2026 IM Motors L6: NEO-Platform Fastback Sedan Adds IM Claw AI Agent and 850 km Range

IM Motors, the SAIC-backed premium EV brand that also counts Alibaba among its investors, opened pre-sales for a next-generation IM L6 (known in China as the Zhiji L6 (romanized from its Chinese name)) on August 18, 2026. This is not a minor spec bump — it is the first production sedan built on SAIC's new NEO electrical and electronic architecture, part of the automaker's NEXT·2028 strategy unveiled at the Chengdu Auto Show earlier this month. The new L6 pairs an 800-volt platform and a fully by-wire chassis with IM Claw, a conversational AI agent that can plan and execute multi-step trips from a single spoken sentence. Five variants are available at pre-sale, starting at 219,900 yuan (roughly $32,700), including two limited-edition trims co-designed with footwear designer Prof. Jimmy Choo. Official on-sale pricing and delivery dates had not been confirmed as of this writing.

Performance & Specs

The new L6 lineup splits into single-motor rear-wheel-drive trims and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive flagship. The entry Max trim pairs a 76 kWh CATL battery with a 245 kW (328 hp) rear motor producing 430 Nm of torque, good for 725 km of CLTC range. Step up to the Pro Max — likely the volume seller, and the trim this article's spec bar reflects — and the same rear-motor layout grows to 300 kW (402 hp) and 500 Nm, paired with a larger 93 kWh pack that stretches CLTC range to 850 km, the longest in the lineup. At the top, the Ultra swaps in a dual-motor AWD setup producing 500 kW (670 hp) combined and 800 Nm of torque, cutting the 0–100 km/h sprint to 2.74 seconds — braking from 100 km/h back to zero in a claimed 33 meters. All three standard trims ride on the same 800-volt NEO architecture, which IM Motors says trims curb weight by roughly 8% and lifts drivetrain efficiency by about 2.8% versus the outgoing generation.

Powertrain	Single-motor RWD BEV
Power	300 kW (402 hp)
Torque	500 Nm
0–100 km/h	4.9 s
Battery	93 kWh CATL
Range	850 km (CLTC)

What sets this generation apart mechanically is a chassis that is by-wire across the board, on every trim, not just the flagship. Steering, rear-wheel steering (up to 18 degrees), and braking — via a Continental MK C2 brake-by-wire unit — all run through electronic control with a claimed 20-millisecond response time and triple redundancy, IM Motors says, for safety in case of a single-point failure. That hardware also enables a tight 4.39-meter turning radius despite the car's nearly 4.9-meter length. Charging is handled through the same 800-volt backbone, with a peak DC rate of 396 kW that IM Motors says can add 580 km of CLTC range in 15 minutes on a compatible ultra-fast charger. Energy consumption is rated as low as roughly 11.6 kWh/100 km on the Ultra, which is broadly consistent with the battery and range figures published for each trim.

POWERTRAIN TYPE	Battery-electric (BEV)
HORSEPOWER	328–670 hp depending on trim
ACCELERATION	2.74s–4.9s (0–100 km/h)
DRIVETRAIN	RWD (Max, Pro Max) or AWD (Ultra)
BATTERY	76 / 93 / 103 kWh (CATL)
ELECTRIC RANGE	725–850 km (CLTC)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,924 mm
Width	1,960 mm
Height	1,474 mm
Wheelbase	2,950 mm
Curb weight	2,130–2,250 kg

At 4,924 mm long and 1,960 mm wide, the L6 sits in the mid-to-large sedan bracket, with a 2,950 mm wheelbase that's long relative to its overall length — a byproduct of the sloping, fastback-style roofline IM Motors is marketing as an "urban bespoke sportback" shape. The car is a five-seater, and IM Motors quotes a curb weight range of 2,130–2,250 kg depending on battery size and drivetrain. Detailed cargo and frunk volume figures for this generation have not been published yet, so we're not going to guess at litre counts here; we'll update this article once IM Motors releases full trunk specifications. The four-wheel-steer-by-wire system also pays a practicality dividend beyond parking: with an 18-degree maximum rear steer angle, the L6 can spin through a 4.39-meter turning circle, tighter than several compact hatchbacks, despite its sedan-class footprint.

LENGTH	4,924 mm
WIDTH	1,960 mm
HEIGHT	1,474 mm
WHEELBASE	2,950 mm
SEATS	5
TURNING RADIUS	4.39 m

Charging & Battery

Every L6 trim rides on IM Motors' full-domain 800-volt architecture, the same voltage class used by performance EV rivals like the ZEEKR 007 and XPeng P7 Plus. Peak DC fast-charging power is rated at 396 kW, which IM Motors says is enough to add 580 km of CLTC range in about 15 minutes under ideal conditions — real-world charging curves typically run somewhat below headline peak figures, so treat that as a best-case number. Battery capacity scales with trim: 76 kWh on the Max, 93 kWh on the Pro Max (and the equivalent-spec Jimmy Choo edition), and 103 kWh on the dual-motor Ultra. IM Motors cites energy consumption as low as roughly 11.6 kWh/100 km on the Ultra, a figure broadly consistent with the battery-to-range math across the lineup once you account for the usual gap between CLTC lab testing and real-world driving.

