Li Auto launches 2026 i6 with unchanged starting price, upgraded in-house chip and battery

Lei Kang

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Oct 28, 2026, 9:18 PM GMT+8

Li Auto's in-house Mach M100 driver-assistance chip becomes standard, while battery capacity increases to 96 kWh.

The model retains its starting price of 249,800 yuan ($37,190), with an introductory offer bringing it down to 239,800 yuan.

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) has launched the 2026 Li i6, upgrading the model with its in-house driver-assistance chip, battery and cabin features while keeping the starting price unchanged.

The Chinese EV maker rolled out the 5-seat electric SUV on Wednesday, with a retail price of 249,800 yuan ($37,190), the same as the 2025 model.

Customers who purchase the vehicle on or before November 30 can receive introductory benefits, bringing the price to 239,800 yuan, or 10,000 yuan below the official retail price.

Li Auto said it has opened orders for vehicles with short delivery lead times, with deliveries possible in as little as 1 to 2 weeks, consistent with its previously announced plan to begin deliveries in early November.

The update expands Li Auto's use of core components developed in-house and comes as i6 deliveries have declined. The 5-seat SUV has become a key contributor to the company's battery electric vehicle business.

Driver-assistance hardware is a major focus of the upgrade. The model comes standard with Li Auto's in-house Mach M100 chip, replacing the Nvidia Thor-U used in the 2025 model.

Each M100 chip delivers 1,280 TOPS of computing power, up from the Thor-U's 700 TOPS. Buyers can also opt for a dual-M100 package, increasing computing power to 2,560 TOPS.

The dual-chip package adds 2 side-facing and 1 rear-facing solid-state LiDAR sensors to the standard forward-facing LiDAR, along with sensor-activated power front doors.

The model adopts Li Auto's in-house Lianshan 5C lithium iron phosphate battery, increasing capacity to 96 kWh from the 2025 model's 87.3 kWh.

CLTC range rises to 780 km (485 miles) for the rear-wheel-drive version and 710 km for the all-wheel-drive version, increases of 60 km and 50 km, respectively.

Li Auto said the model can add about 500 km of range in 10 minutes of charging.

The cockpit chip has been upgraded from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8295P to the Snapdragon 8797, while the 2 front 15.7-inch displays have been replaced by a 29-inch 6K panoramic screen.

The model comes standard with zero-gravity seats for both front occupants, offering 16-way power adjustment and 18-point massage. A 21-inch 4K rear entertainment screen remains optional.

Other changes include ADB matrix headlights, a power frunk and new exterior door handles. Li Auto also plans to offer a paid power frunk upgrade for the 2025 i6 in December.

The Li i6 was originally launched in September 2025. The model delivered 7,379 vehicles this September, down 56.54% from the previous month and accounting for 23.19% of the company's monthly deliveries, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

Li i6 monthly deliveries

2025

2026

In the first 9 months of this year, Li i6 deliveries totaled 160,221 vehicles. Li Auto's total deliveries over the same period reached 293,436 vehicles, down 1.25% year-on-year.

Beyond supporting its domestic battery electric vehicle business, the i6 is also a key model in Li Auto's European expansion. The company announced plans for its initial European markets at the Paris Motor Show on October 12.

Named the Li 6 in Europe, the model is scheduled to launch and begin deliveries in Norway and the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2027, before gradually expanding to other European countries.

Li Auto will contribute 1 billion yuan and external investors 625 million yuan under the signed agreements.

($1 = 6.7165 yuan)