IM Motors, the joint venture between e-commerce giant Alibaba and car manufacturer SAIC, has released a second model: the LS7, a large electric SUV.

The Zhiji LS7, as it’s called in China, offers a high-tech driving experience and even a ‘Zero Gravity Buoyancy Mode’ thanks to its flat-folding passenger seat.

The LS7 follows the L7, a large electric sedan that can be seen as a cheaper alternative to the Tesla Model S. This LS7 would, therefore, be a competitor to the Tesla Model X, with a length of over five meters and a very long wheelbase of 3,06 meters.

Lots of screens

No 7-seat option is available, however. Instead, the LS7 focuses on delivering its driver and passengers a comfortable and high-tech driving experience.

There’s a yoke-style steering wheel, a display spanning the entire width of the dashboard with an additional screen on the center console, and a large panoramic windscreen to allow the user to see “all the wonderful landscapes without any barriers”.

On the technical side, the LS7 shares the L7’s drivetrain, with the option of a 250 kW (340 hp) rear-wheel drive or a 425 kW (578 hp) all-wheel drive powertrain.

The battery measures 90 or 100 kWh, offering a range of up to 660 km, according to the Chinese CLTC cycle, which is a bit more optimistic than the European WLTP cycle.

Zero gravity

The lack of a third row of seats gives the IM Motors LS7 a trunk space of 733 liters and makes space for a flexible arrangement of the passenger seats.

For example, the front passenger seat can be reclined fully in ‘Large Lying Comfort Mode’, while the passenger rear seat has a ‘Zero Gravity Buoyancy Mode’.

Pre-orders have already opened in China, with customers having to deposit 888 yuan (119 euros) of the 350 000 to 500 000 yuan (47 000 to 67 000 euros) price range for the LS7.

In addition, the first 10 000 customers get a 5000 yuan (673 euros) ‘travel fund’ for 2023. Deliveries will begin in March 2023.