The front fascia of the revamped Li L8. Credit: Li Auto
- The revamped Li L8 switches from a six-seat to a five-seat layout, with a higher starting price than its predecessor.
- The Livis version features dual Mach M100 chips, with total computing power reaching 2,560 TOPS.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) officially launched the revamped Li L8 extended-range SUV (sport utility vehicle) on Tuesday, giving one of its key models a major update in an effort to boost sales.
The updated Li L8 comes in two versions, Ultra and Livis, with official guide prices of 369,800 yuan ($54,590) and 429,800 yuan, respectively.
The company rolled out limited-time launch benefit prices, lowering the starting prices of the two versions to 359,800 yuan and 419,800 yuan, respectively.
Li Auto said the revamped Li L8 will begin deliveries later this week.
Compared with its predecessor, the revamped Li L8 has a higher entry threshold, but its overall configuration is brought in line with the flagship 9-series models. The older Li L8 came in three variants, with starting prices of 321,800 yuan, 349,800 yuan and 379,800 yuan, respectively.
The most notable change in the updated Li L8 lies in its seating layout, which switches from the original six-seat design to a five-seat one, to avoid cannibalizing the larger Li L9, which also uses a six-seat layout.
The new model’s body dimensions have been upgraded. Its length, width and height are 5,135 millimeters, 2,000 millimeters and 1,800 millimeters, respectively, with a wheelbase of 3,045 millimeters.
By comparison, the older Li L8 measures 5,080 millimeters in length, 1,995 millimeters in width and 1,800 millimeters in height.
Li Auto said the revamped Li L8 is the only five-seat SUV in the industry to come standard with four zero-gravity seats. The rear seats offer a maximum recline angle of 55 degrees and are equipped with “zero-pressure” leg rests.
The new model is powered by Li Auto’s third-generation 5C extended-range system, including the company’s in-house developed third-generation 1.5T range extender.
The front and rear dual motors have maximum power outputs of 145 kilowatts and 275 kilowatts, respectively, for a combined power of 420 kilowatts and a 0-to-100-kilometer acceleration time of 4.8 seconds.
The new model comes standard across the lineup with a 72.7-kWh ternary lithium fast-charging battery, providing a CLTC all-electric range of 430 kilometers. With a full tank and full charge, the model has a combined range of 1,670 kilometers.
The Ultra version is equipped with one Li Auto in-house developed Mach M100 chip with 1,280 TOPS of computing power, along with one ATL-P high-performance LiDAR from Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI).
The Livis version, meanwhile, features two M100 chips with total computing power reaching 2,560 TOPS. In addition to the forward LiDAR, it adds three solid-state variable-focus LiDAR units.
The Ultra version comes standard with dual-chamber air springs, steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering, with a turning radius of 5.1 meters.
The Livis version is upgraded with 800-volt active suspension and brake-by-wire electro-mechanical braking (EMB), with chassis response times of under 100 milliseconds.
The new model’s launch comes at a time when demand for the current model has been significantly suppressed. The Li L8’s deliveries shrank sharply to 421 units in May, plunging 92.07% year-on-year, mainly because potential buyers were waiting for the model’s update.
Still, in the January-May period, the Li L8’s deliveries also fell 75.59% year-on-year to 5,719 units, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
Li L8 Monthly Deliveries 2024-2026
Month
2024
2025
2026
January
9,061
4,325
1,173
February
5,457
3,340
1,046
March
6,392
5,275
1,622
April
5,035
5,178
1,457
May
5,322
5,312
421
June
5,754
4,338
July
6,592
3,088
August
5,476
2,639
September
7,109
2,436
October
6,471
2,183
November
6,383
2,130
December
8,571
3,010
Li L8 monthly deliveries
2024
2025
2026
Li Auto as a whole also faces dual pressure on sales and finances. The company delivered 33,350 vehicles in May, down 18.37% year-on-year.
In the first quarter of this year, it unexpectedly posted a net loss of 2.3 billion yuan, with its gross margin plunging to 7.9% from 20.5% in the same period last year.
The initial market response to its revamped models has been relatively positive, though. The new Li L9, launched on May 15, garnered over 10,000 firm orders for its high-end Livis version within two weeks of going on sale.
With the Li L8 and Li L9 both revamped, Li Auto is betting that these higher-margin extended-range models can revive sales and improve profitability.
Li Auto will roll out the new-generation Li L6 in July, a redesign of its entry-level extended-range SUV.
($1 = 6.7740 yuan)
