Xiaomi SU7 is Chinese smartphone-maker’s first car
All-new Tesla Model 3 rival developed in just two and a half yearsFirst pictures of Chinese smartphone-maker Xiaomi’s debut model, the Xiaomi SU7 large electric sedan, have been leaked after being posted by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
Created to steal sales from established EVs like the Tesla Model 3, the Xiaomi measures in at an imposing 4997mm long, 1963mm wide and 1455mm tall, and rides on a long 3000mm wheelbase.
Those figures actually make the big electric sedan larger than the Tesla Model S (4970mm long, 1964mm wide, 1445mm high), which is no longer produced in right-hand drive or sold in Australia, although it will be priced closer to the smaller Model 3.
According to the government leak, the SU7 will be available with either 19-inch or 20-inch wheels with or without LiDAR, so at least some versions should offer advanced autonomous driving tech.
A further camera embedded within the B-pillar, meanwhile, suggests the Xiaomi SU7 will come with facial recognition technology.
When it launches in China next year there will be two powertrain options – a rear-drive version with a 220kW electric motor and a more powerful dual-motor version offering a healthy 495kW.
The cheaper car gets a lithium iron phosphate battery sourced from CATL, while the more expensive one gets a nickel manganese cobalt chemistry sourced from BYD.
There’s no word on acceleration, but the rear-drive SU7 weighs 1980kg and tops out at 210km/h, while the dual-motor sedan tips the scales at 2205kg but has a 265km/h top speed.
Faster versions feature an active pop-out rear wing to keep things stable at high speeds.
Within the cabin, as you might expect from a smartphone-maker, the infotainment system has been developed in-house and is based on the Xiaomi HyperOS operating system that can run both smartphones and now cars.
The Xiaomi SU7 is set to be built in a Beijing factory on behalf of Xiaomi by BAIC. Production is scheduled to begin in December 2023 ahead of first local deliveries in February 2024.
Incredibly, Xiaomi announced it would build a car just two and a half years ago and since then it has reportedly invested 10 billion yuan ($A2b) to develop it.
Related: Insane 960kW triple-motor HiPhi A sedan unleashed
Related: BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: The best and the rest
Related: China’s BAIC buys into Daimler
For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast
Join the conversation at
Or email us at
Or email us at
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
