Is BYD China's most exciting electric car brand? This 800km driving range Xiaomi YU7 electric SUV has something to say about that with Ferrari Purosangue looks and Tesla Model Y Performance punishing pace

Off the back of its SU7 electric sedan, Chinese tech company turned electric carmaker Xiaomi is showing no signs of slowing down, with the brand set to launch its first SUV in China early next year.

Dubbed the YU7, the electric performance SUV appears to have been inspired by the Ferrari Pursangue SUV, while going a radically different direction with its powertrain.

No 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 here, then, the YU7 opts for a 101kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery from CATL instead, paired with two electric motors. It delivers 831km of CLTC-certified range and a whopping 508 kilowatts for a top speed of 253km/h.

Its 4999mm length, 1996mm width, 1600mm height and wheelbase of 3000mm makes it about the same size as a Porsche Taycan, but a little taller overall.

Full specifications are unclear at this stage given information remains confined to homologation filings submitted in China, but pricing for the SU7 is expected to start between 250,000 and 350,000 yuan (A$53,989 to A$75,602), according to CarNewsChina.

That would put it in the price range of a Tesla Model Y – Australia’s top-selling EV – which starts at $55,900 (before on-road costs) in Australia, rising to $82,900 for the AWD Performance version.

Xiaomi prices its car slightly more upmarket than most of its Chinese rivals who have sought to undercut their Western carmakers drastically, with the brand’s flagship SU7 sedan also priced closer to the Tesla Model 3, starting at approximately $4700 less in China.

2025 Xiaomi YU7

The brand launched to prominence earlier this year following the debut of the SU7 electric sedan, which exceeded expectations for the brand – and the automotive world – after it sold a record of more than 20,000 units in October, just seven months after its March release.

Sales expectations for 2024 were subsequently increased for the brand from 100,000 units to 120,000, which was no doubt spurred on by Ford’s CEO Jim Farley’s endorsement of the car and its 'record' lap time around the Nurburgring for a four-door sedan. Though it was in highly modified trim.

It is unclear at this stage whether Xiaomi will make it to Australia in 2025, but given its current trajectory, it could be a solid chance.

The YU7 is expected to debut in China in the first half of 2025.