SAIC Motor-backed premium brand IM to start delivering 1st production model in April

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The IM L7, the first production model under IM, a premium auto brand backed by SAIC Motor, has already been put into volume production at SAIC Motor's intelligent factory in Lin-gang Special New Area, the Shanghai-based auto giant announced today via its WeChat account.

Besides, SAIC Motor noted the model will hit the market on March 29 and its delivery will officially kick off in April.

IM L7; photo credit: IM

IM is a high-end intelligent pure electric vehicle brand jointly developed by SAIC Motor, Alibaba Group and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. At the Auto Shanghai 2021, the IM L7 made its debut with its presale price (408,800 yuan, equivalent to $64,710) unveiled at the same time.

According to SAIC Motor, the IM L7 features a high level of intelligence thanks to the use of NVIDIA Xavier AI computing platform that delivers 30 to 60 TOPS, and an integrated sensing solution composed of 15 high-definition visual cameras, 5 millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic radars. In the future, LiDAR devices might be added to the model amid an upgrade for the intelligent system.

Positioned as a full-sized car, the IM L7 measures 5,098mm long, 1,960mm wide and 1,482mm tall with a wheelbase that spans up to 3,100mm. It will be driven by 175kW and 250kW electric motors at the front and rear axles respectively. The model's entire lineup will come standard with a 93kWh ternary-lithium battery pack. With a drag coefficient of 0.21 Cd, the IM L7 is able to zip from 0-100km/h within 3.87 seconds.