Xiaomi Automobile Creates Yet Another Market Buzz!

During Xiaomi's 15th-anniversary strategic new product launch event on May 22, Lei Jun introduced Xiaomi's first SUV, the Xiaomi YU7, with Electech predicting its starting price would undercut the Tesla Model Y's 263,500 yuan.

Electech's prediction proved spot-on. On June 26, at Xiaomi's comprehensive new product launch event for people, vehicles, and homes, the prices for the Xiaomi YU7 were announced as follows:

Xiaomi YU7 Standard Version: 253,500 yuan, 10,000 yuan cheaper than the Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive Version;

Xiaomi YU7 Pro: 279,900 yuan;

Xiaomi YU7 Max: 329,900 yuan.

Image source: Leitech/Electech

In terms of pricing, the Xiaomi YU7 and Tesla Model Y are not as disparate as the Xiaomi SU7 and Tesla Model 3, but its standard version already boasts an 835km pure electric driving range, a 700TOPS computing power-assisted driving system, and the V6s Plus Xiaomi super motor.

While this starting price may not be as "shocking" as the 235,900 yuan expected online, it certainly is very compelling.

According to official data, within three minutes of the Xiaomi YU7's launch, large pre-orders surpassed 200,000 units. If Xiaomi Automobile delivers all these 200,000 units by the end of the year, it would equate to a monthly sales volume exceeding 30,000 units in the second half of the year, potentially surpassing the Tesla Model Y.

Image source: Xiaomi Automobile official

One hour after opening for purchase, Lei Jun excitedly announced on his social media that the Xiaomi YU7 large pre-orders surpassed 289,000 units!

Additionally, due to the multitude of new products unveiled at this event, the Leitech editorial department swiftly assigned multiple editors to cover it. This article focuses on the Xiaomi YU7. For the consumer electronics and smart home appliances released this time, Leitech has already provided a timely summary and interpretation. For more details, search for Leitech.

Clearly a performance SUV, yet family-friendly attributes are maximized

At the previous new car launch event, Lei Jun had already shared quite a bit about the Xiaomi YU7. Next, Electech will delve into the new information about the Xiaomi YU7.

Firstly, there is a diverse selection of paint colors and wheel hubs. Notably, the official has added five more colors to the previous four, with Shadow Blue and two sports car colors particularly appealing to Electech's personal aesthetics.

Image source: Leitech/Electech

Similarly, the interior has one more color added to the already released three colors.

What surprises Electech is that this SUV, targeted towards performance, excels in providing comfortable configurations for family travel.

As an SUV, the Xiaomi YU7 offers significantly more interior space than the Xiaomi SU7, enabling it to provide zero-gravity seats in the front row. Although the rear row does not come with zero-gravity seats, it also supports a 135-degree reclining angle.

Screenshot: Xiaomi Automobile live stream

Moreover, there are many thoughtful design elements. The rear seats feature double-sided thickened comfortable sleep headrests, and the Max version comes standard with smart dimming glass, making it very comfortable for rear passengers to lie down and sleep. For users who may experience motion sickness in electric vehicles, the Xiaomi YU7 also offers a motion sickness relief mode, which controls vehicle dynamics during acceleration, energy recovery, and cornering, reducing the incidence of motion sickness by 51% and delaying the onset time by 16%.

Of course, data is just data, and Electech strongly recommends bringing your family to the store for a test drive.

Image source: Leitech/Electech

To ensure interior quietness, the Xiaomi YU7 Max is also equipped with an ultra-quiet cabin, featuring over 200 noise optimizations and the application of over 120 acoustic materials.

After attending numerous automotive launch events, Electech finds Xiaomi's automotive events to be relatively more transparent: which configurations are exclusive to the high-end version are clearly stated, and there is no use of vague phrases like "equipped with XX configuration" to create the illusion that it's standard across all models.

Screenshot: Xiaomi Automobile live stream

For configurations that showcase hard power and are standard across all models, Lei Jun is unequivocal: smart chassis, variable steering ratio, assisted driving, continuously variable damping shock absorbers, and other configurations are all equipped on the entry-level version, ensuring a high-quality driving experience.

Regarding the comfortable experience of the Xiaomi YU7, Lei Jun appears both humble and confident: humble because the Xiaomi YU7's experience is still inferior to that of the Cullinan; confident because the Xiaomi YU7's experience far surpasses that of competitors.

Can the Xiaomi YU7 Usurp the Tesla Model Y?

