Xiaomi YU7 starts large-scale road testing. Can it successfully compete with Tesla Model X when it is launched next year?

Xiaomi's first SUV, the YU7, is undergoing large-scale road testing and will be available in June or July next year.

As the layout of vehicle models becomes clearer, many netizens have seen a sense of déjà vu in Xiaomi - it is very much like a 1:1 replica of Tesla's development path.

Tesla's first car was the Model S, an all-electric sedan, followed by the Model X, an SUV, and the third was the more affordable Model 3.

Xiaomi Motors are following the same path. SU7 is a sedan, YU7 is an SUV, and the third model is said to be a range-extended model that will be priced in the 150,000 yuan range.

This product layout idea is really similar to Tesla. However, this is not a rare thing. If you want to trace the source, Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi Motors, also has a long history with Tesla.

As early as 2013, Lei Jun met with Musk and learned the operating style of Tesla's production line.

After returning, although Xiaomi did not start making cars right away, the seeds of making cars were planted. People who can achieve great things always see the excellence of others, learn from them first, and then surpass them. Musk certainly did not expect that ten years later, this man named Lei Jun would become a strong competitor in the Chinese market. For example, the first competitor of this YU 7 is Model X.

Lei Jun has given Tesla a thumbs up in public more than once and expressed his desire to learn from it.

From the current perspective, Xiaomi Auto’s learning is undoubtedly successful. Everyone can see the popularity of SU7, and the next SUV is expected to be a dark horse in the industry.

From the relevant information that has been exposed, Xiaomi YU7 continues the successful design of SU7, with bullet-shaped headlights equipped with iconic headlights, and the front face looks sharp. The "small fangs" shape under the headlights, combined with the guide groove design on both sides, as well as the new style of five-spoke wheels and yellow brake calipers, the whole car has a distinct sporty style.

In terms of body size, the Xiaomi YU7 is 4999/1996/1600mm in length, width and height, and has a wheelbase of 3000mm, positioning it as a medium-to-large SUV. With a length of nearly 5 meters and a wheelbase of 3 meters, the cabin space of the Xiaomi YU7 is expected to exceed that of the Model Y.

From the side, the body shape is somewhat similar to the Ferrari Purosangue, such as the long front design, including the side curves. However, Xiaomi has always been good at learning from others in product design.

The long front cabin + short rear overhang design can be seen as a highlight of this car's design. In addition to providing a better riding space, it can also free up more space for the chassis, allowing a large-capacity battery pack to be installed on the vehicle.

This is not groundless speculation by netizens. According to the data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the curb weight of YU7 is 2405kg, which is 424kg heavier than the Model Y rear-wheel drive long-range version. The overweight part is enough to add a 63-degree large battery like the Zunjie S800. Therefore, this car may be more worth looking forward to in terms of battery life than Tesla.

In terms of power, the Xiaomi YU7 applied for this time is driven by dual motors. The maximum power of the front and rear motors are 220kW and 288kW respectively, the maximum speed is 253km/h, and it is equipped with a CATL ternary lithium-ion battery.

Compared with SU7, the rear motor power of YU7 is increased by 10kW. Based on the performance of SU7, YU7 should not be much worse. Such parameters will definitely not be in vain in front of Model Y.

Obviously, Xiaomi Motors has learned a lot from Tesla, but it has also surpassed Tesla. In terms of development ideas, Xiaomi Motors is undoubtedly smart, and its reference to Tesla is not only reflected in product layout.

At its own autumn press conference, Xiaomi once did a "one more thing" similar to Jobs' at the end: it demonstrated Xiaomi's autonomous driving technology and humanoid robots.

Does this operation look familiar to you? Because Tesla's Musk is a fanatic about AI and robots. As some netizens said, Xiaomi's steps in developing autonomous driving and humanoid robots are similar to Tesla on the other side of the ocean.

As early as after the Xiaomi automobile business project was launched, Lei Jun's capital - including Xiaomi Group, Xiaomi Changjiang Industrial Fund, and Shunwei Capital's investment areas almost covered the entire upstream and downstream of smart cars, including chips, autonomous driving systems, power batteries, OEM, etc.

With intensive investment, in-depth supply chain, and learning from competitors, the gap between Xiaomi and Tesla is narrowing. Some people are worried that Xiaomi will follow in Tesla's footsteps and lose its own identity.

As Lei Jun said, "In terms of mechanical qualities such as drivability, we hope to be comparable to the Porsche Taycan Turbo; in terms of intelligence, we hope to be comparable to the Tesla Model S; at the same time, we also have the most advanced technology and the richest ecosystem."

Taking Tesla as the blueprint for car manufacturing, injecting Porsche's driving passion, and integrating Xiaomi's intelligent advantages on this basis, Xiaomi's car manufacturing route has become clear. For Chinese independent brands, if they can lay a solid foundation and build tall buildings on flat ground, we should applaud them. And if they can stand on the shoulders of giants to explore the world, it is also worthy of recognition.

What do you think of Xiaomi Auto's development strategy? Can it successfully establish its own competitive advantages and compete head-on with Model X?