Li Auto launches L9 in Dubai from $88,500, up to $30,000 pricier than in China

Li Auto launched the new L9 in Dubai, its first product rollout in the Middle East since signing a deal with UAE dealer Al Fahim Motors in April, and the two-trim lineup leans on the brand's flagship family SUV to open the region.

The L9 Livis is priced at 387,000 dirhams (about $105,400) and the L9 Ultra at 325,000 dirhams (about $88,500), which compares with the same SUV's Chinese list prices of 509,800 yuan (about $76,000) for the Livis and 459,800 yuan (about $68,500) for the Ultra at its May 15 launch, meaning the Middle East Livis carries a premium of nearly 200,000 yuan, or about $30,000, over China.

Li Auto's product line head Tang Jing said the Middle East Livis was adapted for the region in both hardware and software, while the core spec matches China, with the third-generation range-extender system, a 72.7 kWh 5C battery, 420 km (about 261 miles) of CLTC electric-only range and 1,650 km (about 1,025 miles) of combined range.

The chassis brings steer-by-wire, rear-wheel steering and electro-hydraulic brakes, and the Livis adds an 800V active suspension, electro-mechanical braking, a dual Mach driver-assist system and a Livis-specific design kit on top of the Ultra, with 2,560 TOPS of compute and four lidars.

Li Auto's plan is to push its L-series range-extenders across the Middle East and Central Asia, with the L9 already landed in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in July and Saudi Arabia next after Dubai, while the brand also confirmed a 2026 Paris Motor Show debut and an i6 EV for Europe later this year, a two-track push of range-extenders east and EVs west that shows Chinese brands now charge a premium abroad instead of undercutting.