- Xiaomi’s first crossover will be called YU7
- Xiaomi has embraced a decidedly low-slung, cab-rearward shape reminiscent of the Ferrari Purosangue
It’s MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) day again in China: a day that’s definitely the bane of every tech and car producer who wants to sell in the country. The last step in Chinese market homologation is for the manufacturers themselves to submit photos and technical information to this state entity. Every few weeks or so, the Chinese government makes all this information public, whether the product or car has been officially revealed or announced. It sucks for manufacturers, but it’s a great way to see cars weeks before they’re unveiled.
Well, Xiaomi got in front of MIIT’s notoriously bad patent-style photos and released official images of its follow-up SUV mere minutes after MIIT leaked the photos. Xiaomi’s first crossover will be called YU7. It’s pretty dang slick-looking, that’s for sure.
Like the SU7 sedan, the YU7 has the same McLaren-esque front headlamps and single rear heckblende-crossed-with-Dodge’s-racetrack rear tail lamp assembly, but from there the designs diverge a lot. Xiaomi has embraced a decidedly low-slung, cab-rearward shape reminiscent of the Ferrari Purosangue. There are other details that set the cars apart, too. Whereas the SU7 has standard pull-style door handles, the YU7 trades that for hidden ones that will likely retract in and out of the car’s body.
The MIIT said the YU7 will have dual electric motors that are good for 681 horsepower, but there will be a slight bump over the dual-motor SU7 Max’s 664 horsepower. Slower, less powerful variants of the YU7 are likely to launch, but it’s not clear what the power levels of those units will be. Similarly, range, price, and battery size have also not been announced for the YU7. We do know that it will launch in June or July of 2025 and will be made in the same factory as the SU7 sedan. Some have speculated that the YU7 will follow suit as the SU7 and start directly equivalent to their Tesla competition. This means that when released, the YU7 could start at around $34,000, which is what a Tesla Model Y costs in China.
Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan has been a mega-hit inside of China. It has only been on the market since December 2023, yet Xiaomi has managed to hit its manufacturing target of 100,000 cars in a year more than a month ahead of schedule. It’s a well-reviewed car inside and outside of China, for good reason. When I got some seat time with the SU7 in Beijing this year, I found the SU7 to generally be impressive with respect to its design and perception of quality. The car is seamlessly integrated into Xiaomi’s other smart home products.
If Xiaomi’s YU7 has the same success as the SU7, and it likely will, then this is bad news for a lot of EV brands, both domestic Chinese and foreign rivals. Of course, the aging Tesla Model Y will face a huge challenge, but other brands might not have the brand recognition or value proposition that Xiaomi will undoubtedly offer on the YU7. The Chinese EV market is tough.
Other brands should batten down the hatches because there’s going to be a bloodbath next summer.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
