Xiaomi, known for its smartphones and home appliances, has ventured into the automotive industry with its first ever EV, the Xiaomi SU7. The grand tourer has gained critical acclaim in China and the internet, and now we Malaysians will finally get our chance to get up close with it, as a unit of the left-hand drive car is now on display at Suria KLCC’s centre court, from 16th to 20th October.
Launched in China late last year, the Xiaomi SU7 is produced by BAIC Group in Beijing and costs from CNY215,900 to CNY299,900 (approx. RM131k – 182k). It is available in three variants, Xiaomi SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max.
The SU7 is built on the brand’s proprietary platform, called Modena. Dimensions of the SU7 measure 4,997 mm long, 1,963 mm wide, and 1,440 mm tall, with a 3,000 mm long wheelbase. This puts the SU7 larger than the Porsche Taycan and BYD Seal, but is slightly smaller than the Tesla Model S.
Xiaomi hired former BMW Chief Designer Chris Bangle as the design consultant for its SU7 EV. But, we couldn’t help but notice the strong resemblance of the headlights to those of a McLaren, and a side profile echoing the Taycan. Aside from this, the exterior presents a sleek and sporty appearance.
Moving to the interior, it features a sporty yet minimalist design. Reflecting this, the driver gets a steering wheel with physical buttons and a digital gauge cluster that rotates into view once the car is started. Entertainment and multimedia controls are provided by a 16.1-inch touchscreen.
The Xiaomi SU7 is available in two powertrain options in China, the base SU7 and SU7 Pro is powered by an electric motor producing 299 hp and 400 Nm, allowing a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.28 seconds. The range topping SU7 Max, it gets a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) setup making 673 hp and 838 Nm, and performs the century sprint in just 2.78 seconds.
In terms of range, the company claims the base SU7 with its 73.6 kWh battery can travel up to 700 km on a single charge based on the CLTC test cycle. The SU7 Pro gets a 94.3 kWh battery and can manage a range of 830 km (CLTC). The range topper SU7 Max gets a 101 kWh battery and a range of 800 km (CLTC) on a single charge.
Safety wise, the SU7 comes with Xiaomi’s Pilot Pro suite of advanced driver assistance features powered by Nvidia Drive Orin processors. The SU7 Pro and Max variants get two of these processors. This setup also includes one HD camera, 12 ultrasonic radars, three millimetre-wave radars and a LiDAR camera module.
Intrigued? Sorry, but you can’t buy one. Xiaomi says that the SU7 is on display here in Malaysia for promotional purposes only, in celebration with the launch of its latest smartphone. The model will not be going on sale in Malaysia anytime soon, but hey, at least you can take photos with an internet star, right?
GALLERY
