Xiaomi has achieved this. Not only has it created an electric car from scratch, something Apple itself was not capable of, but it will offer it at a revolutionary price that could cause an earthquake in the industry.
The simple fact that Xiaomi has managed to create an electric car with technical characteristics capable of competing with the best from Tesla and Porsche is already something unprecedented. But the advertised price was even better.
Much has been made of the fact that Xiaomi was going to use the same strategy as mobile phones, launching a cheaper car than the competition to attract consumers to its platform. This is the method that Xiaomi used to reach third position in global mobile sales, behind Apple and Samsung.
Personalization and technology
But before revealing the price, Xiaomi still had to reveal some details of the car that had not yet been made public, such as configuration options. The Xiaomi SU7 will be available in 9 different colors, divided into four sections. The Sport section features the striking blue color with which Xiaomi presented the car at the MWC in Barcelona, and a very striking orange color is added. In the premium range, we can distinguish the purple recently worn by Lei Jun in public, which is added to a green and a metallic gray. The premium range presents a white color with a pearl effect and a diamond black color with a metallic effect.
Interiors can be customized in four colors: red, purple, white and black. And the wheels can be customized, with different size options between 19 and 21 inches, as well as different tire brands like Michelin, Bridgestone and Pirelli; The latter offers the most avant-garde option, with its P Zero for electric cars offering the best sports grip.
Xiaomi SU7 in gray
Inside, the dashboard screen with HyperOS is the main protagonist; Of course it can be connected to our Xiaomi mobile. The interior has special points to mount the mobile
It also has wireless mobile charging built into the dashboard and another in the passenger door, so we never forget our cell phone in the car again.
The Xiaomi SU7 is capable of recharging the cell phone by leaving it in a space in the door
Headrests have built-in speakers to stream music and application sound, so that the driver does not disturb sleeping occupants with GPS instructions for example.
The main screen measures 16.1 inches and has 3K resolution. Additionally, the seats will be equipped with rear tables for rear seat occupants, which can be removed for use anywhere. From the home screen you can use widgets and divide space between different apps.
Xiaomi SU7 screen can be split into multiple apps at the same time
When we put the phone on the charger, it will automatically connect to the car and we can see the mobile screen on the car screen. For example, if we watch a movie on our mobile, we can enlarge it to 16.1 inches.
The tablets in the rear seats are Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4 inch, based on Snapdragon processors. These are normal Xiaomi tablets, except that they have a magnetic connector for charging and connecting to the car system. In this way, using the tablets we can move the seats, modify the air conditioning or even mark points on the map for navigation. Likewise, content such as movies can be sent to tablets from the screen.
The Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro tablet used in the Xiaomi SU7
Thanks to HyperOS, the car is able to connect to our home and to devices such as smart speakers. Thanks to voice recognition, it is able to limit its use to owners. With voice commands, we can see the cameras that are in our houseas well as speaking via the video doorbell to speak to visitors or delivery people for example.
Xiaomi’s AI is able to recognize cars on the road and provide information about the places we visit
The main screen also offers access to Artificial Intelligence functions, which will be connected to the car’s systems. During one of the demonstrations, when entering a tunnel you can ask him its length and its characteristics, and if we pass through a bridge we can ask him to give us the name and explain its history. And using the front cameras, AI is able to recognize the rest of the cars on the road as model name.
Maximum performance
The Xiaomi SU7 in its high performance version has a maximum speed of 265 km/h, and a acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.78 seconds. These are higher numbers than the Porsche Taycan Turbo, which is the car Xiaomi has set out to beat. It also posted impressive numbers in the rest of the tests, taking 10.67 seconds to reach 200 km/h. It covers 80-120 km/h in 1.61 seconds, 120-160 km/h in 2.5 seconds and is capable of covering 400 meters from standstill in just 11.13 seconds.
The key for Xiaomi to have developed such a powerful car is the collaboration of some of the most leading companies, such as Brembo, Bosch, Continental, Schaeffler, ZF and many others.
The Xiaomi SU7 has the fastest charging
The autonomy of the Xiaomi SU7 starts at 700 kilometers on the Chinese CLTC cycle, a little more generous than the WLTP cycle used in Europe, but which remains very good by current standards. In fact, the range has improved a lot over the last three months of the car’s development, as it was originally 668 kilometers; but new tests with the latest Michelin tires allow us to obtain the aforementioned 700 kilometers. Xiaomi compared the range directly with that of the Tesla Model 3, which is “only” 567 kilometers with the same cycle.
In the Xiaomi SU7 Max model, the range is 810 kilometers in the Chinese cycle, the best in the entire industry, surpassing both Tesla and Porsche, and all with superior performance. It also has faster 871V charging, capable of getting 510 kilometers of range with 15 minutes of charging and 220 kilometers with 5 minutes of charging. The base model, on the other hand, covers 350 kilometers in 15 minutes and 138 kilometers with a 5-minute charge with the 486 V system. Xiaomi will install public charging stations and will also sell charging systems to install at home.
The smart features of the Xiaomi SU7 have been tested on real roads
Another important comparison with Tesla concerns Autopilot. Xiaomi will use Nvidia chips to offer intelligent driving functions, dividing them into two types. Xiaomi Pilot Pro will only use the car’s cameras, as Tesla does, while Xiaomi Pilot Max will be based on a greater number of sensors this will allow access to more advanced functions.
Both will be fully available in the second half of the year, but at launch the highway driving feature will already be available. An important detail is that the base Xiaomi SU7 will already have the necessary “hardware” to activate the Pro Smart functions.
Among the smart safety features, there is a sensor that can detect cars stopped on the highway and ensure safe braking even at 135 kilometers per hour. It is also capable of detecting the presence of motorcycles in our blind spot, whether we are leaving the parking lot or whether we are on the road and are going to change lanes.
The price of the Xiaomi car
After many rumors, Xiaomi finally held the Xiaomi SU7 launch event today, presented by the company’s CEO Lei Jun. And the worst news was confirmed for manufacturers already established in the sector, with figures much lower than those of the competition and very close to what was being said.
The starting price of the SU7 will be 215,900 yuan, or around 27,668 dollars. A crazy price for the base version of the SU7 which may make it particularly popular with young drivers; It will be the simplest and least complete version, although it retains the intelligent driving functions of the Xiaomi Pilot Pro, with a range of 700 km, 19-inch wheels and fast charging. 0 to 100 km/h takes 5.28 seconds and the maximum speed is 210 km/h.
Lei Jun himself admitted that the final price of the car was only decided on the day of the presentation and that the company loses money with each sale; but it is a necessary strategy to compete with the best in the industry.
He Xiaomi SU7 Pro This is a version that had not been announced until now, with a range of 830 kilometers. It is aimed at users who do not have charging stations at home and will have a price of 245,900 yuan, or approximately 31,513 dollars to the current change. The rear spoiler is included free of charge, as well as a series of accessories and the interior in nappa leather finish
The Xiaomi SU7 may be an industry game-changer for five main reasons
Finally, the Xiaomi SU7 Max It is the definitive version of the car, the most complete model, to the point that Xiaomi considers it a different vehicle. It is the one that claims the performances shared today and with a range of 800 kilometers; It is the one who will be able to fit the sports tires if we accept a sacrifice in autonomy. The Xiaomi SU7 Max will have a price of 299,999 yuan, 38,435 dollars at the exchange rate.
