Not only SU7 and YU7, Xiaomi's third model has also been exposed, this time it is a 150,000-class extended-range SUV

As a "newcomer" in the automotive industry, Xiaomi's popularity this year is higher than those of the old car companies.

The first model, Xiaomi SU7, has been very popular since its launch. The model photos of the second model, YU7, were also unveiled yesterday. It is a pure electric SUV and is expected to be launched in the market in the middle of next year.

The second model, YU7, is still a mystery, and then Xiaomi Auto’s third model has become a hot topic of discussion.

It is reported that Xiaomi is preparing for its third model, which will be a high-volume SUV model with extended-range power and a lower positioning. It is internally code-named "Kunlun" and is expected to be launched on the market in 2026.

In addition, there are some online rumors that this extended-range SUV, code-named "Kunlun", may be manufactured by Dongfeng Motor, or it may be an acquisition and transformation of Dongfeng's existing factory, with a starting price of around 150,000 yuan.

Although there is still little information available, we can clearly feel the speed of Xiaomi Motor's development this year. If the "Kunlun" SUV story is true, it means that Xiaomi Motor has done a lot of things that many car companies have not done in many years in just one year. From pure electric to extended range, it basically covers the entire line.

The rapid development of Xiaomi Motors has undoubtedly played a positive role in the rise of China's own brands. But at the same time, many people are also worried that such a "speed" may lead to more than one can chew.

After all, the problem of automatic parking function abnormality caused by Xiaomi system bug some time ago still makes many people feel uneasy. Some netizens said, "Although the intelligent driving technology needs to be improved, Xiaomi is responsible and brave to take responsibility, which deserves praise." However, some netizens questioned that "it should not be listed if the technology is not mature."

In any case, we recognize Xiaomi Auto's attitude of taking responsibility, but technology and product quality remain a worrying issue.

Therefore, when the news came out that Xiaomi Auto was going to enter the 150,000-class extended-range vehicle market, many netizens were still somewhat skeptical, especially about the word "OEM", to which they were more sensitive.

In this regard, Lei Jun actually released a video a few days ago, which seemed to be a "self-proof". On December 7, Lei Jun released a video to respond to the misunderstanding that Xiaomi has no factory, no technology, and was accused of OEM.

Lei Jun said that Xiaomi's initial model was a combination of light mode + OEM mode, which caused people to misunderstand Xiaomi. Lei Jun said that Xiaomi has always attached importance to manufacturing and has had an intelligent manufacturing department for a long time. The first large-scale factory was officially completed and put into production at the beginning of the year, and the second factory - Xiaomi Automobile Factory was completed in March this year.

From this point of view, when Xiaomi Auto's third car is actually launched, it may be produced in Xiaomi Auto's own factory.

However, whether it is "OEM" is not the most important thing for car consumers. Most of the new forces at the beginning have come this way. What is more worthy of attention is whether Xiaomi's third extended-range vehicle in the future can have better product strength guarantee.

According to online information, this car will most likely focus on the 150,000-level extended-range vehicle segment. This price is not considered high in the current extended-range vehicle segment, and can even be said to be a "people-friendly" price. This means that car companies need to control costs as much as possible while ensuring that their products are "tough".

The most popular rumor on the Internet is that Xinwanda Battery has won the battery project for Ideal M8, M7 and Xiaomi's third model "Kunlun".

There are rumors that Xiaomi's third model is strictly cost-oriented. In order to reduce costs, the system-level quotation of the "Sinwanda Power" battery may be less than 50 cents per watt-hour, which is much cheaper than CATL.

We all know that batteries are a key part of extended-range models, and reducing the cost of this part will undoubtedly help the success of a car. Coupled with Xiaomi's automotive supply chain advantages, it can get more favorable prices for everything from chips to lidar.

Xiaomi Motors also seems to have made some preparations for another key part of the extended-range vehicle, the range extender. We can see recruitment information for the position of range extender system design and development engineer on Xiaomi's official channels, which shows that Xiaomi Motors has made some preparations for this core part.

At present, the mainstream range extenders that meet the National VI B conditions that can be purchased in China are basically provided by Dongan. Including the Ideal L series, all of them use its 1.5T range extender. Considering that the pricing of Xiaomi's range extender is not in the same price range as Ideal L, if the existing range extender + system solution is used, the cost and terminal price will undoubtedly be contradictory.

Judging from Xiaomi Auto’s recruitment information, it might be easier to control costs if Xiaomi directly purchased the range extender and adapted it itself.

Now, Xiaomi Auto has a certain influence in the Chinese market. The success of SU7 has brought a lot of mainstream users to the brand. At the beginning of December, Lei Jun just posted his achievements on Weibo: since its release in March, the total number of deliveries of the entire series has exceeded 100,000. The delivery volume in November exceeded 20,000, which has exceeded 20,000 for two consecutive months. The corresponding annual target has also been raised to 130,000.

In fact, if the cost is well controlled, coupled with Xiaomi's current reputation, the performance of this extended-range vehicle after its entry into the market is still worth looking forward to.

Of course, as a "newcomer" in the automotive industry, Xiaomi Motors' chances of success also need to be viewed objectively. At present, the market competition for new energy SUVs around RMB 150,000 is very fierce. For example, BYD's Yuan PLUS, Song Pro DM-i, Song PLUS DM-i and other models have extremely high sales and market share in this price range.

From this perspective, it is still very difficult for Xiaomi Auto's extended-range SUV to successfully shake BYD's market position.

In general, the success of Xiaomi Motors this year has brought a certain degree of confidence to the brand. Even though its share in the automobile market is relatively limited, it has not affected its ambitions in the new energy market. At present, if Xiaomi Motors can continue to maintain a good reputation, further research technology, and control costs, this extended-range SUV may be a sharp weapon for expanding its customer base in the future. In the sinking market, it is precisely the track that Xiaomi is most comfortable and familiar with.