Li Auto i8: rear-wheel drive brings a lower price and longer range, but loses 400 kW of power
lixiang.com
Li Auto's rear-wheel-drive i8 Long Range now starts at 309,800 yuan, about $45,850, with CLTC range up to 780 km.
Li Auto has launched a rear-wheel-drive i8 Long Range priced at 309,800 yuan (about $45,850). The new version costs 30,000 yuan — roughly $4,440 — less than the previous all-wheel-drive model. At the same time, CLTC-cycle range grew from 720 to 780 km, while claimed consumption dropped from 14.8 to 13.6 kWh per 100 km.
According to 32CARS.RU, the car keeps its 97.8 kWh traction battery and 5C charging system. Ten minutes of charging adds up to 500 km of estimated range. The 780 km figure is measured under China's CLTC cycle and doesn’t match real-world highway range or WLTP results.
Dimensions are unchanged: 5,085 x 1,960 x 1,740 mm with a 3,050 mm wheelbase. The drag coefficient is 0.218. The new version gains an electric front trunk, freed up after Li Auto dropped the front electric motor.
Standard equipment includes dual-chamber air suspension, front seats with “zero-gravity” positioning and 16-point massage, plus a second-row right-side seat with a leg rest. That footrest opens to 78 degrees, and the seatback reclines up to 145 degrees.
Until August 31, Li Auto is offering incentives worth up to 35,750 yuan — about $5,290. The down payment starts at 99,800 yuan, or roughly $14,770. Existing owners buying again get a 10,000-yuan discount — about $1,480 — and owners of the 2020 Li ONE can stack it with separate bonuses.
Rear-wheel drive makes the i8 cheaper, more efficient and longer-range, but buyers lose the previous version’s 400 kW all-wheel-drive powertrain. The official Li Auto i8 hasn’t launched in Russia yet. Buyers of gray-market imports should check Lixiang’s service terms in advance: warranty coverage isn’t the same as a factory warranty and requires servicing through a participating dealer.
Li Auto is already expanding across the Middle East and Asia, though its announced international strategy hasn’t confirmed an official i8 launch in Russia. That means the Chinese price shouldn’t be read as a future Russian one: shipping, recycling fees, taxes and dealer margin will push it higher.
