Li I9: Li Auto's new flagship for the Chinese market

Li Auto has just unveiled the Li i9 in its home market, a six-seat family SUV with a fully electric powertrain that positions itself as the brand’s new flagship and the largest model in its lineup. With a length of 5.23 metres, the Li I9 has a generous wheelbase of 3.17 metres. Its overall dimensions bring it closer to the family MPV territory than to the SUV category it actually belongs to.

The Li I9 is based on the second generation of the brand’s BEV platform and is homologated for 705 kilometres of range, always under the Chinese CLTC cycle. The starting price of the entry-level version is around 369,800 yuan, which at the current exchange rate works out to roughly 48,500 euros. For now, only the Home trim is on sale, which includes swivel seats so that passengers in the second and third rows can sit facing each other, a solution Li Auto had already offered in the Mega.

The powertrain is all-wheel drive, with 400 kW and 660 Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. Under the floor sits a 101 kWh battery pack with nickel-based chemistry. The brand claims it accepts charging at 5C and that in ten minutes up to 500 kilometres of range can be recovered.

It lacks nothing

Standard equipment includes double-chamber air suspension, steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering. On the technology side it stands out for its high level of connectivity. It also features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8797 chip, LiDAR sensors and the other usual driver aids found in high-end Chinese electric cars.

With the i9, Li Auto strengthens its premium offering in China, where it already sells the i8 and i6 electric models. At the same time, the company is preparing to enter Europe. At the Paris Motor Show, from 12 to 18 October, the Chinese brand will show the European version of the Li 6. Sales on the continent could begin in the last quarter of the year.