The Xiaomi SU7 electric car offers Porsche Taycan-equivalent performance at half the price

You may have heard of Xiaomi as one of the biggest smartphone makers in the world, but now the Chinese electronics giant is trying to do what Apple failed to do and enter the automotive space, with the new Xiaomi SU7 sedan trying to beat the best in the EV sector. representatives.

Pricing in China was revealed at a recent launch event, which also announced three trim levels and other specifications and features. During the briefing, Xiaomi kept mentioning the Tesla Model 3 and Porsche Taycan, the cars that the SU7 was compared to.

The SU7 will go on sale later in 2024. Three versions of the SU7 were introduced – the standard base model, the Pro and the top-of-the-line Max. There’s also a limited edition Founders edition, which likely won’t make it to Europe.

The price of Xiaomi SU7 is very interesting. In China, the standard car will cost 219,900 yuan (approximately 28,200 euros). The Pro model will cost 245,900 yuan (approximately €32,200) and the Max will cost 299,900 yuan (approximately €39,100).

All these three versions of the SU7 have different batteries. The standard car has a 73.6kWh battery that can provide a range of 700 kilometers (all Xiaomi range claims are based on the CLTC test, not the WLTP test). Only one electric motor drives the rear wheels of the car, but it still produces a very good 294 hp and 400 Nm of torque, which means the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 209 km/h. .

The mid-range Pro version has a 94.3 kWh battery and a maximum range of 829 kilometers, the highest of any SU7. It has a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 209km/h, just like the standard car. With a 101kWh battery, the SU7 Max has twin motors that provide all-wheel drive and a combined output of 664bhp and 838Nm of torque, allowing it to sprint from 0-100km/h in 2.78 seconds. The additional weight of another electric motor reduces the range of the Max to 770 kilometers.

Helping achieve these impressive range figures is the SU7’s extremely low drag coefficient of 0.195Cd, which is significantly lower than the recently updated Tesla Model 3’s 0.219Cd. The SU7 also beat the previous record of 0.197Cd achieved by another close competitor, the Lucid Air. Xiaomi says that by connecting the SU7 to a suitable charging point, drivers can increase their range to 350 kilometers in just five minutes of charging, or 510 kilometers if you’re willing to wait 15 minutes.

Xiaomi SU7 interior and technology

Unsurprisingly, for a brand famous for smartphones, the SU7 has a huge center display. It’s a 16.1-inch central touchscreen with a 3K resolution, which houses the brand’s HyperOS infotainment system, capable of displaying multiple controls for maps, music and driver assistance simultaneously. While Xiaomi may be Apple’s competitor, it has included Apple CarPlay connectivity.

If you don’t want to rely solely on the huge touchscreen, a set of physical controls and a large volume dial can be attached to the bottom of the screen, or just as easily removed for a slightly cleaner look. There is also a 7.1-inch digital instrument cluster and head-up display behind the three-spoke steering wheel.

At the launch of the SU7, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun emphasized that compared to the Model S or the BMW 5 Series, the SU7 has more interior space. The backrests of the front seats also have holders for Xiaomi tablets. But the rear passengers not only charge their tablets and have something to watch movies on, but also become an extension of the car’s infotainment system, able to control the music or even move the seat in front. The front seats also have active side cushions that work when negotiating a sharp turn, and under the center console there is a removable torch and a pair of hooks, which Xaomi says are for “carrying out a bag of food”. At the recent launch event, Xiaomi also unveiled six new exterior paint finishes for the SU7.

The SU7 has 517 liters of boot space, slightly less than the latest BMW 5 Series sedan, but there’s another 105 liters of space under the bonnet in the boot.

Xiaomi SU7 design

Xiaomi’s electric car division is headed by Tianyuan Li, who worked as a senior designer at BMW and contributed to the polarizing yet undeniably distinctive look of the BMW iX. To our eyes, the SU7’s front end looks like it belongs on one of McLaren’s supercars, such as the 750S, thanks to the similar headlight shape and rounded nose design. The sloping roofline and subtle rear overhangs are also reminiscent of the Porsche Taycan, while the rear end of the SU7 with its full-width light bar is very reminiscent of the BYD Seal. The SU7 is offered in three wheel sizes – 19, 20 and 21 inches.

The SU7 also has a LiDAR sensor integrated at the top of the windscreen, similar to the one found in the flagships Volvo EX90, Polestar 3 and Lotus Emeya. It is complemented by a number of cameras and other sensors around the car, which together provide data to Xiaomi’s Pilot autonomous driving technology.

Source:
Autoexpress / Ellis Hyde