- The 2026 L90 will add a watchtower-style LiDAR layout and two-tone body color options.
- The updated model is slated for an official launch on April 21 and will feature Nio's in-house developed Shenji NX9031 smart driving chip for the first time.
Nio Inc's sub-brand Onvo has revealed the exterior highlights of the updated L90, its flagship SUV, ahead of its official launch on April 21.
The 2026 L90 introduces two new two-tone body color options — purple-gold and silver-purple — in a bid to attract consumers in a fiercely competitive market, according to Onvo's sharing on its social media channels today.
The updated model is equipped with LiDAR, marking the first time the L90 has introduced the sensor to achieve better smart driving capabilities.
It adopts a watchtower-style LiDAR layout, which allows the vehicle to see higher, further, and more accurately, Onvo said.
This will bring more comprehensive smart driving assistance capabilities to the updated L90, catering to the growing demand for advanced smart driving among Chinese consumers.
In addition, a small blue indicator light for smart driving has been added to the exterior rearview mirrors, hidden within the curved seams of the mirrors.
The new 21-inch multi-spoke wheels feature a radial design paired with a contrasting black and silver color scheme, displaying a premium flagship feel, Onvo said.
The release of these exterior teasers comes as Onvo prepares for major underlying technology and system upgrades for the 2026 electric SUV.
The updated L90 is scheduled to officially hit the market on April 21 and will be equipped with Nio's in-house developed Shenji NX9031 smart driving chip for the first time.
The move marks Nio accelerating the penetration of its internally developed semiconductor technology into its sub-brands, gradually replacing the Nvidia chips currently used by Onvo. The Nio main brand has already fully transitioned to using the Shenji NX9031 smart driving chip.
The 2026 Onvo L90 will also feature the Nio World Model for the first time, which is China's first embodied driving model geared towards smart driving, Onvo said.
The currently available Onvo L90 has a starting price ranging from 265,800 yuan ($38,928) to 299,800 yuan.
Onvo's head of product, Eric Yu, previously said that the cost of the updated L90 has increased by about 10,000 yuan due to rising prices of components such as high-performance memory.
The imminent launch of the key updated model comes as Onvo attempts to maintain sales momentum in China's hyper-competitive mass-market EV sector.
In March, the Onvo brand delivered a total of 6,877 new cars, with the large L90 SUV contributing 3,360 units to the deliveries, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
Since officially beginning deliveries last August, cumulative deliveries of the Onvo L90 reached the significant milestone of 50,000 units on April 3.
($1 = 6.8280 yuan)
