The ever-growing world of Chinese car brands has
just be joined by another newcomer: Li Xiang. In English, that name means
Leading Ideal, and the vehicle you see below is the brand’s first production
model. Dubbed the Li Xiang One, it certainly looks quite promising.
Powering the One is a hybrid powertrain consisting
of a 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor. Unlike most
hybrids currently on the market, the 1.2-liter engine doesn’t actually power
the wheels and is used exclusively as a range extender to recharge the battery.
This setup results in a total of 326 hp and 530 Nm of torque and
the large SUV will allegedly travel 700 km before needing some
juice.
The Li Xiang One is big, measuring 5020 mm long, 1960 mm wide, and 1760 mm tall.
Those dimensions are more than enough to support seven seats but the car
manufacturer instead decided to fit two large seats in the second row rather
than three, giving occupants have plenty of room. The company says a seven-seat
configuration is also available if the customer so wishes.
Seating layout aside, the One comes with no less
than four screens in the cabin. There’s a digital gauge cluster and next to it,
two large infotainment screens. Positioned below these screens is a fourth
display used to operate things such as the climate control. Nappa leather is
also found throughout and has been sourced from the same company that supplies
BMW with its leather, while a Level 2 autonomous driving system is standard.
Prices for the One in China start at around 400,000
yuan, or a touch under US$ 60,000. The brand, as well as its hybrid SUV, will
debut at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show.
