Xiaomi’s new vehicle, a pure electric SUV, made an unexpected debut earlier this week in the vehicle bulletin of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Shortly after, Xiaomi officially unveiled the SUV’s name—YU7—and announced it would hit the market in June or July 2025.
As anticipated, the announcement generated buzz among car enthusiasts, propelling the YU7 to the top of trending topics across major social media platforms. While fans of SUVs expressed excitement, some users, still captivated by the earlier SU7, found the YU7 less impressive. Complaints also surfaced regarding its fully hidden door handles, criticized as counterintuitive.
A Xiaomi patent application revealed the handles employ an inward push mechanism instead of a pop-out operation, but further design details remain undisclosed.
Facing comparisons with its acclaimed predecessor, the SU7, Xiaomi’s second vehicle encounters heightened expectations and challenges. Can the YU7 replicate the SU7’s success?
Bigger, sleeker, but facing higher expectations
According to the new vehicle bulletin, the YU7 measures 4,999 millimeters in length, 1,996 mm in width, and 1,600 mm in height, with a 3-meter wheelbase—making it both larger and wider than the SU7. Among pure electric SUVs, this size is rare, surpassing the dimensions of Tesla’s Model Y, which has a wheelbase of 2,890 mm and measures 4,750 mm in length, 1,921 mm in width, and 1,624 mm in height. The YU7’s dimensions align more closely with the Li L8 but adopt a sportier, lower profile.
From product images, the YU7 maintains a sedan-like elongated front with muscular hood lines reminiscent of the SU7. Its rear opts for a traditional sporty SUV aesthetic instead of the trending fastback design, resulting in an overall resemblance to a raised station wagon. Design refinements include updated wheel designs, revised headlights, wider rear tires (275 mm), and additional aerodynamic enhancements. These improvements aim to reduce drag, crucial for optimizing range in the 2.4-ton SUV.
The YU7’s low height of 1.6 meters presents challenges in interior space, as the battery pack occupies significant floor space. Xiaomi’s first vehicle, the SU7, faced criticism for similar spatial limitations, particularly in headroom and rear cabin comfort. Sharing the same platform, the YU7 risks encountering comparable shortcomings, potentially impacting its appeal to family-oriented buyers.
Based on the SU7’s price point, Xiaomi is likely to price the YU7 between RMB 200,000–300,000 (USD 28,000–42,000), positioning it as an option for young families. However, Tesla’s Model Y, bolstered by its established reputation, competitive pricing, and flexible financing options, presents a significant challenge.
Tesla plans to refresh the Model Y in the first quarter of 2025, with updates including a 10% range improvement, minor interior and exterior design tweaks, enhanced chassis comfort, and lower energy consumption. A six-seat version of the Model Y will also debut.
Despite these changes, Tesla’s incremental updates typically do not trigger substantial market disruption among its customer base. Instead, sales trends are more commonly influenced by price adjustments.
At present, Tesla is offering a final discount of RMB 10,000 (USD 1,400) on both the rear-wheel drive and long-range variants of the Model Y, reducing the starting price to RMB 239,900 (USD 33,586). Under its five-year interest-free loan policy, customers can secure a Model Y for monthly payments starting at RMB 2,667 (USD 373.40).
Tesla’s strong brand equity, reliable products, competitive pricing, and flexible financing options create a formidable competitive advantage for the Model Y. In the dynamic electric vehicle market, the Model Y has become a safe choice for buyers. While it may not promise substantial returns, it rarely leaves customers dissatisfied. This shift from early adopters to mainstream consumers underscores Tesla’s market evolution.
If Tesla maintains its attractive pricing and loan terms with the refreshed Model Y, the vehicle is poised to retain its dominance. These advantages, which are difficult for competitors like Xiaomi to replicate, make it challenging to unseat the Model Y as the segment leader. Still, Xiaomi’s YU7 has the potential to carve out its own niche.
Aiming to carve its niche
For families, SUVs address specific needs that sedans often do not, prioritizing passenger and cargo space to ensure practicality and comfort during family outings. Xiaomi’s first vehicle, the SU7, faced criticism for its spatial constraints due to its elongated front and fastback design. The rear cabin had limited headroom—barely a fist’s width—and standard legroom of 825 mm, shortcomings that left the mid-to-large sedan falling short for family users. Sharing the same platform, the YU7 may encounter similar limitations.
That said, Xiaomi’s experience with the SU7 provides an opportunity to refine the YU7. However, competitors have already made significant progress in addressing space concerns, especially in second-row seating.
For instance, Tesla’s Model Y has enhanced rear seat comfort in previous updates, while the recently launched midsize SUV Onvo L60, though smaller than the YU7, boasts 860 mm of second-row legroom. Nio’s Onvo is also set to release a larger five-seat SUV next year that will directly compete with the YU7.
In terms of space and comfort, Xiaomi has yet to establish a clear advantage. For family users, these factors often outweigh other considerations. If the YU7 relies solely on aesthetics and brand recognition, it risks cannibalizing the SU7’s customer base instead of broadening Xiaomi’s market reach.
The YU7 will likely secure orders from Xiaomi’s loyal user base, but achieving widespread success will require more than brand loyalty. It must appeal to practical needs and deliver innovations that resonate with a broader audience. To stand out, Xiaomi may need to address interior space optimization, competitive pricing, or introduce novel features that fill unmet consumer needs. Leveraging Xiaomi’s ecosystem to create a distinctive user experience could also provide an edge.
Ultimately, Xiaomi must craft a compelling product tailored to family users, a challenge that aligns with the innovative and enterprising vision of Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s founder. By extension, the success of the YU7 will hinge on Xiaomi’s ability to translate these strengths into concrete market advantages.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Xu Caiyu for 36Kr.