Several secrets of the company's first SUV have been leaked

Somehow, Xiaomi managed to surprise locals and foreigners with the announcement of the new Xiaomi YU7, the company's second electric car model and the first of the SUV type. It's not that the YU7's existence was precisely a secret, having previously appeared in camouflage and in several leaks; but it was a surprise that the company announced it so suddenly.

The plan was probably different, but Xiaomi would have been forced to present the YU7 in advance and without organizing an event due to the publication of the vehicle registration with the Chinese authorities. However, we will still have to wait to see the new model in its entirety, since its development is not yet complete. As proof, we have the fact that the company I'm still testing prototypes.

Today, two of these prototypes appeared on Chinese roads, indicating that Xiaomi is accelerating its development to arrive in time for the launch, expected in the middle of next year. What is interesting is that until now the existence of only one prototype was known, and that the one that was added It's different from the previous one.

Concretely, Chinese Internet users have shared videos and photographs on the social network Weibo which show several differences and improvements of the new model; For example, the rear door handle is differentwith a design that hides much better in the lines of the vehicle.

This could indicate that the handlebars could extend when unlocking the doors, as happens on several Tesla models. It is possible that this design will be offered as an option, knowing that the other prototype which continues to circulate has a conventional design.

Another striking detail is the presence of a laser radar on the roof of the vehiclewhich is only present in one of the prototypes. This could indicate that Xiaomi will offer a cheaper version of the YU7 without advanced driver assistance features, while the more expensive model would have these features to directly compete with the Tesla Model Y.

It is very possible that these differences are the result of the development of the car and that the final product has all these changes. For example, there are details like a new design for the front trunk, which seem more associated with the general design of the vehicle, and less with a specific model. But other details, like the new aerodynamic openings, seem more typical of a sportier or “premium” version.

We will therefore have to wait for official confirmation, but these two prototypes seem to indicate that Xiaomi is targeting two different sectors with the YU7, with prices that can vary considerably; This could confirm Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun's words that he wanted to launch a sports SUV “for the people.”