- Xiaomi’s YU7 is a follow-up to the massively popular SU7 sedan
- Enormous HyperVision Panoramic Display spans the entire windshield
- Huge performance promised by 680bhp electric drivetrain
Hot on the heels of Xiaomi’s SU7, which sold almost 30,000 units in China in a single month when it launched last year, the smartphone and tech giant has announced the eagerly-awaited follow-up.
Sporting sleek crossover looks, not too dissimilar to Porsche’s stunning Taycan Sport Turismo model, the YU7 offers more interior roominess and the added practicality of a larger and more accessible trunk. A generous 1,970 liters of total storage space are on offer.
It is hotly-tipped to be a massive sales success in its domestic market of China, where it is touted to cause headaches for Tesla, further eroding Model Y sales in the country.
This is down to the fact that Xiaomi products have an almost cult-like status in China, but also because its dimensions are larger than the Model Y, it charges faster and boasts a far greater range.
Xiaomi says the YU7 will come in three versions (Standard, Pro and Max), which can offer up to 519 miles of range on a single charge or up to 680bhp in the most potent versions – the 0-62mph sprint takes just 3.2 seconds in Max models.
Plus, charging takes just 12 minutes to achieve a 10-80% state-of-charge thanks to an 800V silicon carbide high-voltage platform architecture.
But scratch the surface and Xiaomi has gone guns-blazing with the technology on offer, with the next-generation of Nvidia’s Drive AGX Thor computing platform providing some serious digital fire power.
Alongside advanced levels of autonomous driving and active safety systems, the compute power also allows for a plethora of interior screens and displays.
Xiaomi says it is the first to offer a panoramic display that spans the full-width of the windscreen. Dubbed HyperVision Panoramic Display, it “intelligently adapts” to different user scenarios.
The tech company says it can offer speed and navigational directions in the sightline of the driver, but will also offer infotainment details, including real-time lyrics.
If that all sounds a bit distracting, just wait until you hear that the HyperVision Panoramic Display can offer up five modular information categories, from instrument readouts and media controls to navigation and weather updates.
Xiaomi intended the interior of the YU7 to mimic the cockpit of a fighter jet, with myriad information at the driver’s fingertips.
Passengers are also treated to displays, with seat-back screens an optional extra and an additional remote control panel embedded into the back of the center console that allows rear passengers to take over navigation or “entertainment management” duties.
There is no current word on pricing, but like the SU7, the latest Xiaomi will only be on sale in China for now. That’s probably a good thing for most rival manufacturers.
Analysis: Tesla’s Model Y continues to be a target
Although the price is not official, the Xiaomi YU7 is rumored to arrive with a tag that slightly undercuts the Model Y – Tesla’s globally best-selling vehicle and one that once dominated that Chinese sales charts.
According to The Verge, Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun responded to the news of a refreshed Model Y coming to China late last year with a size comparison between the YU7 and Musk’s popular electric SUV. Heck, the new Xiaomi even has a ‘Y’ in its name.
It is clear that Chinese EVs continue to target Tesla, attempting to knock the brand off the top spot with more affordable, more technologically advanced and more practical electric vehicles.
Xiaomi has an even sharper edge, considering it is one of the most recognizable names in technology and one the biggest smartphone manufacturers in the world. The SU7 was often regarded as the Apple Car that never was and huge numbers bought into it.
Considering the YU7 offers even more, particularly the practicality of improved interior space and comfort, it is highly likely it will prove a huge sales success.
Tesla, on the other hand, is continuing to experience sliding sales figures, both in China and further afield. Last month, BYD sold more electric cars than Tesla in Europe for the first time in its history.
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