Li Auto has launched the 2026 i6, a mid-cycle update of its all-electric SUV, with a Chinese guide price of 249,800 yuan (about $35,200) before taxes and incentives. During the initial sales period, the car is available at a limited-time price of 239,800 yuan (about $33,800), according to NetEase Auto. Deliveries are expected to begin in early November.
The refresh focuses on ride comfort, an electric front trunk, battery range, lighting, driver assistance and safety. The body structure and wheelbase are unchanged, but the height drops by 15 mm to 1,655 mm, with length and width at 4,950 mm and 1,935 mm respectively. Two new cold-effect paint colours, Hyacinth Purple and Magnetic Blue, expand the palette to six.
Bigger screens, new seats
Inside, the split centre and passenger displays are replaced by a single 29-inch 6K panoramic screen, and the small display above the steering wheel is removed. The cabin runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8797 chip, with an optional 21-inch 4K rear entertainment screen and a dedicated rear control panel. The infotainment system supports CarPlay, HiCar and CarLink, and includes native compatibility with Insta360 cameras.
Seats are a major focus: the front pair are now dual zero-gravity units with 16-way electric adjustment, a maximum recline angle of 150 degrees, 18 massage points and four-way electric leg rests. The second-row right-side "queen seat" reclines to 140 degrees with an electric footrest, offering a maximum legroom of 1,150 mm. The cabin keeps a -6°C freezer-style fridge, five-zone climate control, sunshades and a 67W Type-C port in the rear armrest.
Self-developed battery and chip
Li Auto has switched to its own Lianshan 96 kWh 5C fast-charging lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery on an 800-volt architecture. The rear-drive version claims a CLTC range of 780 km (est. 625-660 km WLTP), while the all-wheel-drive version claims 710 km (est. 570-600 km WLTP) - increases of 60 km and 50 km over the previous model. CLTC figures are generally 15-20% more optimistic than WLTP results. A 10-minute fast charge can add about 500 km of range, the company says.
The driver assistance hardware is now fully domestic. Every i6 comes with a single Li Auto-developed Mach M100 chip rated at 1,280 TOPS, running the Mach VLA large model with a roof-mounted lidar for full-scenario navigation-assisted driving. Buyers can opt for a dual-chip setup at 2,560 TOPS with three additional solid-state blind-spot lidars for 360-degree coverage.
Two powertrains are offered: a rear-drive version with a 250 kW (335 hp) motor that reaches 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, and an all-wheel-drive version with a combined 400 kW (536 hp) and 660 Nm of torque, reaching 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. The suspension remains double wishbones up front and a five-link aluminium setup at the rear, with dual-chamber air springs standard.
The exterior gains ADB matrix headlights with intelligent beam masking and cornering assistance, plus semi-hidden door handles. The front trunk is now electrically operated with soft-close, controllable via buttons, tapping the bonnet, voice commands or a smartphone app. Existing i6 owners will get a paid upgrade for the electric front trunk in December, the company said.
Li Auto positions the update as "more features without a price increase", keeping the guide price unchanged from the outgoing model while addressing common owner complaints around lighting, cabin tech, seats and range. The self-developed battery also comes with a dedicated warranty plan, part of the company's push to bring more components in-house.
