IM Motors, the premium electric vehicle brand backed by SAIC and CATL, has opened pre-sales for its LS8 NEO, a large five-seat electric SUV. The two variants, 93 Max+ and 103 Max+, are priced from 249,800 yuan (about $35,200) as a Chinese guide price before taxes and incentives, with official market launch scheduled for November 5.
Standard equipment across the lineup
The LS8 NEO is the first model under IM's NEXT·2028 strategy and comes with a clear pitch: all variants include CATL batteries and a full steer-by-wire chassis as standard, avoiding the common practice of splitting core features into optional packages. The 93kWh and 103kWh battery packs are produced at CATL's Lighthouse Factory, which the company says maintains a defect rate of less than one cell per billion.
The SUV is built on SAIC's NEO three-electric architecture, featuring a motor with 300kW peak power and 500Nm peak torque, roughly equivalent to a high-output 3.0-liter turbocharged engine. Energy consumption is rated at 15.2kWh per 100km, and the 800V platform can add 529km of range in 15 minutes of charging. IM claims the battery retains about 95% of its capacity at minus 20 degrees Celsius, addressing a common winter concern for BEV (battery-electric) owners.
Chassis and intelligent driving
The LS8 NEO's steer-by-wire chassis, developed over eight years with over 1 million kilometers of testing, is a key differentiator. SAIC led the drafting of China's new national standard for steer-by-wire (GB17675-2025). The system includes 24-degree rear-wheel steering, reducing the turning radius to 4.85 meters, and offers three adjustable steering ratios from 4.5:1 to 14.2:1.
For driver assistance, the LS8 NEO uses IM AD ZETA, which applies L4-level model capabilities to L2-level assisted driving. The system is compatible with Momenta's physical AI world model. IM says the system was tested in complex traffic conditions such as the Arc de Triomphe roundabout in Paris during the 2026 Paris Motor Show, ahead of the model's planned European launch next year.
The cabin features the IM Claw intelligent assistant, developed with Alibaba's Qwen large language model, supporting fuzzy intent recognition and multi-agent task orchestration. The SUV includes a 4D massage driver seat, a zero-gravity front passenger seat, and a rear seat with a 132-degree recline angle and 70-degree electric leg rest. A 12.3L dual-door refrigerator maintains temperature for 48 hours, and the B&O audio system has 25 speakers with 7.1.4 channels.
IM Motors is offering pre-sale benefits including battery warranty for life for first non-commercial owners, free IM AD advanced assistance package, and free lifetime access to the IM Claw Token. Buyers can also opt for a 20,000 yuan upgrade to a six-seat configuration. According to 电动邦 (Dian Dong Bang), the strategy of standardizing core features across all variants aims to simplify the buying decision in a competitive segment, though the long-term reliability of steer-by-wire technology and cost pressures remain to be validated by real-world use.
