Xiaomi aims to dethrone BMW and Mercedes with the SU9 Lux, its new luxury electric vehicle

Xiaomi has registered a new name for its upcoming luxury electric sedan: SU9 Lux. Positioned one tier above the already known SU7 (from which it will derive), this model will fall into the F segment (luxury sedans), a category featuring vehicles like the BMW i7 and Mercedes-Benz EQS.

The use of the word 'Lux' appears to refer to the vehicle’s luxury-oriented design. Early spy photos show a sedan that is noticeably longer than the SU7, which measures 4.99 meters in length. The SU9 Lux could be around 5.2 meters long, with a wheelbase of 3.1 meters. Its focus will also be different, as it is less geared toward performance and speed compared to its younger sibling.

The larger wheelbase will result in more space in the second row, a feature highly valued by Chinese customers. As it will belong to the Xiaomi Auto family rather than the new Skynomad sub-brand focused on range-extended electric vehicles (EREV), it will be a 100% electric model (BEV). It is not yet clear whether it will retain the powertrain options of the SU7.

The SU7 was recently updated. Its lineup consists of four versions: Standard, Pro, Max, and Ultra. The first two now deliver 320 horsepower (235 kW) instead of the previous 299 horsepower (220 kW), while the Max model (with all-wheel drive) sees an increase from 673 horsepower (495 kW) to 691 horsepower (508 kW). The electrical architecture has been upgraded to 752 volts for the Standard and Pro versions (previously 400 volts) and to 897 volts for the Max version (previously 871 volts).

The Xiaomi SU9 Lux might reuse some of the mechanics from the SU7

Each variant comes with its own battery: the Standard model uses a 73 kWh LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) battery, the Pro model uses a 96.3 kWh battery with the same chemistry, and the Max model features an 101.7 kWh NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) battery pack. The range increases from 700 to 720 km CLTC for the Standard model, from 830 to 902 km CLTC for the Pro model, and from 800 to 835 km CLTC for the Max model.

The Ultra features a three-motor propulsion system (one on the front axle, two on the rear) delivering 1,548 HP (1,139 kW). This setup enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 1.98 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 5.85 seconds, and 0-300 km/h in 9.23 seconds, with a top speed of 350 km/h. Its electrical architecture operates at 897 volts.

With a charging rate of 5.2C, the SU7 Ultra can go from 10% to 80% charge in 11 minutes. Its battery has a capacity of 93.7 kWh, while its range is 630 km according to CLTC standards. It’s likely that the SU9 Lux will not offer either the Standard version or the more sporty Ultra version.

Source | CnEVPost