Li Auto cuts i8 entry price to RMB 309,800, putting its six-seat EV strategy on trial
The new Rear-Drive Long Range trim cuts RMB 30,000 from the i8 while raising claimed CLTC range to 780 km; its delivery date is still not public.
Li Auto has launched the Li i8 Rear-Drive Long Range at RMB 309,800, cutting the entry price by RMB 30,000 while lifting the claimed CLTC range to 780 km. The trade-off is direct: one rear motor and a 6.6-second 0–100 km/h time instead of the existing AWD version's 400 kW, 4.5-second sprint. 1
This is a price-and-mix correction, not a clean-sheet product. The new trim turns the June 10 single-motor MIIT filing into a saleable car, keeps the i8's large battery, fast charging, air suspension and six-seat layout, and asks buyers to give up front-axle traction. That is a sensible response to a model that delivered only 779 units in June, but it also makes the next few months a test of whether range and cabin comfort matter more to family-SUV buyers than all-wheel drive and acceleration. 2
The launch in one scan
- New trim: Li i8 Rear-Drive Long Range, a six-seat battery-electric SUV.
- Price: RMB 309,800, or RMB 30,000 below the RMB 339,800 AWD version.
- Range and battery: 97.8 kWh ternary-lithium battery, 780 km CLTC range and 13.6 kWh/100 km claimed consumption.
- Powertrain: Rear-mounted single motor, 250 kW, 6.6 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h.
- Comfort: Three reported zero-gravity positions — both front seats and the right-side second-row seat — plus the i8's 2+2+2 layout.
- Order-period offer: Orders placed from Aug. 6 through Aug. 31 can receive benefits valued at up to RMB 35,750.
- Delivery: Li Auto has not published a first-handover date for this trim in the launch coverage. 13
What the RMB 30,000 cut changes
| Field | Rear-Drive Long Range | AWD High Performance | Buyer trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| China MSRP | RMB 309,800 | RMB 339,800 | RMB 30,000 stays in the buyer's pocket. |
| Drive system | One rear motor, 250 kW | Dual motor, 400 kW | RWD gives up front-axle traction and peak output. |
| 0–100 km/h | 6.6 seconds | 4.5 seconds | Still quick for a large family SUV, but not a performance trim. |
| Battery / CLTC range | 97.8 kWh / 780 km | 97.8 kWh / 720 km | The RWD car adds 60 km on the CLTC cycle. |
| Charging | 5C; up to 500 km added in 10 minutes | 5C; up to 500 km added in 10 minutes | The cheaper trim keeps the headline charging capability. |
| Chassis | Dual-chamber air suspension; double wishbone front and five-link rear | Shared hardware | The price cut does not remove the most visible ride-comfort hardware. |
| Assisted driving | LiDAR and Nvidia Drive Thor-U chip are reported as shared equipment | Shared equipment | The launch report does not map sensor count or software functions by trim. |
The specifications above come from the launch reports. The 400 kW, 720 km and 4.5-second AWD figures, along with the 250 kW, 780 km and 6.6-second RWD figures, are reported by CnEVPost and CarNewsChina; the latter also confirms the six-seat 2+2+2 layout and 3,050 mm wheelbase. 14
The battery and charging story is the strongest part of the new trim. Li Auto has not made the cheaper car a short-range compromise: it retains the 97.8 kWh pack and 5C charging system, with a claimed 500 km of added CLTC range in 10 minutes. The 780 km figure is still a CLTC number, so real motorway range will be lower and will depend on speed, temperature and load. 1
Three zero-gravity seats, with one order-sheet caveat
The comfort package is unusually aggressive for the new entry price. A launch report describes full-size zero-gravity massage seats for the driver and front passenger, plus a zero-gravity seat on the right side of the second row. The second-row seat reclines to a reported maximum of 145 degrees. 5
There is a wording difference across the launch coverage. CnEVPost describes the front-row zero-gravity seats as a free upgrade worth RMB 20,000 inside the limited-time offer, while the Phoenix/Netcom report describes the front pair as part of the vehicle's comfort equipment. For a buyer, the practical conclusion is simple: confirm whether the front-seat upgrade is standard on the signed order or conditional on the Aug. 6–31 promotion. The second-row right-side zero-gravity seat is the more meaningful family-use differentiator because it gives one rear passenger a lounge position without sacrificing the six-seat layout. 15
From MIIT filing to showroom price
The June 10 MIIT filing was useful because it revealed the architectural change without revealing the commercial answer. It showed a new single-motor i8 with a 250 kW motor, a ternary-lithium battery, a six-seat layout, the existing 5,085 mm length and 3,050 mm wheelbase, and a 200 km/h top speed. It did not give the price, battery capacity or range. 2
The launch fills those gaps with a coherent product logic: remove the front motor, keep the large battery and fast-charge system, and push the car into the low-RMB 300,000 bracket. The 60 km range gain is a useful side effect of lower drivetrain weight and consumption, but the more important number is the RMB 30,000 entry-price reduction. Li Auto is trying to make the six-seat i8 a broader family purchase rather than a premium AWD-only proposition.
