Lei Jun unveiled the Xiaomi SU9 yesterday at the Beijing Auto Show — a 7-seater electric SUV that targets the Tesla Model Y directly, with a 150 kWh battery, 1,400 km CLTC range, and 800V architecture for 10-minute fast charging.
Pre-orders opened at 02:00 Beijing time. Within four hours, Xiaomi confirmed 198,000 reservations — surpassing the SU7's launch numbers from 2024.
The specs that matter
The SU9 leans hard into specs that Western buyers will recognize:
- **Range**: 1,400 km CLTC (~1,050 km EPA equivalent) — beats Lucid Air Sapphire
- **Charging**: 10-80% in 11 minutes on Xiaomi's new 800V network
- **Performance**: 0-100 km/h in 2.78 seconds (top trim, dual-motor 1,548 hp)
- **Self-driving**: HAD Pilot 3.0 with NVIDIA Thor chip, end-to-end neural net, no LiDAR by default
- **Cabin**: 27-inch 4K screen, full HyperOS integration, Xiaomi smart-home control from the dash
- **Price**: starts at ¥298,000 (~$41,000 USD); top trim ¥438,000 (~$60,000 USD)
The price-to-spec ratio is brutal. A comparably-equipped Model Y Performance retails at ¥369,900 in China.
Europe push: 2027 the year Xiaomi exports
Lei Jun confirmed during Q&A that the SU9 will hit Germany, France, and the UK in Q2 2027. Production for Europe will be built at the new Hamburg facility — a $1.2B joint venture with Continental announced in March.
Europe represents the unlock for Xiaomi:
- **Market opportunity**: 2.4M EVs sold in Europe in 2025
- **Brand recognition**: 200M+ Xiaomi smartphone users already
- **Distribution**: 1,200 Mi Stores across the EU as service hubs
The SU9 will retail at €52,000 in Europe — €10,000 below Model Y Long Range.
What this means for the segment
Tesla, BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen now share something they have not shared in a decade: a Chinese competitor that ships at scale, has a 200M-strong existing user base, and prices 25-35% below them with better specs.
The first generation SU7 sold 130,000 units in 2024 and 240,000 in 2025. SU9 production targets 350,000 units year one. If Lei Jun delivers, Xiaomi becomes a top-10 global automaker by volume in 2027.
Sources
- Xinhua (April 26, 2026): Xiaomi launches SU9 SUV at Beijing Auto Show, pre-orders top 198k
- Reuters (April 26, 2026): Xiaomi SU9 takes direct aim at Tesla Model Y
- South China Morning Post (April 26, 2026): Xiaomi to enter Europe in 2027 with Hamburg plant
- Xiaomi Q1 2026 financial briefing