Li Auto plan to launch four all-electric cars this year. Of those the Mega has already launched and the remainder are SUVs believed to be named M9, M8 and M7. There is a very small chance we may see one at the Beijing Auto Show, but new spy shots have already emerged of what is likely the M9 or perhaps M8.
We can see from the spy shots that the new car has similar styling to the Mega but is considerably smaller. Gone is the sliding side door replaced with a more normal SUV like door. At the front it uses similar design language to the L-series SUVs and has a star ring LED light strip. There is a roof mounted Lidar unit and overall the front overhang is kept to a minimum. The triangular window in the A-pillar is much smaller than on the Mega and also the height reduces far quicker after the B-pillar. At the rear there is a light bar across the tailgate and the number plate is now on the bumper.
It is expected that the three new SUVs will use the same high-voltage pure electric platform as the Mega and that they will have 800V architecture and support 5C supercharging. Li Xiang, Li Auto’s CEO, has previously said that the cars will come with 5C batteries as standard. If the launch plan is to be believed we should see the new car soon.
By the end of 2025 Li Auto’s product plan calls for the range to consist of 5 extended range models, the super flagship Mega, and five pure electric models. Currently Li Auto has drawn a line at 200,000 yuan (27,600 USD) for starting prices of their cars. Li Auto is already exporting to some markets including Russia and a more concerted export push must be imminent.
Editor’s note:
Li Auto until the Mega could do no wrong but the Mega has been quite polarizing. Having the new SUV looking so much like a Mega will definitely make it distinctive but will also likely turn off a lot of buyers.
Perhaps one reason Li Auto’s L series of EREVs has been so successful is that they are very inoffensive with a smooth stereotypical SUV look, the same cannot be said for the spy shots of this car. The rendered picture based on an older spy shot seems some way off what the real car will look like as it doesn’t seem to rake down at the back nearly as much as with the car in the spy shots.
Sources: Autohome, Fast Technology
Looks better than the Mega.