Li Auto Releases L9 Pro version, Simplifies Configuration and Lowers the Price to Seize the Market
On August 3rd, Li Auto officially released another version of its six-seater SUV L9 model – the L9 Pro, with a price of 429,800 yuan（60,173 US Dollar), which is 30,000 yuan (4,200 US Dollar) cheaper than the L9 MAX version priced at 459,800 yuan (64,373 US Dollar).
In June of last year, Li L9 was officially released, but only in the MAX version. Now, the L9 offers two versions: Pro and Max, with the biggest difference being the intelligent driving configuration.
Specifically, Li L9 Pro comes with the Ideal Intelligent Driving AD Pro as standard equipment, equipped with one Horizon Robotics Journey 5 chip, providing a total computing power of 128 TOPS. It is equipped with 23 cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic radar, but does not have a lidar. It has high-speed NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) assisted driving capability.
The standard configuration of Li L9 Max includes the Ideal Intelligent Driving AD Max, which is equipped with one LiDAR, two NVIDIA Orin-X chips, and a total computing power of 508 TOPS. It also has 23 cameras, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic radar, and five intelligent driving auxiliary lights, providing full-scene assisted driving capabilities.
With AD Max, Li Auto has already conducted urban NOA testing in the Wangjing area of Beijing this year without relying on high-precision maps, and plans to expand the urban NOA function to 100 cities within this year. However, the Pro version model is not included in this plan.
In terms of other configurations, the L9 Pro and L9 Max remain consistent, with standard features such as Li Auto‘s Magic Carpet Air Suspension™, Li Intelligent Space SS Max+, three OLED screens, in-car refrigerator, and 100 other options. Li Auto has announced that pre-orders will be available starting from August 3rd, and the new vehicles will be delivered by August 2023.
This is an action taken to expand market share and maintain competitiveness.
Currently, Li Auto has three models available for sale: L9, L8, and L7. Since the beginning of this year, Li Auto‘s overall sales volume has been continuously surpassing previous records. The delivery volume in June and July both exceeded 30,000 vehicles. Li Auto has declared its ambition to challenge a monthly sales volume of 40,000 units in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Based on the June sales figures, a total of 32,575 vehicles were delivered by Li Auto. The main seller, L7, sold 13,107 units, L8 sold 9,618 units, and L9 sold 8,451 units. As the highest-priced model, L9’s performance has been relatively good. However, compared to its initial monthly sales of over ten thousand units when it was launched in September 2022, there has been a slight decline.
In addition, due to the fierce competition in the new energy vehicle market, although Li L9 is positioned for families as a large 6-seater SUV, its actual competitors are not only mid-to-high-end SUVs but also often compete with some MPV models, such as Denza D9. The sales of Denza D9 have been continuously increasing this year. Starting from March this year, Denza D9 has achieved monthly sales exceeding ten thousand units consecutively. In July this year, the sales of Denza D9 reached 11,146 units.
If Li Auto wants to achieve its fourth-quarter goals, it needs more stimulation.
And with the launch of the L9 Pro model, it appears that Li Auto has released a new vehicle, but in reality, they have achieved a price reduction by simplifying the configuration. This kind of approach is not uncommon for Li Auto. In February this year, Li Auto also introduced the L8\L7 Air model by changing battery suppliers and removing air suspension, which further lowered the vehicle’s selling price.
