IM L6 to launch in May
carnewschina.com, 1 Mar '24
After debuting recently at the Geneva Motor Show more details are emerging about the IM L6 on social media due to the information provided by government departments.
It is now believed that the fourth model from SAIC brand IM Motors will officially launch in May, 2024 in China. Sales in South America and Europe will likely begin in 2025.
The dimensions of the new car are 4931mm length, 1960mm width, 1474mm height, and the wheelbase is 2950mm. Weight is 2040 kg for the rear wheel drive version and 2250 kg for the all-wheel drive performance version. The rear wheel drive car gets a 250 kW electric motor whereas performance versions swap that out for a 379 kW motor and add a 200 kW motor to the front axle.
At launch the car will come with a choice 90 or 100 kWh ternary lithium (NCM) battery packs from CATL. The smaller pack gives the rear wheel drive version a 720 km CLTC range and the all-wheel drive 700 km whereas the 100 kWh battery gives 770 km and 750 km respectively.
IM however spoke at Geneva about a version gaining a solid state battery. This they claim will provide over 800 km (WLTP) range or 1000 km CLTC.
At the back the car has an upturned ducktail type rear and the car may actually be more of a hatchback than a pure sedan.
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) listing information shows that the car really does use the half-spoke yoke steering wheel and that the car will have a choice of four different wheels. Higher spec versions will gain roof mounted Lidar.
Social media posts by Liu Tao, the chief executive officer (CEO) of IM, has led Chinese media to believe the driving capabilities or the L6 will be a major selling point. They expect the car to come with self-adjusting damping and have rear-wheel steering and the ability to do tank turns like the Yangwang U8. Speculations also lies around the car's self-driving capability after IM Motors obtained L3 autonomous driving test permits in Shanghai.
In December 2023 highway NOA (navigation on autopilot) went live for highways in 333 cities nationwide. Urban NOA will gradually be rolled out in the first half of 2024.
