The Chinese pivot to homegrown luxury

Li Maozai sitting behind the steering wheel of his Maextro S800, built by Huawei and JAC Motors, in Nanchang, China. — Gilles Sabrie/The New York Times

AFTER years of driving a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW, Li Maozai made a choice that surprised even himself: he bought a Chinese luxury car.

Li, a partner at a law firm in the southern Chinese city of Nanchang, chose the Maextro S800, a 5.5m-long sedan built by Huawei and JAC Motors, for its sleek lines, elegant design and high-tech features that his German cars couldn’t match.