- Li Auto testing a facelifted i8 less than a year after launch, signaling urgent product tweaks.
- Facelift keeps i8’s silhouette and continuous light bar but adds semi-hidden door handles and sportier wheels.
- Weak i8 sales (6,390 Jan–Apr) and shrinking revenue likely forced faster EV lineup revisions.
A prototype of a facelifted Li i8 has been spotted in road tests, indicating the company is already working on a facelift for its first all-electric SUV less than a year after its market launch.
Visually, the updated model largely retains the current i8’s aerodynamic silhouette.
Despite heavy camouflage at the front, the lighting layout suggests the signature full-width star-ring daytime running light will be carried over.
The side profile shows incremental changes, including a shift from fully concealed door handles to a semi-hidden design, alongside newly styled blacked-out wheels that reinforce a more performance-oriented appearance.
The rear section appears largely unchanged, with the continuous taillight bar retained. Interior and powertrain details remain undisclosed as the vehicle is still in testing.
The Li i8 was officially launched in late July 2025, initially offered in Pro, Max, and Ultra trims.
However, the lineup was consolidated to a single Max variant just a week after launch, priced at RMB 339,800 ($50,080).
In terms of market performance, the i8 has not replicated the success of Li Auto’s extended-range models.
From January to April this year, cumulative sales reached just 6,390 units, significantly lagging behind the i-series i6.
By contrast, the i6 has become the most stable performer in Li Auto’s battery-electric lineup.
This model delivers over 20,000 units for three consecutive months and remaining among the top-selling electric SUVs, providing a key pillar for the company’s EV growth.
According to Li Auto’s latest disclosure, May deliveries totaled 33,350 units, down 18.3% year-on-year and 2.2% month-on-month.
Total cumulative deliveries reached 1.7028 million units as of the end of May.
The company’s first-quarter 2026 results also showed revenue of RMB 23 billion ($3.40 billion), down 11.4% year-on-year, with a net loss of RMB 2.276 billion ($336 million), marking its largest quarterly loss since returning to profitability in Q4 2022.
The early appearance of the i8 facelift suggests Li Auto is accelerating adjustments to its pure-electric portfolio in response to shifting sales dynamics and weakening financial performance.
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