Smartphone company and now car maker, Xiaomi, launches the YU7 – its first SUV – with 3.23-second 0-100km/h acceleration and more than a passing resemblance to the supercar class.
Electric Cars
Chinese automaker Xiaomi has unveiled the brand's second model line and first SUV with the 2026 Xiaomi YU7.
Despite looking like the SU7 sedan, the brand’s first production model, Xiaomi claim the YU7 SUV is “a completely reimagined SUV from the ground up.”
Styling remains close to the design language of the SU7 sedan, headlights that look like they coil from a McLaren, a window line with a close resemblance to that of the Ferrari Purosangue, and proportions not unlike a Porsche Macan.
Hidden within the upper portion of the headlights is an aero-enhancing air channel that exits at the rear of the front guards.
Airflow around the car is managed by 19 vents and 10 flow-through air channels. Xaiomi claims drag as low as 0.245 Cd, with refinements like automatic grille louvres and the seamless clamshell connect contributing to a 59km improvement in CLTC range estimates.
Xiaomi claims the SU7 has the world’s largest mass-produced aluminium bonnet, with the clamshell design measuring 1960x1587mm.
Despite the massive stamping covering it, under-bonnet storage is listed at just 14 litres. Rear storage is a more conventional 678L with the rear seats up and 1758 with them folded.
Inside, the YU7 features nappa leather trim, zero-gravity seats, a cockpit-style dash layout, a 16.1-inch centre touchscreen and a ‘HyperVision panoramic display’ that runs the full width of the interior and the base of the windscreen that measures 1.1 metres.
The YU7 (pronounced ‘yu-seven’ rather than ‘why-you-seven’) measures 4999mm long with a 3000mm wheelbase, 1996mm wide and 1600mm tall – around 69mm longer, with 105mm more wheelbase than a Porsche Cayenne Coupe, but 54mm lower overall.
Performance is in the supercar spectrum with the 0-100km/h sprint taking a claimed 3.23 seconds, thanks to the 508kW electric drivetrain, which is confusingly called ‘Xiaomi HyperEngine V6s Plus’ despite not being a V6.
The dual motor, all-wheel drive system is capable of peak outputs per motor of 288kW and 528Nm. Range on the more lenient CLTC test cycle is rated at 835km.
Three variants will be available, Standard, Pro, and Max, with the 96.3kWh battery in the rear-wheel drive Standard promising the longest 835km range.
The Pro keeps the same size battery but moves to all-wheel drive for 760km of range and the Max, with a 101.7kWh battery, is rated to cover 770km.
To keep the YU7 pointing the right way, Xiaomi employs double wishbone front suspension with a five-link rear end, double-chamber air springs with continuous damper control.
The YU7 also has five-setting ride height adjustment with 75mm of travel allowing up to 222mm of clearance, and Brembo four-piston front brake calipers.
An 800-volt electrical architecture means a 10-80 per cent charge is capable in just 12 minutes, with up to 620km of range being delivered in 15 minutes.
Although Xiaomi hasn’t stated a maximum charge rate, the YU7 is capable of a ‘5.2C’ charge rating, suggesting peak charge of over 500kW will be possible on a compatible charger.
An assisted driving system comprising seven anti-glare cameras as part of an 11-camera vision-based network, LiDAR sensing, a millimetre-wave radar, 12 ultrasonic radars and a viewing range of up to 200 metres, allowing more advanced control without driver intervention.
Like the SU7 before it, the XU7 is set for a Chinese market launch initially, but the brand has flagged expansion into global markets with plans for as many as 10,000 sales sites globally by 2029.
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Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
