Li Auto unveils new flagship BEV Li I9
Li Auto celebrates the world premiere of the all-electric Li i9 in China - at 5.25 meters long, its largest SUV yet. The manufacturer is also on the verge of expanding into Europe: At the Paris Motor Show in October, the Chinese automaker will unveil the Li 6 for Europe.
Li Auto has unveiled the Li I9 in China, a fully electric six-seater SUV with a range of 705 kilometres according to the Chinese CLTC test cycle. It is based on the second generation of the company’s BEV platform and costs around 369,800 yuan in standard trim – roughly ~€48,500 euros.
With this new model, Li Auto is expanding its already premium-focused line-up in China with what it describes as a more spacious family SUV. However, the Li I9 does not feature classic SUV proportions; instead, it adopts a design that borders on van-like. Initially, the model is available exclusively in the ‘Home’ trim level, which includes swivelling seats.
In terms of technical specifications, the Li I9 measures 5.23 metres in length and has a wheelbase of 3.17 metres, making it the most generously proportioned model in the manufacturer’s line-up to date. The new flagship is powered by a 400-kW all-wheel-drive system with 660 Nm of torque, enabling acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. A nickel-based 101-kWh battery is housed in the underbody, which, according to Li Auto, supports 5C charging and delivers the stated CLTC range of 705 km. The company claims that up to 500 km of range can be added during a ten-minute charging session.
Standard chassis equipment includes a dual-chamber air suspension with two valves, steer-by-wire, and rear-wheel steering. Like other high-end Chinese BEVs, the Li I9 is fully connected, equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8797 chip, and features LiDAR sensors, among other technologies. The seats can also be swivelled so that passengers in the second and third rows can face each other. This is a feature of the ‘Home’ trim, which was previously available only in the Li Mega and is now also offered in the Li I9. In addition to these two models, Li Auto currently offers the Li I8 and the Li I6 in China’s BEV market.
As previously reported, Li Auto is also aiming for an imminent market launch in Europe: next month, the Chinese manufacturer will showcase itself at the Paris Motor Show (12–18 October) and present the European counterpart to the Chinese Li I6. Sales are then expected to launch in the fourth quarter.