BATTERY	76 / 93 / 103 kWh (CATL)
DC FAST CHARGING	Up to 396 kW
DC 15-MIN TOP-UP	~580 km CLTC (Pro Max)
CONSUMPTION	~11.6 kWh/100 km (Ultra, CLTC)

Design & Interior

Exterior styling leans into the "fastback sedan" (a sloping-roofline shape, called "liubei" in Chinese) look IM Motors is using to position the L6 as a sportback rather than a conventional three-box sedan — a closed-off front grille, slim LED lighting front and rear, and a coupe-like roofline that tapers toward a ducktail spoiler are the visual signature. Inside, the new generation moves to a three-screen cabin layout anchored by a 42-inch floating display that spans much of the dashboard width, finished with a mix of leather and wood-grain trim aimed at a more premium, less tech-cluttered feel than IM Motors' earlier interiors. The two Prof. Jimmy Choo limited editions push that further with bespoke trim and design details tied to the designer's involvement — IM Motors is billing the collaboration as the industry's first mass-produced car co-branded with a footwear designer, with just 1,000 units planned across both battery configurations. Standard-trim buyers also get access to comfort features IM Motors is offering as free limited-time upgrades during the pre-sale window, including an integrated smart sunroof, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a 5.7-liter dual-temperature refrigerator between the front seats, and 19-inch wheels.

Technology & Features

The headline new feature is IM Claw, an AI agent IM Motors introduced alongside the NEO architecture as part of its NEXT·2028 strategy. Rather than the menu-driven voice assistants common on Chinese EVs, IM Claw is pitched as capable of interpreting a single, loosely specified spoken request — a multi-stop errand run, for example — and independently sequencing the navigation, charging stops, and in-car settings needed to carry it out, without the driver having to issue each step separately. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon SA8295P cockpit chip, the same silicon powering the car's IMOS smart-cockpit software and its full-scenario voice interaction across the three-screen interior. On the driving side, the L6's Momenta-codeveloped IM AD suite supports highway and urban navigate-on-autopilot that IM Motors says does not require high-definition mapping data, plus one-key AI valet parking. That stack leans on a roof-mounted LiDAR unit fitted standard across the entire lineup, and reportedly on Nvidia's Thor compute platform, though the exact chip has not been independently confirmed by every outlet covering the launch. First owners are also being offered lifetime free access to IM AD's advanced driving features and a lifetime battery warranty as pre-sale incentives.

Available Versions

VERSION	POWER	TORQUE	0-100	DRIVETRAIN	BATTERY	EV RANGE	COMBINED RANGE	PRICE	KEY DIFFERENCES
Max	328 hp	430 Nm	—	RWD	76 kWh	725 km	—	$32,700	Entry trim, single rear motor
Pro Max	402 hp	500 Nm	4.9s	RWD	93 kWh	850 km	—	$34,930	Longest-range trim in the lineup
Ultra	670 hp	800 Nm	2.74s	AWD	103 kWh	840 km	—	$40,130	Dual-motor performance flagship
x Jimmy Choo (76 kWh)	328 hp	430 Nm	—	RWD	76 kWh	~725 km	—	$34,930	Max-spec mechanicals, bespoke Jimmy Choo design package, 1,000-unit combined limit
x Jimmy Choo (93 kWh)	402 hp	500 Nm	—	RWD	93 kWh	~850 km	—	$37,160	Pro Max-spec mechanicals, bespoke Jimmy Choo design package, 1,000-unit combined limit

Pricing & Availability

Pre-sales for the next-generation IM L6 opened in China on August 18, 2026, with the three standard trims priced from 219,900 yuan (Max, ~$32,700) to 269,900 yuan (Ultra, ~$40,130), and the two Prof. Jimmy Choo limited editions priced at 234,900 yuan (~$34,930) and 249,900 yuan (~$37,160). IM Motors has not yet published a firm official on-sale date, final confirmed pricing, or delivery timeline as of this writing — pre-sale figures on past IM L6 launches have tended to land close to the eventual official price, but that is a pattern, not a confirmation, so treat the numbers above as pre-sale pricing until IM Motors formally announces the on-sale event. The Jimmy Choo editions are capped at 1,000 units combined across both battery options. As with prior IM L6 generations, the car is being sold through IM Motors' own China retail network; this next-generation, NEO-architecture version has not yet been confirmed for international markets (see FAQ below for the export history of earlier L6 generations).

How It Compares

Against the ZEEKR 007, the L6 Pro Max trades a little peak power (402 hp vs. 416 hp) for a substantial range advantage — 850 km CLTC against 688 km — while landing roughly $4,000 higher on price. Xiaomi's SU7 undercuts the L6 on price by about $3,000 and remains a strong tech-brand draw in its own right, but it can't match the L6 Pro Max's horsepower or its by-wire chassis hardware. The XPeng P7 Plus sits closest on price ($35,401 vs. $34,930) yet trails on both power and range, making the L6 Pro Max look like the stronger all-round spec sheet in this cluster — on paper, at least, since none of these three rivals ship with a fully by-wire chassis or a standard LiDAR unit at this price point.