IM Motors launched the LS8 in China on April 17, a three-row extended-range electric SUV starting at 249,800 yuan (36,600 US dollars) and climbing to 299,800 yuan across four trims. The LS8 is the sixth model in the IM range, it shares a playbook with parent company SAIC's export-brand MG, and it is the first mainstream EREV on the Chinese market to offer four-wheel steer-by-wire as a paid option.
The 10,000-yuan upgrade (around 1,470 dollars) is what lifts this out of the middle of the pack. IM joins XPeng, which ships Bosch steer-by-wire on the GX launched last week, as the second Chinese brand to put the technology on a retail spec sheet in the same month. For a feature that has been "five years away" for most of the last decade, two launches in one fortnight is a pattern, not a coincidence.
Two Battery Options, Two Power Levels
The LS8 offers two powertrain configurations. The 52 Max+ uses a 52 kWh LFP battery from Jiangsu Zenergy paired with a rear motor rated at 230 kW (308 hp). CLTC electric range is 355 km, 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.3 seconds, and top speed is 190 km/h. Curb weight is 2,540 kg, and the drive layout is rear-wheel-drive only.
The 66 Ultra steps up to a 66 kWh CATL-SAIC ternary cell, adds a 160 kW front motor, and reaches 390 kW (523 hp) combined. CLTC electric range climbs to 430 km, the 0-100 drops to 4.7 seconds, and top speed rises to 220 km/h. Curb weight is 2,620 kg. Both versions pair a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline "Zephyr" generator with an 800-volt electrical architecture. Combined range with a full battery and a full 60-liter tank is quoted at 1,605 km.
The Steer-by-Wire Math
The four-wheel steer-by-wire option is restricted to the 66 Ultra trims. For 10,000 yuan, buyers get 24 degrees of rear-wheel articulation (up from 18 degrees on the existing LS6), a 4.85-meter turning radius, and a variable steering ratio that ranges from 4.5:1 at parking speeds to 14.2:1 on the highway. Continental Group's MK C2 brake-by-wire is standard across all trims.
The pitch is familiar: less physical linkage means tighter parking and more relaxed highway steering, all in software. What is different is the price. XPeng charges a premium by baking Bosch steer-by-wire into the full GX. IM unbundled it. That is the first time a Chinese OEM has priced steer-by-wire as a discrete option on the dealer sheet, which makes the adoption curve easier to read: if the take rate on the 66 Ultra clears 20 percent, steer-by-wire becomes segment-standard within 18 months.
Cockpit, Compute, and Heated Floors
The interior uses a 27.1-inch 5K MiniLED central screen and a 15.6-inch passenger display driven by a Qualcomm 8295P. A B&O 25-speaker system is an option. The ADAS stack is developed with Momenta: Nvidia Thor processor, 64 GB of LPDDR5X memory, optional 520-line roof LiDAR, and city-wide map-free navigation on L2.
Features that read as aggressive include the second-row 12.3-liter cooler with heat and freeze modes, the rear-seat massage function, and a cabin floor heating system that IM shares with the larger LS9. The floor heating in particular is the kind of spec that does not photograph well in a brochure but matters a lot in a Beijing winter.
The SAIC Side of the Story
IM Motors is a SAIC brand, with six models now on sale across two sedans and four SUVs. The LS8 targets the same "series 8" family-SUV fight that Li Auto L8, Denza N8L, Huawei-backed Aito M8, and Dongfeng Voyah Taishan X8 have been carving up for the last 12 months. IM's domestic deliveries were 5,824 units in March 2026, which is modest and trails the obvious competitors by a clear margin.
The international angle matters more than the domestic one. The IM LS6 already sells in the UK and Australia as the MG IM5, which means LS8 export is a matter of timing, not strategy. First European deliveries will hit after the Beijing Auto Show, and SAIC has been clear that MG is the route. The question is whether MG wants to price a three-row EREV in Europe at all. The answer arrives at the show floor on April 24.