The market for six-seat premium SUVs in China is expected to become a more intense battleground, squeezing carmakers by forcing them to cut prices or enhance key features in a fight for market share, according to analysts.Xpeng priced its new electric SUV the GX at 269,800 yuan (US$39,687) on Wednesday, slashing its price by nearly a third from the pre-order price of 399,800 yuan.The cut “surprised the market”, Citigroup analysts said in a report on Wednesday, adding that the new model’s monthly sales would grow to 8,000 to 9,000 units, taking market share from Li Auto’s L8, Lynk & Co’s model 900, and the Aito M8.With multiple electric vehicle (EV) makers approaching model refreshes, there would be “further price cuts or upgraded feature offerings across the segment”, said Jeff Chung, analyst with the US bank, in the report.Amid a general sales decline owing to reduced subsidies this year, electric SUVs have shown resilience. The segment’s first-quarter retail sales dipped 1.2 per cent from a year earlier to 1.13 million units, while total EV sales slumped 21 per cent to 2.4 million units, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed.Six-seat SUVs, in particular, were expected to be a key growth driver for the industry, said Tim Hsiao, head of the Greater China auto and shared mobility research team at Morgan Stanley, in an earlier interview.Dozens of Chinese carmakers, including BYD and Nio, launched six-seat SUVs around the Beijing Auto Show last month, mounting a challenge against traditional luxury SUV leaders including Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.