Image: Xiaomi via Weibo
Xiaomi, world’s leading phone maker, has released its second car, the YU7 SUV, after selling 258,000 in 12 months of its first extremely popular EVs, the SU7 sedan.
The company’s founder and CEO, Lei Jun, has revealed the upcoming model’s key specs, which are clearly there to outrival competitors like the Porsche Macan EV.
Coming in three variants, the YU7 lineup includes the entry-level RWD model, the Pro AWD and the top-spec Max AWD, with performance approaching some supercars.
The RWD model has a rear-mounted single motor that produces 235 kW of power and 528 Nm of torque.
This propels the car from 0-100 km/h in just 5.88 seconds and can get to a top speed of 240 km/h.
The mid-range Pro AWD variant which bumps that up to 365 kW of power and 690 Nm of torque. The dual motor powertrain shaves the 0-100 km/h, coming to 4.27 seconds and maintains the top speed of 240 km/h.
The top-spec Max AWD variant has 508 kW and 866 Nm of torque, helping it’s sprint to 100 km/h in just 3.23 seconds, outperforming many supercars.
Top speed has also been increased to 253 km/h. For comparison, the previous generation of the Tesla Model Y Performance can get to 250 km/h.
Two battery configurations drive these powertrains. The first is in the RWD which has a capacity of 96.3 kWh battery that delivers up to 835 km on the CLTC cycle. That’s likely to be closer to 650 km on the WLTP cycle.
A bigger 101.7 kWh pack makes its way into the AWD versions of the model. Fast charging these packs can add up to 620 km of CLTC range in 12 minutes.
Pitched as an electric performance SUV, the almost 5-metre car is loaded with technology many traditional Automakers are not equipped with today.
First, there is the end-to-end screen that displays key driving information and acts as a physical heads-up display in Xiaomi’s implementation.
There’s also a large infotainment screen with the latest tech from a brand known for its mobile technologies and software with top-notch user interface (UI).
On the driver assistance front, Xiaomi is using NVIDIA Thor U chips and a 4D millimeter wave radar on top of all the high-resolution cameras to support smart driving.
In February, Jun personally drove the YU7 for 15 hours straight in the upcoming model, travelling 1,310 km on highways.
That was to test its autonomous driving technology as well as the range of the sleek SUV model with average speeds of 100 km/h in temperatures dropping to -10 Centigrade at certain sections of the test.
A lot has gone into developing this model, and tens of thousands of customers have been waiting for its launch.
Pricing of the new model is yet to be released but we expect it to start at under $A50,000 in China. More details on the pricing and expected production run is expected with the model officially going on sale in July this year.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.
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Oh no, legacy car makers are being beaten by new car makers.
It's ok; as soon as they bring their manufacturing capacity online, they'll be in front again.
If they respond to the competition with better design and engineering.
There is currently an overcapacity of car manufacturing globally, China or non-China. Legacy carmakers are closing factories everywhere.
What really matters is design and engineering (batteries, electrical architectures and software) where legacy carmakers suck and lag badly.
This is great and all, but we are kind of in an emergency situation. Can someone just make a Yaris/Mazda2/Swift replacement that doesn't cost the same as a small house deposit?
BYD Dolphin Essential is the closest you'll get atm, unless they plan to bring the Seagull/Dolphin Mini/Dolphin Surf here.
Everything else is more expensive (e.g. GWM Ora, MG4) or might maybe arrive some time in the next 2+ years at an unspecified cost.
In the meantime if you don't need the range, 2nd hand 1st gen LEAFs are going cheap - sometimes under $10k.
I sometimes wonder how different the world would be now if the young gates and jobs had been interested in cars, and not computers and software.
Cars are becoming computers and software on wheels. No need to imagine what gates or jobs would do today, just look at what Tesla and Xiaomi has done so far that'd be the closest thing.
Whoosh.
Why are we still obsessed with speed and time trials? Nowhere in the country is it legal to travel at over 110 kph and yet we drool over machines that are patently never going to be driven at their speed capability unless you happen to own your own racing track.
NT has 300 km of unrestricted highway. That's where you can see these baby's fly.... and then get trucked back to a charger..