TMTPOST -- Xiaomi Corporation first disclosed development of its second electric vehicle (EV) model as well as its first EV SUV.

Credit:Xiaomi

"Introduce a new member of Xiaomi Auto to you: Xiaomi YU7, the new SUV is expected to officially hit the market in June or July next year," said Xiaomi's auto unit in a post on Chinese social media Weib, attaching images of the new model. That is Xiaomi's first announcement of new SUV and first sharing images of it.

Xiaomi Auto didn't reveal any key details of YU7 such as specifications or pricing. YU7 was emerged in the 382nd batch of Announcement of Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products released by China' s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), according to the ministry's website. The regulatory filling showed Xiaomi reported it plans to produce a full-electric new energy vehicle with a length of 4,999 mm, a width of 1,996 mm and a height of 1,600 mm. The SUV weighs 2,405 kg and has a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Powered by a lithium-ion ternary battery, the vehicle can reach a top speed of 253 km/h.

In China, new models of automakers are typically included in MIIT's regulatory filling one or two months before their launch. Xiaomi explained the early regulatory disclosure of YU7 was made to revmove car camouflage as soon as possible, so as to conduct more rigorous road test verification, such as more accurate NVH verification, energy consumption test, comprehensive durability test, etc. Xiaomi said it will ensure that YU7 undergoes more comprehensive, detailed, long-term and large-scale testing before it is officially rolled out to provide a more stable and reliable user experience.

YU7 will come as Xiaomi is ramping up output and delivery of its first EV model SU7. Xiaomi officially launched SU7 on March 28, with starting price cheaper than its major competitor: Tesla's affordable Model 3. CEO Lei presented that day SU7 has a layered pricing since it has three variants. The standard SU7 costs RMB215,900 (US$29,872), and the Pro and Max version are priced at RMB245,900 and RMB299,000, respectively. Lei said the SU7 is RMB30,000 cheaper than Model 3, which starts at RMB245,900 in China.

Xiaomi started presales for SU7 on the day of launch and offered a hand of freebies worth of up to RMB22,000, such as Nappa leather seats and a built-in fridge, to anyone who place the order of the Standard and the Pro version by April 30. The company disclosed at Weibo that it received more than 10,000 preorders in just four minutes since the launch, and preorders topped 50,000 within 27 minutes. These preorders come from customers who had paid a deposit of RMB5,000 that is refundable within seven days since the order is effective.

Xiaomi unveiled SU7 Ultra prototype in August. The variant can go 0-100 kilometer/hour (km/h), or 0-62 mph, in a scorching 1.97 seconds, and features a top speed of over 350  (217.48 mph), along with an acceleration from 0-100 km/h in 1.97 seconds (0-60 mph in around 1.9 seconds), and 1,548 horsepower. It generates a remarkable maximum downforce of 2145kg, enabling exceptional grip and stability during high-speed maneuvers.The all-carbon exterior design of SU7 Ultra prototype ensures lightweight construction, thus contributing to a weight reduction of 500 kilograms.

Xiaomi said in August the production version of SU7 Ultra will maintain most of the rest of its current tech, including three V8s electric motors and 800V architecture powered by CATL's fast-charging Qilin II batteries that can recharge from 0-100% in twelve minutes.

Xiaomi earlier this month said delivered more than 20,000 EVs in November again after the monthly delivery of its first EV model SU7for the first time topped 20,000 units in October, The achievement last month means Xiaomi Auto delivered more than 20,000 EVs for two months in a row after deliveries exceeded the 10,000-unit milestone for a fourth straight month.

"We are confident that we can meet our delivery target of over 130,000 units for the whole year, and thank you for your suppor," Xiaomi Auto said in the post on Weiobo. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said last month the company aims to deliver 130,000 EVs for the entire year,raising the forecast for the third time since the launch of SU7 eight months ago.