- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He
IM LS7. Chinese Tesla with Aston Martin design
The IM LS7 is an electric SUV from a new Chinese electric vehicle brand, IM, unveiled in late 2022. The name IM stands for Intelligence in Motion. The electric vehicle will be produced by the newly created company Zhiji Auto, founded in 2021 by SAIC (it owns the trademarks Roewe, MG and Maxus) with Internet giant Alibaba. The creators promise the Level 2 autonomy, which will later be increased to the Level 3 (almost like Tesla). The appearance of the newcomer is actually copied from the magnificent British vehicle, the first all-wheel-drive SUV of James Bond’s favorite brand, the Aston Martin DBX. As a result, the manufacturer has created another Chinese Tesla inspire by Aston Martin design, a very impressive mix! Orders are already being accepted for the new IM LS7: the price in China starts from 50,000 dollars, which is not at all low, but that hasn’t stopped interested buyers from placing 3,000 orders in the first hour after the official premiere.
The Israeli market offered the first generation Aston Martin DBX, equipped with a 4.0-liter V8 turbo engine with a capacity of 550 hp. The all-wheel-drive SUV is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, while the top speed exceeds 290 km/h.
Exterior
Since the Aston Martin DBX SUV of the British premium brand looks very catchy, the creators were tempted to copy its design. The IM LS7 has a low drag coefficient of 0.268. And the silhouette, dimensions and design of the rear end with a gracefully curved LED strip are a faithful reproduction of the original. The length of the body of the new model is 5,049 mm, the width is 2,002 mm, the height is 1,731 mm, and the wheelbase reaches 3,060 mm. The Chinese SUV is equipped with 20 or 22 inch wheels and LED headlights. The roof of the novelty has ‘pads’ for a radar and two lidars, which make the manufacturer’s intentions clear: the Level 2 autonomy is now promised, but the next software updates will take it to the Level 3.
Interior
The main thing that catches your eye inside is an unusually shaped steering wheel, a kind of steering wheel of a spaceship, which is offered as a regular steering wheel, and a round version is an option. There are three screens. Finishing materials aren’t cheap: leather, suede and wood veneer. The vehicle has a glass roof. In the back there is an unusual seat, divided in a ratio of 60:40: the large part (left) can be folded, the right part is a VIP seat with all sorts of adjustments and ventilation.
Powertrains
There are two versions of the IM LS7 2023: the first more powerful version is twin-engine, and the basic version has a single electric motor with a capacity of 340 hp, located on the rear axle. The top version is equipped with two electric motors with a total capacity of 578 hp and is all-wheel drive. The vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. There are two options for the traction battery: with a capacity of 90 or 100 kWh. The maximum range is 660 km within the CLTC cycle for a rear-wheel drive modification with a battery capacity of 100 kWh. The maximum speed of the SUV weighing 2,630 kg is 200 km/h. Air suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers is standard. Cars of the IM brand (there is also a sedan) are based on a platform with a double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension.
