Xiaomi SU7 is a 672PS Tesla eater

17th November 2023

Russell Campbell

Images of the Xiaomi SU7 have been revealed on the Chinese government regulatory website, giving us our first eyes on the slippery-looking Tesla Model S rival. It’s set to go on sale next year and will likely undercut the Tesla, priced at around £85,000.

The Xiaomi is expected to be available in two model variants – a 299PS (220kW) rear-wheel-drive model with a single rear-mounted motor and a top speed of 130mph or a 672PS (494kW) four-wheel drive version with a motor on each axle and a 165mph top speed.

While the single-motor car weighs 1,980kg, the twin motor weighs 2,205kg, suggesting it also gets a larger battery. Xiaomi has yet to specify battery capacity or range. Still, you can choose from a cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate battery or a more expensive CATL pack.

With a wheelbase of 3,000mm, you can expect the Xiaomi’s interior to closely match a Tesla Model S in terms of interior space, and it’s also likely to get a large central infotainment screen to mirror the design of the American car.

It resembles a Tesla saloon, with a thimble full of McLaren 750S added with its platypus-bill bonnet and split headlights. Sadly, the roof-mounted air scoop is actually a lidar pod, suggesting the SU7 will be capable of advanced autonomous driving.

The active rear spoiler is no mirage; it’s expected to be fitted to the four-wheel drive model, adding stability and operating as an air brake slowing from higher speeds. Xiaomi has also confirmed you can choose from 19 and 20-inch wheels.

Meanwhile, the ‘Founders Edition’ badging on these official pictures suggests the Xiaomi will be offered in a launch-edition specification brimmed with standard equipment that will make it look like great value against rest-of-world equivalents. We’ll have more when we get it.