The order-period package adds another temporary price lever:
- Financing from a RMB 99,800 down payment, with three years at zero interest or five years at low interest, for a maximum stated interest saving of RMB 15,750.
- A free front-row full-size zero-gravity seat upgrade valued at RMB 20,000.
- A RMB 10,000 cash deduction for first-owner Li Auto customers buying again; qualifying 2020 Li ONE first owners can stack an additional benefit.
Those benefits expire on Aug. 31, so they should not be treated as permanent MSRP. The permanent change is the trim's RMB 309,800 list price. 15
How the new price sits against rivals
The relevant comparison is not simply "which SUV is cheapest." The i8 is a 5,085 mm six-seat SUV, so it sells space, seating and long-distance charging as much as it sells acceleration.
- AITO M8 BEV: CnEVPost reported a starting price of RMB 359,800 for the five- or six-seat electric M8, with a 100 kWh battery and up to 705 km CLTC range. The i8 RWD undercuts it by RMB 50,000 while claiming 75 km more CLTC range. AITO still matters as the closer premium family-SUV benchmark, especially for buyers who value Huawei's ecosystem. 6
- NIO: The five-seat ES8 launched at RMB 382,800 including the battery pack. That places the i8 RWD RMB 73,000 lower, but the ES8 sits higher on price and NIO's premium-brand positioning. 7
- XPeng: The updated G9 starts at RMB 248,800 and reaches RMB 278,800 before its top assisted-driving packages. It offers 625 km or 725 km CLTC range, depending on battery, and is 194 mm shorter than the i8. That is a lower-priced, more compact alternative, not a six-seat substitute. 8
- BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi: The price gap to legacy luxury EVs is narrowing from both directions. BMW cut the 2026 iX1 eDrive25L to RMB 228,000 and the xDrive30L to RMB 268,000, though the iX1 is not a like-for-like large six-seat rival. Mercedes-Benz's 2026 EQE SUV is listed at RMB 486,000–630,600 with 609 km CLTC range, while FAW-Audi's Q6L e-tron starts at RMB 348,800. The i8 RWD sits below the Audi and far below the Mercedes on list price, but the comparison is about brand, cabin finish and service as much as vehicle size. 91011
The i8's opening move is therefore clear: it is priced above XPeng's high-volume technology SUV, below AITO and Audi's larger premium BEVs, and well below NIO's main-brand flagship SUV. Its case depends on the combination of six seats, three reported zero-gravity positions, 780 km CLTC range and 5C charging. If a buyer does not need three rows or can accept a smaller car, the price advantage becomes less decisive.
Delivery is the remaining gap
The new trim is officially on sale and its order-period benefits have a fixed end date, but the launch coverage does not provide a first-handover date, initial allocation or production target. That makes this a pricing launch rather than a delivery milestone. Buyers can calculate the list price and promotional value today; they cannot yet plan a handover week from a published timetable. 1
The next useful disclosures are narrow:
- Whether the front zero-gravity upgrade remains available after Aug. 31 and whether it is standard, optional or promotion-bound.
- The exact RWD order sheet, including rear entertainment hardware, ADAS sensor count and software-feature mapping.
- The first customer handover date and early production volume.
- Whether June's 779-unit i8 run improves after the lower-priced trim reaches stores.
Li Auto has removed the i8's most obvious barrier — its RMB 339,800 AWD-only entry point — without cutting the battery or charging headline. The company now has to prove that the buyers it reaches with RMB 309,800 will accept rear-wheel drive, and that the model can turn an attractive specification sheet into sustained deliveries.
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