On September 16, 2026, the Li i9, Arcfox Alpha T7, and Fang Cheng Bao Formula S were launched in the same week, with starting prices of RMB 369,800, RMB 132,800, and RMB 189,900, respectively, covering a large flagship battery-electric SUV, a mid-size family SUV, and a mid-to-large battery-electric sedan. The three cars respectively use space, chassis, and hardware, the downward extension of Huawei's intelligent driving, and a 900 km range plus 5-minute flash charging as selling points, reflecting competition among Chinese new energy vehicle makers in energy replenishment, intelligent driving, and by-wire chassis, and providing a product foundation for overseas expansion.
Three new cars launched in the same week, spanning the RMB 130,000–370,000 price band
On September 16, 2026, Li Auto i9, BAIC Arcfox Alpha T7, and BYD's Fang Cheng Bao Formula S series were launched simultaneously, positioned respectively as a large flagship all-electric SUV, a mid-size family SUV, and a mid-to-large all-electric sedan. Their starting prices are RMB 369,800, RMB 132,800, and RMB 189,900, respectively, equivalent to about $54,700, $19,600, and $28,100 (at 1 USD = 6.7628 yuan). The three models take different paths in product definition, with charging speed, smart-driving hardware, and chassis configuration as common points of competition.
Li Auto i9: RMB 369,800, defining flagship status through space and chassis hardware
The Li Auto i9 is offered only in one Home version, priced at RMB 369,800, and is the first flagship model built on the second-generation all-electric platform. It measures 5,225 mm long, 1,970 mm wide, and 1,752 mm high, with a wheelbase of 3,168 mm. Compared with the i8, it is 140 mm longer and has a 118 mm longer wheelbase, making it the brand's largest SUV to date; the official drag coefficient is 0.215 Cd, which it claims is the lowest among mass-produced SUVs globally.
The vehicle has a 6-seat layout, with four zero-gravity seats as standard. The second row can rotate electrically in both directions, and with the table, it can switch between scenarios such as meetings and rest. The cabin is equipped with a 10 L heating/cooling fridge, a 29-speaker audio system, a 29-inch 6K front screen, and a 21-inch 4K rear screen. On the electric powertrain front, it uses a 101 kWh ternary lithium battery, supports 5C charging, and has a CLTC range of 705 km; the company says 10 minutes of charging can add 500 km. The i8 AWD version has a range of 720 km, and the RWD long-range version has 780 km, so the i9's differentiation is more in space and comfort features. Power comes from a dual-motor AWD system with a maximum output of 400 kW and 660 Nm of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. It comes standard with dual-chamber air suspension, steer-by-wire, and rear-wheel steering, with a minimum turning diameter of 10.6 meters.
For smart driving, it comes standard with the self-developed M100 chip, one front-facing lidar, and the VLA large model. An optional dual-M100 package is available for RMB 30,000 (1280 TOPS of computing power, adding two side-facing and one rear-facing lidar). The first batch uses CATL batteries, with a later switch to self-developed batteries manufactured by Sunwoda.
The i9 is RMB 30,000 more expensive than the i8 AWD Performance version (RMB 339,800), a premium of about 8.8%. Li Auto's vehicle gross margin in the second quarter was 9.4%, down from 19.4% a year earlier, with a net loss of RMB 1.7 billion; it delivered 37,679 vehicles in August, up 32.07% year on year, ending three consecutive months of year-on-year decline. Cumulative deliveries from January to August were 261,619, still down slightly 0.6% year on year. Management said the share of all-electric models in sales will increase in the second half.
Arcfox Alpha T7: from RMB 132,800, using Huawei smart driving to move upmarket
The Arcfox Alpha T7 comes in 9 variants, including 4 extended-range and 5 all-electric models. Its post-subsidy price ranges from RMB 132,800 to RMB 168,800, with the starting price RMB 5,000 (3.6%) lower than the pre-sale price announced on August 26. The manufacturer's suggested price ranges from RMB 136,800 to RMB 172,800. The company said more than 30,000 orders were locked within one hour of launch, and cumulative pre-sale orders exceeded 60,000.
The new car is positioned as a mid-to-large SUV, measuring 5,020 mm long with a 3,040 mm wheelbase. It adopts coupe-like styling and offers five seats across the lineup. Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 Pro is available only on four Qiankun versions (2 EREV, 2 BEV), with post-subsidy starting prices of 153,800 yuan and 158,800 yuan. It uses 27 sensors, including a hidden lidar, and supports highway and urban navigation assistance. The BEV version uses an 800V silicon carbide platform, with a single-motor peak output of 227 kW and a CLTC range of 650 or 715 km. The 715 km version has an 84.8 kWh battery, and fast charging adds 270 km in 10 minutes. The EREV version has a 1.5L range extender plus an electric motor with up to 200 kW, a 43.9 kWh battery across the lineup, 320 km of electric range, and 1,315 km of combined range. Battery cells across the lineup come from CATL, while the infotainment system integrates Tongyi Qianwen and Doubao large models.
Fangchengbao Formula S: Starting at 189,900 yuan, entering the sedan market with charging speed
The Formula S series includes nine models across sedans and GT shooting brakes: five Formula S models priced from 189,900 to 229,900 yuan, and four GT models priced from 219,900 to 239,900 yuan. The presale range announced on August 20 was 230,000 to 280,000 yuan; the official starting price is 40,100 yuan lower than the lower bound, about 17.4%. This is Fangchengbao’s third product line after the Bao series and Tai series, marking its official entry into the battery-electric sedan market.
Formula S has a maximum CLTC range of 900 km, while the GT has a maximum of 850 km. Both come standard with fast charging: 10% to 70% takes 5 minutes, and 10% to 97% takes 9 minutes. Both use the second-generation Blade Battery. The entry rear-wheel-drive version costs 189,900 yuan and has a 76.744 kWh battery, 730 km range, and DiSus-C suspension; the long-range rear-wheel-drive version costs 209,900 yuan, with a 92.093 kWh battery and 900 km range; the all-wheel-drive version costs 229,900 yuan and has a 750 km range. The GT lineup all uses a 92.093 kWh battery, with 850 km for RWD and 730 km for AWD. The chassis debuts DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension, while the DiSus-A version uses dual-chamber air suspension; versions with the same powertrain and range are priced identically. The AWD system has a combined output of 490 kW; the advanced driver assistance system features God’s Eye B with lidar. The wheelbase is 2,960 mm, length is 5,060 mm, and the GT is 5,025 mm.
Fangchengbao sold 41,568 vehicles in August, up 155.57% year-on-year; cumulative sales from January to August were 242,255, up 165.66% year-on-year, already exceeding the full-year 2025 total of 234,637.
The common direction of the three paths
Li Auto i9 packages steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering, air suspension, and a self-developed chip into a flagship SUV for 369,800 yuan, using hardware and space to define its premium while also tasked with improving sales mix and profitability; Arcfox Alpha T7 brings the 800V platform and Huawei advanced driver assistance down to the 130,000–170,000 yuan range, using optional versions to push into higher price bands; Fangchengbao Formula S benchmarks against the Xiaomi SU7 and Tesla Model 3 with 900 km of range, 5-minute fast charging, and magnetorheological suspension.
From an overseas expansion perspective, the three vehicles cover multiple overseas market segments, from mainstream family cars to high-end flagships. The density of features in energy replenishment, steer-by-wire chassis, and intelligent driving hardware forms the product foundation for competing overseas; however, market access conditions, tariff arrangements, and progress on localized production still depend on each company's subsequent plans, and this launch did not disclose relevant information.
