After a long wait, Xiaomi has officially unveiled its first electric car, the SU7, in China. The SU7 boasts three variants – Standard, Pro, and Max – catering to a range of budgets and needs. Prices start at 215,900 yuan (US$29,900) and climb to 299,900 yuan (US$41,500) for the top-of-the-line model. Deliveries are expected to begin in late April, with the car already on display in 59 stores across 29 Chinese cities. Let’s dive deeper and read more about possibly the hottest EV launch this year.

The company has offered two driver-assistance systems for its new car

The design of the SU7 is a collaborative effort by a team led by Xiaomi’s Head of Design, Li Tianyuan, who previously worked for BMW. James Qiu, formerly with Mercedes-Benz, also contributed to the car’s exterior design. Xiaomi has secured the expertise of Chris Bangle, a renowned car designer with experience at BMW, Mini, and Rolls Royce, as a consultant for Xiaomi Auto. Bangle is particularly impressed with the SU7’s power and believes it has potential for the European market.

Xiaomi SU7

When it comes to driver-assistance systems, Xiaomi offers two options. The Xiaomi Pilot Pro relies on pure vision technology and utilizes an Nvidia Drive Orin chip with 84 Tops of computing power, similar to Tesla’s approach. The Xiaomi Pilot Max system combines pure vision with lidar technology for enhanced capabilities. Additionally, Xiaomi is launching a city-based pilot assisted driving system called City NOA. Testing for this system begins in April across 10 cities, with a nationwide rollout planned for May. City NOA utilizes two Drive Orin chips. The SU7 boasts impressive connectivity features, supporting both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Let’s read about the details of each variant. The base SU7 Standard starts at 215,900 yuan and comes equipped with a 73.6 kWh BYD Blade battery offering a 700 km (435 mi) CLTC range. It can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.28 seconds and reach a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). This variant features the Xiaomi Pilot Pro ADAS system and utilizes a 400V architecture. Power comes from a rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup with a 220 kW motor generating 400 Nm of torque.

Xiaomi SU7

The SU7 Pro steps up the range with a 94.3 kWh CATL battery, pushing the CLTC range to 830 km (516 mi). This variant is priced at 245,900 yuan, placing it around the same price point as the Tesla Model 3 in China. It upgrades to an 800V architecture for faster charging.

The top-of-the-line SU7 Max boasts a 101 kWh CATL Qilin battery, again offering an 800 km (516 mi) CLTC range. However, the Max boasts an impressive 510 km (317 mi) of range achievable in just 15 minutes of charging. Performance gets a significant boost as well, with a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration time of a mere 2.78 seconds and a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph). The Max utilizes the Xiaomi Pilot Max ADAS system and features an 800V architecture for faster charging. This powerhouse employs an all-wheel drive (AWD) setup with dual motors producing a combined output of 495 kW (663 hp) and a staggering 838 Nm of torque.

Xiaomi is more than just making a bold statement in the electric vehicle market. The variety of models caters to different needs and budgets, while the advanced driver-assistance systems and impressive performance figures suggest Xiaomi is ready to take on established players in the industry. The company seems to have thought this through well, and now sales will tell us everything we need to know. Xiaomi also launched a lifestyle brand alongside the SU7. Read more about that here, and stay tuned for future coverage from Gizmochina.

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