Xiaomi reveals Model Y killer

CHINESE smartphone-come-car manufacturer Xiaomi has revealed its latest electric creation, and it’s a Ferrari Purosangue look-alike that’ll outpace its Italian doppelganger without using a single hydrocarbon.

Yes, the same Xiaomi that builds the SU7 supercar, which Ford chief executive Jim Farley recently admitted to daily driving and not wanting to give back.

“I don’t like talking about the competition so much, but I drive the Xiaomi,” Mr Farley said on the Electric Everythingpodcast.

“We flew one from Shanghai to Chicago and I’ve been driving it for six months now and I don’t want to give it up.”

The brand’s new hyper-crossover – or SUV, given its hefty dimensions – is the big brother of the SU7 and uses the same 800-volt Modena platform, but measures at a larger 4999mm long, 1996mm wide and 1608mm tall.

This, for perspective, makes it longer and wider than the Model Y that it is likely to compete most closely with – albeit at a lower price point if early indications are anything to go by.

According to reports on Car News China, while the official pricing is set to be announced when the vehicle launches in July this year it is still predicted to undercut the Tesla Model Y in China.

Visually, the YU7 looks to feature a mishmash of design themes from premium European brands, with a front-end that resembles the Ferrari Purosangue, headlights that look eerily like those of the McLaren 750s, and a rear-end that somewhat mirrors the Aston Martin DBX.

In any case, the end-result does look slick, and performance figures suggest it’ll be a rapid drive with impressive range to boot – although we do know China’s CLTC test cycle is far more lenient than the European WLTP standard.

The base model rear-wheel drive single-motor model will offer up 235kW/528Nm, fed by a 96.3kWh battery offering a massive 835km range, reaching 100km/h in 5.8 seconds.

Stepping up, the mid-range option gets dual motors producing a combined 365kW/690Nm, with the same battery, for a range of 770km and 4.2-second sprint time. 

At the top of the range is the YU7 Max, which scores dual motors offering a combined 508kW/866Nm, and it gets a slightly larger 101.7kWh battery, equating to a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds and driving range of 760km.

Unsurprisingly, the YU7 is brimming with technology, from safety features to autonomous driving capabilities, and a pillar-to-pillar digital dash that is more than a metre wide.

While Xiaomi intended to launch the YU7 at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, a fatal accident involving one of its test vehicles led to an internal review at the company.

The company has also faced customer backlash, with hundreds of customers reportedly seeking to cancel orders of the SU7 Ultra model citing false advertising.

It was claimed by buyers that a carbon fibre bonnet with performance-enhancing vents had no functional effect on the vehicle’s performance. Some customers also claimed the carbon fibre bonnet was made of plastic.

There are no confirmed plans for an Australian arrival, but Xiaomi has expressed interest in expanding globally.