Li Auto has put its new all-electric flagship SUV, the i9, on sale in China with a starting price of 369,800 yuan (about 54,400 USD). The company is leading with an unusual claim: a drag coefficient of just 0.215, which would make it the slipperiest production SUV in the world.
Measuring 5,225 mm long with a 3,168 mm wheelbase, the i9 wears the brand's i-series styling, including the "Star Ring" front lights with adaptive high beam. Steer-by-wire plus rear-axle steering keep the turning circle down to 10.6 meters. Inside, there are four zero-gravity seats and second-row units that swivel to face each other, letting the cabin double as a lounge or cinema; the comfort list also includes a 10-liter fridge, a 29-speaker audio system, and a 6K front screen paired with a 4K rear one.
A dual-motor all-wheel-drive layout produces 400 kW (536 hp) and 660 Nm, enough for 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. The 101 kWh ternary battery supports 5C charging — 500 km of range can be added in ten minutes — and delivers 705 km on the CLTC cycle.
An optional driver-assist package brings two M100 chips totaling 1,280 TOPS along with four LiDARs, running Li Auto's new Mach VLA driving model, while safety hardware spans 11 airbags and a 2000 MPa body structure. Notably, launch cars will ship with CATL cells before production switches to Li Auto's in-house battery design, built by Sunwoda.