Images of Chinese smartphone giant, Xiaomi’s first electric vehicle (EV) model have surfaced online. Based on a filing released by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Chinese EV will be known as the Beijing Xiaomi SU7.
There will be three variants available with Xiaomi’s upcoming sedan – the SU7, the SU7 Pro, and the SU7 Max. The car will be manufactured by the state-owned Beijing Automotive Group.
Looking at the Xiaomi SU7, its suspiciously McLaren-esque front fascia is certainly something hard to ignore. We can’t help but imagine the amount of courage the designer took in making this design decision.
At the sides, the regular SU7 sports a more elegant look, while the SU7 Max gets sleeker-looking alloys, together with yellow brake callipers to go with the sporty-looking front. The door-mounted side-view mirrors certainly do give the EV more character and an interesting look too.
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At the back, the Xiaomi SU7 reminds us of the Ioniq 6, featuring a large Xiaomi inscription just below its boot lip, as well as a rather sizeable rear bumper. Like many recent EVs, its rear lights extend from one end to another. Interestingly, there is also a retractable spoiler, which might seem a little extra for a sedan like this, but is certainly cool to have.
The Xiaomi SU7 sedan will be capable of carrying up to five occupants, including the driver, and will also feature a panoramic glass roof. For customers who are more safety conscious, Xiaomi will also provide you with an option to add on a roof-mounted LiDAR system, which will provide advanced assisted driving.
Size-wise, the Xiaomi SU7 sedan measures 4,997 mm long, 1,963 mm wide, and 1,440 mm tall, with a 3,000 mm wheelbase underpinning it. This makes it larger than the Porsche Taycan, but slightly smaller than the Tesla Model S.
Like many EVs out there, Xiaomi’s upcoming EV isn’t light. The regular SU7 has a curb weight of 1,980 kg, while the SU7 Max weighs slightly more at 2,205 kg.
Two powertrain options will be available with the Xiaomi SU7. This includes a rear-wheel drive (RWD) 295 hp (220 kW) motor, as well as a 369 hp (275 kW) + 295 hp (220 kW) motor setup.
Xiaomi will be producing its SU7 EV with different battery tech, depending on the variants chosen. According to the source on Weibo, the EV’s battery size is rated at 101 kWh.
The Xiaomi SU7 is also claimed to have an estimated CLTC-rated range of 800 km. However, it is not mentioned which variant this figure is referring towards, and it is not an official figure from Xiaomi.
Top speed-wise, the regular SU7 can travel up to 210 km/h, while the SU7 Max can do more at 265 km/h. The car will be available in both single and dual-motor options and will be powered by batteries from CATL and BYD.
Just in case you are wondering how this information got to the hands of the public, all Chinese carmakers are required to submit their new models to the MIIT.
Upon receiving preliminary approval, the data of the new models will be published in a monthly catalogue that’s open to the public for one week to submit feedback.
However, this does not indicate the car’s production timeline. Xiaomi has also mentioned that it will only be launching its EV model during the first half of next year (2024).
Xiaomi is certainly not the first technology firm to jump into the EV scene, as other companies such as Huawei and Sony are already doing so. The Chinese firm’s new EV will also play an important role in its plan to create “an all-around” HyperOS ecosystem.
Xiaomi has launched its new HyperOS user interface (UI) for its smartphones and other home appliances recently. Together with the new EV, users will be able to have a seamless experience when utilising Xiaomi’s products in the future.
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