After Sony, Huawei and recently by Xiaomi, another multinational company has embarked on a booming automotive adventure: Alibaba. THE Chinese e-commerce giant (known for his site Aliexpress) is indeed partnering with state-owned automotive group SAIC to launch its own electric car models. SAIC, with its know-how in the automotive industry (MG, Roewe, Maxus) has a 50/50 partnership with Alibaba for establishment of a joint venture: IM Motors. Founded in 2020, Intelligence in Motion presented three concepts a year later, two of which were prototypes of future production models. This is how they were born sedan L7 and SUV LS7. The L7, which goes on sale from summer 2022, has now been added to the range the new LS7 SUV. Its production started at the end of December 2022!

A new electric SUV with a unified design

This new sporty compact SUV smooth and slender lines, as well as a silhouette that brings it closer to competitors Nio or Tesla. This is also the entire positioning of the IM brand: to offer premium electric models, to the same positions as already well-established manufacturers. With his washed the door handleshim slender spotlightsand his long bandage at the backthe stylistic exercise was successful.

As is often the case with SUVs, we find some points in common with other models: the front is reminiscent of the Porsche Macan and the rear of the Aston Martin DBX. Excuse me a little! On board, the same philosophy was applied to the interior design. AND a giant digital panel occupies the entire width and acts as a dashboard. We also find in the center a large screen for orders use and information and entertainment means. A nod to Tesla, it is equipped with a Steering wheel “coquette”, cut in half !

Soon in Europe?

On a technical level, two options are available. Propulsion, with one developing engine 340 horsepower. And also a more powerful all-wheel drive version (one motor per axle). 577 horsepower. For this second version, the torque is pharaonic: 725 Nm! Associated with the Chinese giant CATL, IM offers two battery levels : one 90 kW permit The range is 615 kilometers (Chinese cycle). Another 100 kW, which makes it possible to increase this figure 660 kilometers. It went into production on December 20, 2022, with over 3,000 pre-orders!

Why do you want to talk about a Chinese SUV from the end of the world? It may well be so SAIC decides to import this LS7 (as well as the L7 sedan) to Europe, where they could be distributed by MG! Thus, SAIC, less well established on the Old Continent than its competitors Geely or BYD, can offer these are more premium-oriented models European consumers. THE camouflaged photos of the LS7 on a trailer in Belgium seems to confirm these assumptions…