When thinking about Samsung, the first thing that comes to mind is the tech giant's appliances, gadgets, and so on, not its partnership with Renault in South Korea. The same goes for Apple, which recently ditched its plans to make an iCar (and thank God and every other deity for that!), and Xiaomi. The latter is a Chinese tech giant known for its smartphone game, which has just entered the car industry.
Mind you, unlike others (ahem, Sony), which are still trying to wrap their minds around the extremely intricate process of developing a car from scratch, Xiaomi has actually done it. Its first-ever vehicle is called the SU7, a weird name for something that is not an SUV but a sedan, and since it is all about the future and saving the planet, it is an all-electric one.
Xiaomi's SU7 recently celebrated its premiere and promises to be a fine product – on paper, at least. The entry-level variant rocks plenty of power for daily driving, with its rear-mounted electric motor producing 295 horsepower (299 ps/220 kW) and 295 pound-foot (400 Nm) of torque. This allows it to reach 62 mph (100 kph) in 5.3 seconds. All this in return for just under $30,000 in its local market.
The upper spec adds a second motor for a total of 663 hp (672 ps/495 kW) and 618 pound-feet (838 Nm) of torque. The impressive output and thrust make it supercar-fast, allowing it to push to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds and up to 165 mph (265 kph). And unlike the lesser variant, it features an 800-volt architecture. Pricing? That would be the equivalent of $41,500, thank you very much!
Photo: Xiaomi
Are you impressed by the Xiaomi SU7? You should be, as it is about the same size as the Porsche Taycan and costs a fraction of its money, especially in the entry-level form. Heck, it would be cheaper than the smaller Tesla Model 3 in the United States and would also undercut the Hyundai Kona Electric subcompact crossover. Talk about a great strategy wrapped in an eye-catching package, right?
Well, the strategy sure is great, and the package is visually pleasing. However, the Xiaomi SU7 has been off to a bumpy start on the road, with test drivers crashing several copies. This has made some reconsider buying it, and it proves that the tech-giant-turned-automaker should have taken more time to refine everything before bringing a product with a lot of issues to market.
Do you think that these problems are making them reconsider their strategy? Partially, as besides trying to fix the SU7 sedan and make a lot of money off it eventually, Xiaomi is also interested in expanding its vehicle lineup with a first-ever crossover. Hey, the market is infested with such rides, so no one can blame the Chinese company for trying to dip its toes into this segment, too, can they?
Presumably dubbed the SU8, the upcoming high-rider will reportedly debut before the end of the year. We don't know yet how big it will be and what it will look like, but we reckon it will share some common traits with the SU7. However, that might not include the Modena platform. Rumors point to a different construction, as besides the regular electric firepower power, this model is expected to have a range-extending option, a much-deserved upgrade if you ask us, as it would inevitably delete some customers' range anxiety.
Photo: Xiaomi
We will know more about the brand's alleged second product when the time comes, including the availability and pricing. Nevertheless, if the four-door SU7 is any indication, it should also be on the very affordable side of the market, thus likely attracting tens of thousands of reservations in the first hour after the online order book opens.
Xiaomi may try to capitalize on the momentum more, so we wouldn't rule out additional future vehicles made by this company that could be a few months to a few years away. And to truly get the attention of the petrolhead crowd, the Chinese auto brand might eventually up the ante with an exotic model. There's nothing about such a ride at the moment; it's just our suspicion that Xiaomi is trying to impress the automotive industry, and they certainly have the money to back up numerous future models.
It is obvious that Xiaomi has a lot on its plate, yet it also has the funds to fix everything and convince people that its SU7 is just as good as the much pricier competition. However, we will believe it when we see it, and in the meantime, we'd gladly get something smaller and just as affordable rather than a problematic model from a carmaker that has only recently entered this game. So, do you care at all about Xiaomi's current and future rides, and would you ever consider buying one of their automobiles?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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