Xpeng gave the X9 its debut on November 17 and began pre-sales with a starting price of RMB 388,000 yuan.

Earlier this month, Xpeng said that the first show cars of the X9 had begun entering stores in the first 61 cities on December 8, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Qingdao.

The Xpeng X9 measures 5,293 mm in length, 1,988 mm in width and 1,785 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,160 mm, according to the company's previous announcement.

The model will be available in both single-motor and dual-motor versions, with the single-motor version featuring a front motor with a peak power of 235 kW and the dual-motor version having an additional rear motor with a peak power of 135 kW.

The entry-level version of the Xpeng X9 will be powered by a lower-cost lithium iron phosphate battery pack with a capacity of 84.5 kWh and a CLTC range of 610 kilometers.

Its longer-range version is powered by a Li-ion ternary battery pack with a capacity of 101.5 kWh, which can provide a CLTC range of 702 kilometers for the single-motor model and 640 kilometers for the dual-motor version.

The X9 also features rear-wheel steering with a turning diameter of just 10.8 meters, the smallest in its class, Xpeng previously said.

Along with its signature smart driving and 800 V fast charging capabilities, Xpeng is expected to make big space and safety among the X9's main selling points.

Xpeng uses large integrated die-casting machines to build the front and rear bodies for the X9, and has a 7,000-ton die-casting machine and a 12,000-ton die-casting machine at its Guangzhou plant.

CnEVPost toured the plant earlier this month to saw the two large die-casting machines and learned that Xpeng will begin putting a new 16,000-ton die casting machine into service in mid-January.

The integrated process has helped improve space utilization as well as body strength for the X9, which has three times the torsional stiffness of a conventional body, up to 46,000 Nm/deg, according to Xpeng.

At the same time, this also helps to reduce the weight of the body by 19 percent compared to a conventional body structure, according to the company.

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) also unveiled the Li Mega MPV, its first battery-electric vehicle (BEV) model, on November 17.

Li Auto has yet to announce the official price of the Li Mega, but has hinted that it will be priced between RMB 500,000 and RMB 600,000, much higher than the X9.

Li Auto has previewed the Li Mega several times over the past two months, but has not done so since the model's Guangzhou auto show debut.

Nio founder, chairman and CEO William Li said yesterday that the company has a project in the works for an MPV model, but the launch won't be that quick.

($1 = RMB 7.1136)

Xpeng delivers record 20,041 vehicles in Nov, largely flat from Oct