the vehicle is traveling at 120 km/h. These figures have not been independently verified.The hardware supports Huawei's Qiankun ADS 5.0 driver-assistance system, with functions including Navigation Cruise Assist on highways and urban roads, map-free assisted driving and parking-space-to-parking-space navigation. Until separately approved and activated as L3 functions, these features remain driver-assistance capabilities that require continuous driver supervision.Before receiving the Beijing road-test permit, the STELATOG9 underwent simulation and closed-course testing, along with assessments covering functional safety, safety of the intended functionality, cybersecurity and data security.Its approved operational design domain includes nighttime driving on expressways at speeds of up to 120 km/h. The test system supports route-based, traffic-efficiency and safety-oriented lane changes. The higher speed ceiling extends testing to China's maximum legal expressway speed, compared with the 60- to 80-km/h limits applied to some earlier permits.The approval nevertheless represents a testing milestone rather than authorization for a general consumer rollout. Commercial deployment will still depend on further regulatory clearance, defined operating conditions and a framework governing the transfer of the driving task and legal responsibility.
