Xiaomi, a Chinese brand better known for making smartphones, has accomplished what Apple was unable to. It appears to have kept the price of its first electric vehicle at just £23,600.
Lei Jun, the founder of the company, remarked, “It’s hard to make a car, but it’s cool to succeed at it.” Meow, oh.
The Xiaomi SU7, also known as soo-chi in Chinese, is a roomy all-electric living room. It is 1.96 meters broad, almost 1.4 meters tall, and nearly five meters long. Still, it’s not ugly, is it? It comes in nine exterior colors and has standard 19-inch wheels (sportier versions can go up to 21-inches). Of course, we would be lying if we claimed not to have noticed strong clues of the Porsche Taycan.
The specifications for the SU7, SU7 Pro, and SU7 Max are three different. Based on China’s optimistic CLTC cycle, the base model is reportedly able to get 434 miles of range with a 73.6kWh battery. Even with the ‘basic’ setting, it manages to produce 268 horsepower and 295 pound-foot torque. Not too awful. The middle kid, the Pro, has the same single motor engine and a 94.3kWh battery, providing about 516 miles of range.
Xiaomi claimed during its introduction event that the increased range was achieved by reducing the drag coefficient as much as possible and by switching to EV-specific tires from brand partners Bridgestone, Pirelli, and Michelin.
Finally, there’s the “performance beast” from Xiaomi. words of Jun, not ours, even though we understand his point of view…
The SU7 Max features an 800V system and a large 101kWh battery. It gets 664 horsepower from two motors for all-wheel drive and can go 503 kilometers on a single charge. Of course, there are other drive modes, such as a drift mode that cuts the traction control and sends power to the back wheels. When not traveling sideways, it can accelerate from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 2.78 exact seconds.
The SU7, according to Xiaomi, is tied into a connected world that it comprehends better than the majority of well-known automakers, including Tesla and Porsche. There are several different and extensive driving assistance features. Every model is equipped with a ‘Autopilot’ button on the steering wheel, Launch Control, and a Boost button that gives you more power for 20 seconds.
The company claims that its “smart driving systems,” the Pilot Pro and Pilot Max (which adds LiDar to the Pro’s “visual only” setup), have undergone more than 10 million kilometers of testing.
Huge amounts of space are found both in the front and rear of the SU7, which are further enhanced with a triple-glazed panoramic sunroof. In the cabin, the company also gets to showcase its expertise in software and technology. There are wireless charging stations, a GoPro plug-in, a dashcam plug-in, built-in mobile phone docks (on either side of the dashboard, indicating that the SU7 will be able to be driven by either left or right hand), and optional Xiaomi tablets for the backseat passengers.
The driver’s head-up display, measuring an impressive 56 inches in diameter, and the center display screen can both be operated by these tablets. Additionally, a number of other components, including the windows, wing mirrors, and HUD, may be operated using voice commands.
Having said that, Xiaomi has retained some real switchgear, and if you’d like more, you can purchase and retrofit a magnetic bar that has the appropriate climate buttons. In fact, Showei, the digital assistant, can even be given emotions with the use of a tiny device that docks on top. Other choices? Karaoke microphones and a 4.6-liter smart refrigerator. Yes, in whole seriousness.