Beyond smartphones: Xiaomi's SU7 EV aims to take on Porsche and ...
► Xiaomi’s first EV is here► And it’s a high performance flagship► Aims at Porsche and Tesla
Xiaomi has revealed its first electric car – and no, it’s not an SUV. Called the SU7, it’s a low-slung sports saloon that’s more Taycan than e-Tron in its execution. It’s not a surprise though; the SU7 comes over a year after the tech giant announced plans to join the automotive space.
Unveiled in Shanghai earlier this week, the SU7 (SU being short for Speed Ultra) will spearhead a £8.9billion push into electric cars for the smartphone maker – and there are big plans ahead: ‘By working hard over the next 15 to 20 years, we will become one of the world’s top 5 automakers, striving to lift China’s overall automobile industry,’ said Xiaomi Chief Executive Lei Jun, speaking at the car’s reveal.
A cheaper, high volume EV is a likely long-term goal for Xiaomi (especially given its position in the smartphone market), but right now it needs to focus on brand building – and the SU7 is the product to do it. Xiaomi’s new flagship will be looking to fight with Porsche’s Taycan and the Tesla range in both performance and features, with Jun saying the company is looking to build ‘a dream car comparable to Porsche and Tesla.’
On the outside, the SU7 certainly bears a resemblance to its competition from Stuttgart – partly because of the design choices necessary when building a low-drag EV – but it looks to have competitive specs, too.
The SU7 will be available in single or dual motor variants, with the top all-wheel drive model getting 475kW or 664bhp of power. That’s good for a 0-62mph launch of just 2.78 seconds and top speed of 165mph. Dynamics aside, the top SU7 looks to be competitive on paper, then. Range will vary between 415 and around 500 miles depending on the spec.
Xiaomi also says the SU7 will have autonomous tech similar in performance to Tesla when it’s released.
What else?The other big draw for the SU7 will be an operating system shared with its booming mobile device business. In the same way Porsche, Aston Martin and others are now doubling down with Apple on CarPlay integration, Xiaomi can leverage its smartphone tech to foster familiarity with its EV interiors.
