IM Motors to show 500-mile UK-bound L6 saloon at Geneva
The L6 will join the L7 (pictured) in the brand's growing saloon line-up
SAIC-owned Chinese premium brand, and sibling of MG, is likely to bring its Tesla-rivalling EVs here by 2026
IM Motors, MG’s premium electric sister brand which is set to launch in the UK next year, will unveil its new L6 saloon at the Geneva motor show.
IM (Intelligent Mobility) was founded in late 2020 as a tie-up between MG parent brand SAIC, e-commerce giant Alibaba and R&D specialist Zhangjiang Hi-Tech delivered the first examples of its L7 executive saloon in late 2021.
The L7 will be joined in Europe by the L6 when it arrives on the continent next year. The L6 saloon is claimed to combine a range of 500 miles with a 0-60mph sprint of under 3secs.
No other technical details have been revealed, but it is expected to use a similar set-up to the L7, which uses a 93kWh pack for up to 382 miles of range, and adopt its 11kW wireless charging tech.
The brand is expected to rival the likes of BYD and Tesla upon arrival in the UK.
Since its creation, IM has launched the LS6 and LS7 SUVs, which compete with the Tesla Model Y and Model X, respectively. They're priced between £32,000 and £52,000 in their native China. It is not known if they will join the saloons as part of its European line-up.
The brand made headlines last year when it inked a technical partnership with Audi, which will result in the German brand using its platforms for a range of Chinese-market EVs - as an alternative to the Volkswagen Group’s delayed SSP architecture.
*IM's UK launch*
IM already has a small visible presence in the UK, with a car on show in MG’s flagship showroom in Marylebone as part of a bid to gauge public perception of the new brand.
That launch is likely to come sometime in 2025, after MG refreshes its line-up with the new MG 3 and MG HS, an updated version of the 4 and the second-generation Marvel-R SUV.
It's possible that SAIC would first need to establish its European factory – which may be based in the UK – before it can profitably build EVs for right-hand-drive markets.
It isn't yet known whether the new models would retain their IM branding in the UK or whether they would be badged as MGs.
Several models badged as MGs in the UK are actually from another SAIC brand: the MG 5 is the Roewe Ei5 in China and the next-generation HS is a restyled Roewe RX5.
Australian magazine Wheels previously reported that the LS7 and L7 were “under strong consideration” for sale in Australia – another right-hand-drive market – with MG badging.
A spokesperson for MG Motor UK told Autocar: “IM Motors are currently operating in China selling premium electric vehicles. There has been no confirmation of a UK launch and MG Motor UK cannot comment on the brand at this point. SAIC Motors will be providing more information on this in due course."