Li Auto picks Paris for its first European model: the electric i6 will go on sale abroad as the Li 6

Li Auto will lift the cover off its first model for Europe at October's Paris Motor Show and wants retail sales underway before 2026 ends. The car in question is its battery-electric i6 SUV, which will wear the name Li 6 in overseas markets. The company says it will also lay out its global product roadmap and European business plans at the show, though launch markets, pricing, and distribution remain unconfirmed. Autocar reports the UK is being eyed as a possible starting point since it sits outside the EU's countervailing tariffs, while CarNewsChina sources say dealer recruitment is underway in Germany and the Netherlands.

The brand treats its tie-up with the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands as the official kickoff of its European push — 20 i6 units are ferrying players and VIP guests at the event, with a Mega electric MPV also on show. The regional playbook splits the lineup: battery-electric models for Europe, while the L6 through L9 extended-range SUVs are aimed at the Middle East and Central Asia. The refreshed L9 just debuted in Dubai, following earlier entries in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

The i6, on sale in China since September 2025, stretches 4,950 mm and comes in rear- and all-wheel-drive forms; the Chinese RWD version pairs an 87.3 kWh pack with 720 km of CLTC range. It is also the company's top seller, accounting for 152,842 of the units moved at home through August — 59% of domestic volume. Overall deliveries rebounded to 37,679 in August, up 32.1% year-on-year after three straight monthly declines, though the 261,619 vehicles delivered January-August are still 0.6% behind last year.

Li Auto, founded by Li Xiang in 2015 and Nasdaq-listed since 2020, isn't the only Chinese player circling Europe: Xiaomi intends to start selling cars in Germany and other markets in 2027 and has already signed memorandums with eight German dealer groups, including Emil Frey and LUEG.