The Li Auto i8 electric SUV was launched in China with a starting price of 321,800 yuan (44,830 USD). It offers a dual-chamber air suspension, 536 hp, and up to 720 km of CLTC range.

The Li i8 is a long-anticipated SUV that was initially set to launch last year to emphasise the brand’s shift towards battery electric vehicles. However, this model’s market entry was postponed due to low sales numbers of Li’s first BEV, called Mega. The Li Auto i8 was first revealed in China in February 2025. It applied for a sales license in April. In mid-July, the i8 started presales in China with an approximate price range of 350,000 – 400,000 yuan (48,760 – 55,730 USD). On July 29, this model made a market entry.

Exterior

According to Li Auto CEO Li Xiang, the i8’s exterior styling was inspired by Yachts. It has a slanted bonnet, headlights integrated into the front bumper, and an LED strip under the windshield. The car has sloped A-pillars and a LiDAR sensor on the roof. Other features of the Li Auto i8 are flush door handles, blackened pillars, and a roof. The rear end of the Li Auto i8 is similar to the L-series range-extended crossovers. It has wide sculpted fenders, a single taillight unit, and a simple bumper.

Styling of the Li i8 became a point of argument since it looks similar to MPVs. However, the company officials said that this model is a sport utility vehicle that merges design elements of MPVs, off-roaders, and sedans. To prove the car’s off-road capabilities, Li Auto showed a clip of a car driving up a 31-degree slope.

Dimensions and chassis

The Li Auto i8 boasts dimensions of 5085/1960/1740 mm with a wheelbase of 3,050 mm. For clarity, it is 49 mm longer, 39 mm narrower, and 56 mm higher than the Tesla Model X. The i8’s drag coefficient is 0.218 Cd. It is better than the mentioned Model X with a drag coefficient of 0.240 Cd. Moreover, it is slightly better than the Tesla Model Y with 0.220 Cd. The lower Cd number translates into quieter rides and lower energy consumption on highways.

The Li i8’s chassis has a dual-chamber air suspension that can be adjusted by 65 mm. Its ground clearance reaches 195 mm. Another feature is a continuous damping system. It has a double wishbone independent suspension in the front axle and a five-link independent suspension in the rear. This model adopts aluminum suspension arms and hydraulic bushings.

The i8’s torsional rigidity reaches 49,500 Nm/degree. Its body-in-white is covered by acoustic materials by 95%. The Li Auto i8 completed the emergency lane change test at a speed of 130 km/h, proving its handling.

Safety

To prove the i8’s safety, Li Auto arranged several crash tests with an 8-ton truck colliding with this SUV. The new vehicle passed all the crash tests. It has nine airbags to ensure the safety of the driver and passengers. Its door handles pop out automatically after the collision.

To confirm the battery’s tightness, company representatives kept the battery in working condition under water for 10 days. The pack also spent 24 hours in a chamber with a temperature of minus 40 degrees Celsius. The battery was also burning for 130 seconds and was dropped from a height of 10 meters without serious consequences.

The Li Auto i8 adopts the roof-mounted LiDAR sensor as standard. Thanks to this sensor, the i8 performed well in automated emergency steering (AES) tests. The i8 adopts the Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model that allows vehicles to analyze surroundings and develop memory driving habits. A driver can operate the car by voice. For example, the driver can ask the car to go back to the starting spot, set the speed limit, or park next to a described car.

The Li Auto i8 also supports the voice assistant called “Lixiang Tongxue” (Li Auto Classmate). It is an AI-based model that has various functions. It is also capable of conducting a dialogue. Other Li-branded models also support this function.

Interior

The Li Auto i8’s interior has a 2+2+2 layout. It adopts ambient lighting and soft pillows on the front and the second-row seats’ headrests. The car’s length of interior space reaches 3,514 mm. It is 91 mm longer than the interior length of the Mercedes-Benz GLS.

Its second-row captain chairs can recline to 145 degrees. Another feature is a power-elongated leg rest with a maximum angle of 78 degrees. They also support a zero-gravity mode that relieves stress from the spine. The third-row seats of the Li i8 have a height of 333 mm. Passengers here have 875 mm of leg room. For comparison, the full-size Li Auto L9 EREV crossover offers only 799 mm of legroom for the third-row passengers. Other benefits include a ceiling-mounted rear screen and a built-in refrigerator.

The cushion length of the i8’s third-row seats reaches 503 mm. It is 8 mm longer than the Tesla Model Y’s second-row seats. The cushion width is 544 mm (35 mm wider than the Model Y). And the cushion thickness is 100 mm (5 mm more than the Model Y). The trunk of the Li i8 with the third row seats offers a depth of 565 mm. It is enough to store some suitcases and a folding table that could be placed between the second-row captain chairs.

The Li i8’s interior has cooled wireless charging pads, a speaker in front of the driver, and a sunroof that blocks 99.9% of UV rays. The center console has two 15.7-inch screens. It is also the first car with a white steering wheel. This vehicle adopts a double-layer windshield, side windows, and a sunroof. The noise level in the Li Auto i8 cabin at a speed of 120 km/h is 63.2 dB.

Powertrain

The Li Auto i8 offers a dual-motor 4WD as standard. Its electric motors adopt in-house developed SiC (silicon carbide) power modules. According to the automaker, these modules reduce noise while driving by 3.5 dB. These electric motors’ noise level reaches 30 decibels, which is lower than the noise of a working refrigerator. Moreover, they are said to be more energy efficient, resulting in lower energy consumption and stronger power output.

The Li i8’s peak power output reaches 400 kW (536 hp). For clarity, it is in line with the first-generation Zeekr 001 electric liftback available for purchase in Europe. The i8’s front motor generates 150 kW (201 hp), and the rear one has an output of 250 kW (335 hp). Its combined peak torque is 660 Nm. The Li Auto i8 has a top speed of 180 km/h. Its zero-to-hundred acceleration time is 4.5 seconds.  With a battery discharged to 20%, it speeds up to 100 km/h in 5 seconds. The car’s energy consumption lies in a 14.6 – 14.8 kWh/100km range, depending on the battery option.

The entry-level Li i8 has a 90.1 kWh ternary NMC battery on board, suitable for 670 km of CLTC range. The top-trim model offers a larger 97.8 kWh NMC pack or 720 km of range. Its batteries support the 5C fast charging function, thanks to an 800V high-voltage system. They can charge 500 km of range in ten minutes. Li Auto currently operates 3,000 charging stations with 16,000 piles in China.

In real-world testing held by Autohome, the Li i8’s range reached 668.4 km in the urban driving scenario. It is 92.8% of the claimed CLTC number. At the speed of 120 km/h, the Li Auto i8 ran 417.4 km. It is 58% of the CLTC number. For comparison, the Tesla Model Y’s range at 120 km/h was 407.4 km. It is worth mentioning that 120 km/h is the maximum permissible speed on Chinese highways.

Prices

Li i8 Pro costs 321,800 yuan (44,830 USD). It has a 90.1 kWh battery, 20 speakers, and the first-row and second-row seat massage. The Li i8 Max costs 349,800 yuan (48,730 USD). It has a bigger 97.8 kWh battery and the AD Max ADAS system. The top-trim Li i8 Ultra with 22 speakers and a 21.4-inch ceiling-mounted display is priced at 369,800 yuan (51,520 USD). The Li i8 is on a temporary discount of 10,000 yuan (1,400 USD). Deliveries start on August 20.

Li Auto has delivered 1,360,000 cars to clients ten years after its launch. Its current bestselling model is the L6 EREV SUV. It delivered 96,354 units in the first half of 2025.