Li i9. Credit: Li Auto
- Li i9 measures 5,225 mm in length with a 3,168 mm wheelbase, significantly larger than the current all-electric flagship Li i8.
- The Li i9’s introduction comes as Li Auto’s sales decline for consecutive months and its first all-electric SUV, the Li i8, continues to underperform.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) has unveiled the Li i9, the newest member of the company’s 9-series flagship SUV (sport utility vehicle) family and its first all-electric flagship SUV aimed at family users.
The company’s founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang previewed the model in a Weibo post published Thursday, saying the i9 will add a new member to Li Auto’s flagship SUV family and will be launched in September.
“Our first family-oriented all-electric flagship SUV, a second Home. Li i9, see you in September,” Li wrote.
The Li i9 carries a special “Home” badge at the rear, and Li said the company will introduce a Home version on the model, which will be its second model to feature a Home version after the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle).
In terms of body dimensions, the Li i9 measures 5,225 mm in length with a wheelbase of up to 3,168 mm. Li said this gives the Li i9 the same Li Mega-class spaciousness and comfort.
By comparison, Li Auto’s existing all-electric SUV flagship, the Li i8, is 5,085 mm long with a 3,050 mm wheelbase. This means the Li i9 will become the largest SUV the company has ever made.
The arrival of the Li i9 came as no surprise. Li announced during the March 12 earnings call that the Li i9 would be launched in the second half of this year to further enrich the company’s battery electric vehicle (BEV) lineup and meet the needs of diverse users.
“2026 will be a critical year for Li Auto to evolve into an embodied intelligence company. Facing an increasingly competitive new energy vehicle market, we will work to raise our technology moat,” the Li Auto CEO said at the time.
The launch of the Li i9 is a key part of Li Auto’s 2026 strategy. The company has set a target of 20% year-on-year growth in vehicle deliveries, meaning it is aiming to deliver about 490,000 vehicles this year.
However, achieving that goal faces pressure. Li Auto delivered 30,895 vehicles in June, down 14.84% year-on-year, marking the second consecutive month of year-on-year decline.
Li Auto Monthly Deliveries 2024-2026
Month
2024
2025
2026
January
31,165
29,927
27,668
February
20,251
26,263
26,421
March
28,984
36,674
41,053
April
25,787
33,939
34,085
May
35,020
40,856
33,350
June
47,774
36,279
30,895
July
51,000
30,731
August
48,122
28,529
September
53,709
33,951
October
51,443
31,767
November
48,740
33,181
December
58,513
44,246
Li Auto monthly deliveries
2024
2025
2026
In the first half of this year, the company delivered 193,472 vehicles, down 5.13% from 203,938 in the same period last year.
Li Auto also faces profitability pressure. The company unexpectedly posted a net loss of 2.3 billion yuan ($338 million) in the first quarter, with its gross margin plunging to 7.9% from 20.5% a year earlier.
Within the all-electric lineup, Li Auto’s performance has shown a clear divergence. The Li i9 will fill the flagship all-electric SUV segment.
Its first all-electric SUV, the Li i8, has consistently fallen short of internal expectations since its launch in July 2025. This disappointing initial reception reportedly led to the departure of second product line president Zhang Xiao late last year.
The Li i8 delivered just 779 units in June, down 50.19% from the previous month. In the first half of this year, the model delivered a cumulative 8,733 units, accounting for just 4.51% of the company’s total deliveries over the same period, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
Li i8 Monthly Deliveries 2025-2026
Month
2025
2026
January
1,013
February
1,210
March
2,079
April
2,088
May
1,564
June
779
August
2,212
September
5,716
October
5,749
November
6,719
December
2,745
Li i8 monthly deliveries
2025
2026
A new Li i8 appeared on June 10 in a declaration catalog from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), adding a single-motor version for the first time, hinting at a lower price.
The current Li i8 offers only a dual-motor version, priced at 339,800 yuan.
In sharp contrast to the Li i8, the lower-positioned all-electric SUV Li i6 has become the main pillar of Li Auto’s sales in recent months. The model delivered 21,453 units in June, contributing 69.44% of the company’s total deliveries for the month.
As of June, the Li i6’s cumulative deliveries had reached 149,414 units.
Li i6 Monthly Deliveries 2025-2026
Month
2025
2026
January
16,883
February
16,007
March
24,198
April
21,024
May
20,878
June
21,453
September
404
October
5,775
November
6,798
December
15,994
Li i6 monthly deliveries
2025
2026
As a larger, higher-positioned family flagship, the Li i9 will take on the task of reshaping Li Auto’s competitiveness in the premium all-electric market.
In addition to its all-electric products, Li Auto is also carrying out a comprehensive overhaul of its L-series extended-range models. The company launched the upgraded Li L9 on May 15 and rolled out the all-new Li L8 on June 23, which was changed from six seats to five.
Earlier today, the company announced that the new-generation Li L6 extended-range SUV will be launched on July 16. It is one of its entry-level models and one of the best-selling in its history.
Li Auto plans to split off some key functions of its product department and merge them into its R&D division.
($1 = 6.7986 yuan)
