The all-new IM LS6 SUV. Credit: IM Motors
- IM Motors said the new-generation LS6 will bring “aviation-grade safety” to the SUV market priced around 200,000 yuan ($29,490).
- The previous-generation LS6 was launched in September 2025 with a starting price of 197,900 yuan and introduced an EREV option for the first time.
IM Motors, the electric vehicle (EV) brand of SAIC Motor (SSE: 600104), said Wednesday that it will hold a pre-sales launch event for the all-new IM LS6 on September 10.
The company is positioning the new model as a “large five-seat SUV with a fully steer-by-wire chassis,” marking its latest product upgrade following the launch of the revamped IM L6 sedan last week.
In a teaser poster, IM Motors said the model will “usher in an era of aviation-grade safety for SUVs priced around 200,000 yuan ($29,490),” comparing its next-generation fully steer-by-wire chassis to an aircraft’s fly-by-wire flight control system.
The all-new LS6 is billed as a major product under IM Motors’ “NEXT·2028” strategy. The company said it was developed with an “aviation-derived” philosophy and has previously referred to it as a “land-based A320.”
All variants will come standard with the NEO powertrain architecture, a fully steer-by-wire chassis, the IM Claw AI agent and a seating package the company calls “Super First Class.”
Images of the interior of an IM LS6 test vehicle circulated on Chinese social media last month, showing no steering wheel in the driver’s position and drawing attention to the company’s steer-by-wire plans.
The IM LS6 is a key sales pillar for IM Motors and was initially launched in October 2023. The previous-generation model was launched on September 10, 2025, with a starting price of 197,900 yuan and introduced an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) option for the first time.
The all-new IM LS6 will carry over the brand’s recent technology highlights. The new IM L6 sedan, launched on August 28, also comes standard with a fully steer-by-wire chassis, including bidirectional rear-wheel steering of up to 18 degrees.
The IM L6 has a limited-time starting price of 199,900 yuan, with the entry-level variant priced 20,000 yuan below its pre-sales price, highlighting the pricing pressure IM Motors faces in the 200,000-yuan to 300,000-yuan segment.
IM Motors also launched the IM LS8 EREV SUV in April with a starting price of 249,800 yuan, attracting more than 8,000 firm orders within 60 minutes of its launch.
The family SUV market priced around 200,000 yuan is one of China’s most fiercely contested segments. The IM LS6 will compete with the Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model Y, Xiaomi (HKEX: 1810) YU7 and a wide range of domestic plug-in hybrid and EREV models.
The all-new L6 starts at a limited-time promotional price of 199,900 yuan ($29,480) and offers up to 850 km of CLTC range.
($1 = 6.7829 yuan)
