The Chinese manufacturer Li Auto revealed its new vehicle, the Li Auto i9, this Wednesday, the 26th. This is a six-seater electric SUV and represents the largest utility vehicle produced by the brand to date.
Available only in the Home version, the model is priced at 369,800 yuan, which is equivalent to approximately R$ 282.9 thousand, and is already being distributed in China.
The main highlight of the i9 lies in its aerodynamics, featuring a drag coefficient of 0.215, the lowest recorded among global series SUVs, according to the manufacturer itself.
With dimensions of 5.23 meters in length, 1.97 meters in width, and 1.75 meters in height, and a wheelbase of 3.17 meters, the vehicle maintains a minimum turning diameter of 10.6 meters. This is achieved thanks to electronic steering without mechanical connection to the wheels and the rear axle steering feature, both standard equipment.
The exterior design features rounded shapes, an inclined windshield, partially recessed door handles, and few crease lines. The closed front section incorporates Star Ring headlights, which include the Adaptive High Beam (ADB) system.
The interior of the i9 features a three-tone finish and has four zero-gravity seats that can operate simultaneously. The seats located in the second row have rotation capability in both directions, and when combined with a table installed in the cabin, they allow for various usage configurations. According to Li Auto, the interior space can be adapted to function as a living room, bedroom, cinema, or private dressing area.
Among the standard equipment are a 10-liter electric refrigerator capable of heating and cooling, a sophisticated 9.3.6 channel audio system with 29 speakers and a maximum power of 4,960 W. Additionally, the vehicle offers a 29-inch panoramic front screen with 6K resolution and a 21-inch rear monitor in 4K, which can be moved forward and backward.
In terms of mechanics, the i9 uses two electric motors and all-wheel drive, configured with an asynchronous unit on the front axle and a permanent magnet synchronous one on the rear. The combined power reaches 544 horsepower and 67.3 kgfm, allowing the car to reach 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds.
The battery, built with ternary lithium technology, has a capacity of 101 kWh and supports 5C charging. The announced range is 705 km under the CLTC cycle, a Chinese protocol known for being quite optimistic, often exceeding results measured by Inmetro in Brazil. Li Auto also states that ten minutes of charging in adequate infrastructure can provide up to 500 km of range.
From the factory, the SUV is equipped with a Mach M100 chip and a LiDAR sensor positioned at the front. There is an optional package called Embodied Intelligence, which costs 30,000 yuan (approximately R$ 23 thousand), and adds a second chip and three more LiDAR sensors, along with the Mach VLA driving mode, focused on steering assistance on roads and in urban areas.
Structural safety is reinforced with 11 airbags, double ring construction on the doors using 2,000 MPa steel, and a redundant electrical supply system. The first units will be equipped with batteries supplied by CATL, but later the i9 will use cells developed by Li Auto itself and manufactured by Sunwoda. Currently, there are no disclosed plans for the launch of this model in the Brazilian market.