Since Lei Jun accepted the challenge of the refreshed Model Y earlier this year, the Xiaomi YU7 has inevitably been compared to it. According to the latest sales data, Tesla sold 24,770 Model Y units in May, leading the mid-to-high-end pure electric SUV market by a wide margin. Pure electric SUVs in the same price range, such as the Ledao L60 and the Zeekr 7X, sold fewer than 7,000 units in May.

Obtaining a large pre-order quantity of 200,000 units within three minutes of its launch is sufficient proof of consumers' recognition of the Xiaomi YU7, but this raises a question: Does the Xiaomi YU7 have the sustained market momentum to consistently outpace the Tesla Model Y?

Image source: Leitech/Electech

To answer this, we need to discuss the strengths of both.

Firstly, there's power, a key concern for consumers. The Xiaomi YU7 Max achieves a 0-100km/h acceleration time of only 3.23s and a top speed of 253km/h, while the Tesla Model Y Performance requires 3.7s to reach 100km/h. Comparing the standard versions, the 0-100km/h acceleration times of the two are very close, but the Xiaomi YU7 is still 0.02s faster than the Tesla Model Y.

Next, there are capabilities that directly affect the driving experience, such as range and energy replenishment, with range being Lei Jun's confidence.

Data shows that the Xiaomi YU7 Standard Version is equipped with a 96.3kWh battery pack, offering a CLTC pure electric driving range of up to 835km, ranking first in the mid-to-large pure electric SUV market. The Tesla Model Y Entry Version's 593km pure electric driving range pales in comparison. Even the Tesla Model Y Long Range Version's 719km pure electric driving range is weaker than the Xiaomi YU7 Top Version's 760km.

Regarding energy replenishment, the Xiaomi YU7 Max supports an 800V high-voltage platform, capable of charging from 10% to 80% in just 12 minutes, while the Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive Version is still based on the 400V platform, supporting a fast charging power of 250kW and requiring 24 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%, with a battery capacity of only 62.5kWh.

Image source: Leitech/Electech

The main shortcoming of the Xiaomi YU7 is perhaps its lower energy consumption per 100 kilometers compared to the Tesla Model Y: Upon closer inspection, this makes sense because the Xiaomi YU7 comes standard with a 96.3kWh battery, which is much heavier than the Tesla Model Y, but this also indicates that there is still much room for improvement in the Xiaomi YU7.

Frankly, there are not a few domestic pure electric SUVs that surpass the Tesla Model Y in hard power, but why hasn't a car that can definitively defeat the Tesla Model Y yet emerged? Electech believes it is still an issue of brand influence.

Xiaomi, which has amassed a strong brand presence in the technology field, naturally owes much of the success of the Xiaomi SU7 to its brand, but beyond that, Xiaomi has consistently taken actions to demonstrate its passion for automobiles.

Lei Jun announced at the launch event that the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra prototype once again competed at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, achieving a time of 6 minutes 22 seconds 091, a significant improvement of 24 seconds over last year and entering the global top three on the Nürburgring lap time leaderboard. Not long ago, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra production car also challenged the Nürburgring, achieving a time of 7 minutes 04 seconds 957, surpassing Porsche and Tesla to become the fastest production electric vehicle in Nürburgring history.

For the Xiaomi YU7 launched today, the official also conducted a 24-hour endurance test on its prototype, ultimately achieving a total driving distance of 3,944km, outperforming both the Porsche Taycan prototype and the Mercedes-Benz pure electric CLA prototype.

While Xiaomi Automobile is a newcomer in the automotive industry, even laypersons can perceive that Xiaomi Automobile is committed to pursuing excellence in the automotive field while ensuring high-quality products.

This commitment is often seen in traditional brands with resources and historical accumulation but is particularly rare among new force brands that urgently need to "turn losses into profits." Coupled with Lei Jun's personal charisma, Xiaomi was able to achieve the feat of "200,000 large pre-orders within three minutes of launch."

Image source: Electech

The current Tesla Model Y should indeed be wary now.

For this new pure electric SUV, Electech will also conduct an in-store experience in the future to see what surprises Xiaomi's SUV holds and what attitude consumers have towards this car. Readers may wish to continue following Leitech/Electech for updates.

(Cover image source: Leitech/Electech)

Xiaomi Tesla Pure Electric SUV YU7

Source: Leitech

Images in this article are from: 123RF Authentic Library. Source: Leitech