Today, 14 years after their first smartphone, that scepticism is ancient history as Xaomi smartphones are now among the best-selling brands ranked fourth according to a recent article last month on MyBroadband, quoting a report on Mobile Vendor Market Share South Africa.

Interestingly, in December 2024 Xaomi smartphone sales reached 702.3 million units globally, including tablets.

The Chinese manufacturer seems to be repeating their sales success with the YU7 SUV, their second electric vehicle, with close to 250 000 orders placed within the first 24 hours after its launch.

Xaomi Automobile was established in 2021. In 2023, Xaomi launched its first vehicle, and being in the electronics sphere, it was no surprise that it was an electric vehicle.

The current model range includes the SU7 sedan and the YU7 SUV, with the latter being a direct competitor to Tesla's Model Y. Xaomi's first EV, the SU7, is available in Standard, Pro, and Max versions.

The new YU7 is far from just a taller version of the Xiaomi SU7. The Xiaomi YU7 represents a completely reimagined SUV from the ground up. While the Xiaomi YU7 shares the same evolutionary design language as the Xiaomi SU7, it stands out with its own identity.

Xiaomi describes the YU7 as a mid-to-large SUV, with dimensions of nearly five metres in length, just under two metres in width, and 1 600 mm in height, along with a wheelbase of three metres. Competitors would be the BMW iX, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Volvo EX30 and fellow Chinese competitor, BYD Sealion 7, all available in South Africa.

The model revamps the signature "waterdrop headlights" from the Xiaomi SU7 with an innovative hollowed-out design. The upper section of the YU7's headlights incorporates an open design with air channels linked to the front hood vents - a feature unmatched in its class, Xaomi claims.

At the rear, redesigned clusters achieve a cleaner, more sculpted appearance with immediate visual recognition. Unlike the SU7, the YU7’s taillights feature downward-angled corners that accentuate the SUV's posture.

Building upon the SU7's existing 16.1-inch central touchscreen and dual rear entertainment displays, the YU7 introduces two new innovations: The first is a HyperVision Panoramic Display using a triple Mini LED screen array to project information onto the lower windscreen area. The other is a remote-control panel at the back for passengers controlling a number of functions.

Xaomi calls it V6 and V8, but these are fully electric units officially named HyperEngine V6/V6s and HyperEngine V8. These three E-motors rival the performance of traditional large V8 and V6 internal combustion powertrains.

Regarding performance, the Xiaomi YU7 boasts a maximum peak power of 508kW, accelerates from 0–100km/h in 3.23 seconds, and has a top speed of 253km/h, according to the Chinese automaker.

The Xiaomi YU7 comes in three variants - Standard, Pro, and Max - all offering long-range capabilities. The entry-level Standard variant delivers an exceptional 835 km range with its 96.3 kWh battery, making it the longest-range pure electric SUV with a sub-100 kWh battery and the top performer in the mid-to-large-size pure electric SUV category.

Notably, the four-wheel-drive configurations — the YU7 Pro (96.3kWh battery) and Max (101.7kWh battery) - also deliver claimed ranges of 760km and 770km respectively, says Xaomi.

The maximum charging rate enables the system for a 10% to 80% charge in just 12 minutes and providing 620km of range in 15 minutes.