Xiaomi YU7 electric SUV: 690 hp, mega head-up display and electronic overkill

In March 2024, the Chinese electronics giant and mobile phone manufacturer Xiaomi unveiled its first-ever car, the SU7 (see video). The electric sedan is selling well in the Chinese market, and the Ultra version has also performed well on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. But Xiaomi wants more—especially to sell more cars. And to achieve this, as previously announced, it is expanding its portfolio with an SUV called the YU7.

The Xiaomi YU7, available in only three colors (Emerald Green, Titanium Silver, and Lava Orange), is the sister model to the SU7 sedan. The SUV is just under five meters long, two meters wide, and 1.60 meters high. The wheelbase is specified as three meters. The lines of the four-door YU7 are strongly reminiscent of the Ferrari Purosangue, but also clearly borrow elements from the SU7. In its overall shape, with its steeply sloping roofline, it is more of an SUV coupe than a classic SUV. The pointed nose is flanked by sleek, McLaren-style 180-degree wide-angle LED lights. A large radiator grille opens up below, its grille featuring adjustable slats that actively adjust to optimize aerodynamics.

The strong indentations on the flanks create an extremely dynamic effect, creating space for large air vents behind the front wheel arches. The electric door handles are flush with the doors. At the rear, a spoiler extends the roofline over the flat rear window. The strongly sculpted rear side panels flow into a tail section. Below, a C-shaped light strip highlights the rear of the YU7. Large diffuser elements form the lower section. The drag coefficient of 0.245 is remarkable for an SUV.

The first glimpse into the interior reveals a soberly designed cockpit landscape. Surprisingly, there's no instrument cluster in front of the three-spoke multifunction steering wheel. All information is provided by a 1.10-meter-wide head-up display that spans the entire width of the windshield, which Xiaomi calls the "Hyper-Vision Panorama Display." The central control element is a 16.1-inch touchscreen mounted in front of the dashboard. The wide center console houses various storage compartments, with a total storage capacity of 71 liters, as well as the obligatory cup holders and a few physical switches.

The seats, upholstered in gray, orange, or blue nappa leather (with a massage function in the first row), can be electrically adjusted front and rear and reclined. In the rear, the Chinese manufacturer installed two additional entertainment monitors and a remote control panel, also a touchscreen. A 1.7-square-meter panoramic sunroof sits above the passengers' heads. The rear trunk can be expanded from 678 to 1,758 liters. A frunk can accommodate an additional 141 liters if needed.

In its base configuration, the YU7 is powered by an electric motor on the rear axle, producing 235 kW (320 hp) and drawing energy from a 96.3 kWh LFP battery. The all-wheel-drive variant sits above this with two electric motors – one per axle. The front motor produces 220 kW (300 hp), while a 288 kW (392 hp) electric motor powers the rear axle. Total power is rated at 508 kW (approximately 690 hp in the old currency), and the maximum torque from the rear motor alone is 528 Newton meters. This means the approximately 2.4-ton all-wheel-drive vehicle can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 253 km/h.

According to Xiaomi, the motors use segmented magnetic steel technology, which is intended to improve efficiency. The all-wheel-drive version draws its energy from a 101.7 kWh NMC battery from CATL. The range, according to the Chinese CLTC cycle, is 760 to 835 kilometers, although, interestingly, the longest range is achieved by the standard model version with only one motor and a small battery. According to the manufacturer, the 800-volt system of the Xiaomi XU7 allows for ultra-fast charging: It takes twelve minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent SoC. In other words: 15 minutes can be used to refuel an additional 620 kilometers.

The chassis features double wishbones at the front, a five-link rear axle, and height-adjustable dual-chamber air suspension with automatic, continuously variable damper control. Ground clearance can be adjusted within a 75-millimeter range, reaching a maximum of 222 millimeters. The four-piston brake system is supplied by Italian specialist Brembo.

The sophisticated software architecture of the Xiaomi YU7, which can of course be updated over-the-air, not only benefits the infotainment system and connectivity. It also consolidates information from the entire sensor system, which works with all kinds of hardware. The YU7 features twelve ultrasonic radars, eleven high-resolution cameras, one lidar system, and one 4D millimeter-wave radar.

Sales of the Xiaomi YU7 will officially begin in July 2025. Chinese market observers expect the starting price for the RWD model in the domestic market to be around €38,000. The AWD variant is expected to start at around €51,000 in China. This puts the YU7 directly in competition with the Tesla Model Y in the People's Republic. The Xiaomi YU7 will be built in parallel with the SU7 at the Xiaomi factory in Beijing.