Xiaomi YU7 A Tesla Model Y Rival

Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi made headlines at the end of October by unofficially breaking a seven-year record at the Nurburgring. A prototype SU7 Ultra evidently set a Nordschleife lap time of 6.47min, quicker than any Tesla Model S has managed. Perhaps that’s because it has 1139kW under its belt, and can sprint from 0-100 in under 2sec! Or so the company claims.

Anyhow, it is now set to deliver an SUV that is styled similarly and is called the YU7.

Leaked on Weibo, the YU7 borrows plenty of design cues from the SU7 four-door. That suggests the brand will have a consistent family face for its model range. 

Technical details are not yet to hand but the car should share its underpinnings with the SU7. That includes the powertrain and NMC battery options. On the latter, expect capacity of 94.3 and 101kWh. 

With the latter, there would be a range in excess of 640km. 

A dual-motor powertrain with a 220/288kW front/rear split for a combined output of 508kW. Top speed is a claimed 253km/h. The SUV evidently weighs 200kg more than the sedan.

Similarities between the pair include headlight clusters, which incorporate a horizontal LED strip, curved body surfaces, an air outlet behind the front wheel and a wraparound rear light bar. 

The YU7 is 4999mm long, 1996mm wide and 1600mm tall so compared with the Tesla Model Y it is bigger in all but height. 

While the leaked shots showed no interior, if similar to the sedan it would be a minimalist set-up. Expect a 16.1-inch main touchscreen, displays for the rear passengers and a substantial panoramic roof.

Before getting too excited about the YU7, Xiaomi says it won’t consider selling its wares overseas for two to three years because of domestic market demand. It has already moved over 100,000 sedans in China this year. However, the firm has taken a financial hit on a significant proportion of these.