European auto brands are falling behind in the race to remain relevant in China, as consumers are being drawn away from what was, toward what is. The Maextro S800 is a collaboration between a group of Chinese companies, with the largest being Huawei and SAIC (also known for MG), forming part of the HIMA automotive alliance. It can sound confusing, and in many ways it is, but all you need to know is that the Maextro S800 is a luxury sedan currently outselling established European rivals.

The rise of the S800 shows just how serious a threat Chinese luxury cars have become to Europe’s traditional prestige brands. In China last month, the S800 became the country’s best-selling car priced above 700,000 yuan ($102,900), with 1,142 deliveries — comfortably ahead of the at 736 units, the at 616, the standard at 521, and the , including the i7, at 436.

The gap is even larger across the January-to-April period. The S800 sold 5,465 units in the first four months of the year, far ahead of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class at 3,012, the BMW 7 Series/i7 at 2,976, and the regular S-Class at 2,596. Other Chinese luxury rivals are climbing too, including the and .

What makes this significant is that Chinese buyers are no longer automatically choosing European badges for high-end luxury. Given a credible domestic alternative, many are switching.

Built through a partnership between and under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), the S800 is offered in both fully electric and range-extender forms. Prices range from 708,000 yuan to just over 1 million yuan ($149,500).

The fully electric version uses a 97 kWh battery and dual motors producing 523 hp, with a claimed range of up to 416 miles (669 km). Range-extender versions offer either 523 hp or an enormous 852 hp from a tri-motor setup.