Xiaomi SkyNomad unveils range extender SUVs for China

Xiaomi now has Range Extender vehicles in its portfolio. On July 30, the company unveiled its second vehicle series, SkyNomad, in Beijing. Two large SUVs are now available for pre-order. According to estimates by Chinese media, the number of reservations has already surpassed 100,000.

The seven-seater SkyNomad N90 Max is now available for pre-order at a price of 299,900 yuan (approximately €39,200 euros), while the five-seater N70 Max is priced at 259,900 yuan (approximately €34,000 euros). Both are the top-of-the-range ‘Max’ versions. The ‘Pro’ variants and base models are expected to follow at the official market launch in September.

The prices seem deliberately chosen: the N90 Max undercuts Tesla’s six-seater Model Y L, which costs 339,900 yuan (approx. €44,300 euros) in China. The N70 Max is closely priced to the new Li L6 from Li Auto, which has been available since mid-July for 249,800 yuan (approx. €32,700 euros).

Xiaomi’s strategy here was clear from the outset. In May, we reported that Xiaomi was planning a sub-brand with range extender models. At the time, the codename was still Kunlun N3, and details were scarce. The codename has since been retained, albeit as a technical designation: both SUVs are built on the Kunlun platform, which the company claims to have developed over three and a half years since early 2023.

Electric drive, backed by internal combustion

For those unfamiliar with this type of powertrain: a range extender vehicle always drives electrically. Propulsion is provided exclusively by electric motors. However, if the battery runs out of power while on the road, a compact internal combustion engine activates. This engine acts solely as a generator, producing electricity, and its power never reaches the wheels. This setup is convenient for buyers without their own wallbox, though technically, it remains a bridging technology.

To avoid the typical drawbacks of such vehicles – a small battery and a constantly running generator – Xiaomi has opted for unusually large batteries. The N70 Max is equipped with either a 52 kWh LFP or 76 kWh NCM battery and achieves up to 505 km of purely electric range in the Chinese CLTC cycle. The 5.28-metre-long N90 Max offers 464 km of electric range and a combined range of 1,705 km with a full tank. When the battery is depleted, Xiaomi states a fuel consumption of 6.26 litres per 100 kilometres under the WLTC standard, alongside 15.85 kWh in electric mode. Both models feature dual motors and all-wheel drive with a system output of 310 kW (416 hp). The N90 Max accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

The N90 Max: Seven-seater with a combined range of 1,705 kilometres

Measuring 5.28 metres in length, 1.99 metres in width and 1.82 metres in height, the N90 Max is the flagship of the range and a full-size SUV. It has a 3.08-metre wheelbase and a turning circle of just 5.95 metres. Xiaomi has opted for a deliberately boxy design, with a flat roof to maximise headroom in the second and third rows. A continuous window line and rising beltline complete the exterior. More than 140 aerodynamic optimisation measures reduce the drag coefficient to 0.255, an impressive figure for a vehicle of this size and frontal area.

The N90 Max is powered by two electric motors delivering a combined output of 310 kW (416 hp) and all-wheel drive. It accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 190 kph. Energy comes from a 76 kWh ternary battery supplied by CALB, providing a CLTC electric range of 464 kilometres. With a full fuel tank, Xiaomi quotes a combined range of up to 1,705 kilometres. Once the battery is depleted, fuel consumption is rated at 6.26 litres per 100 kilometres under the WLTC. The battery can gain up to 285 kilometres of range in 15 minutes, while a charge from 20 to 80 per cent takes 18 minutes. The N90 Max also adopts the suspension setup from the SU7 and YU7, combining double wishbones at the front with a multi-link rear axle and five-level air suspension.

Inside, the N90 Max offers seating for seven in a 2+2+3 configuration. Xiaomi quotes up to 1.55 metres of legroom in the second row, while the seat rails extend up to 1.93 metres. Four seats can be adjusted into a zero-gravity position, and the front seats rotate electrically to face the rear. Folding the second and third rows and rotating the front seats creates a flat sleeping area measuring 2.30 metres in length. The boot offers up to 1,831 litres of luggage space and can still accommodate seven suitcases with all seven seats occupied. The interior also includes 34 storage compartments, a nine-litre refrigerator and 25 speakers.

The N90 Max also offers the most extensive safety specification in the line-up. According to Xiaomi, 90.4 per cent of the body structure is made from high-strength steel and aluminium, while 12 airbags come as standard. The SUV also has a wading depth of 750 millimetres. The cockpit is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, while Nvidia’s Drive Thor platform delivers 700 TOPS for the driver assistance systems. In addition to the front-mounted LiDAR sensor, the N90 Max also features a rear-facing solid-state LiDAR sensor.

The N70 Max: Shorter, more affordable and with greater electric range

At 4.96 metres long, 1.99 metres wide and 1.76 metres high, the N70 Max is around 32 centimetres shorter than the N90 Max and has a wheelbase reduced by 13 centimetres to 2.95 metres. Instead of seven seats, it offers seating for five, while its price is 40,000 yuan (around 5,200 euros) lower. Competition in this segment is intense, with the new Li Auto L6 priced at a similar level.

Technically, the N70 Max is even more interesting in one respect, as it offers a longer all-electric range than the flagship N90 Max. Customers can choose between two battery options: a 52 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery as the entry-level version and a 76 kWh ternary battery as the higher-specification option. The larger battery delivers up to 505 kilometres of electric range in the CLTC cycle and 380 kilometres in the WLTC cycle. According to Xiaomi, this is the best figure in its class and 41 kilometres more than the N90 Max. Like its larger sibling, the N70 Max features dual electric motors and all-wheel drive, with a 210 kW front motor and a 100 kW rear motor for a combined output of 310 kW. With a depleted battery, Xiaomi quotes fuel consumption of between 5.7 and 6.28 litres per 100 kilometres.

The N70 Max inherits the key features of the platform, including the flat floor, long seat rails and the pull-out storage unit with integrated refrigerator in the centre console. Xiaomi’s HAD driver assistance system and Nvidia’s computing platform come as standard. Buyers have to do without the rear-facing LiDAR sensor and, naturally, the third row of seats. For customers looking for a five-seater with a very large boot instead of a family-focused seven-seater, the N70 Max is the more pragmatic choice.

Designed around the interior

Xiaomi reversed the usual development process by designing the interior first and building the rest of the vehicle around it. The front overhang measures 1.26 metres because five drivetrain components are integrated into a single unit. At the rear, a compact electric drive creates an additional 14.5 centimetres of interior space, while the air suspension has been integrated into the control arm, lowering the floor by a further 37 millimetres. The battery pack, with its control unit relocated inside the pack, reduces the floor height by another 18 centimetres.

The result is a completely flat floor extending from the front row to the boot. It measures almost three metres in length and covers more than 4.4 square metres. Unlike many large SUVs, there is no step between the seating area and the load floor. The second and third rows each slide by up to 90 centimetres, while the voice assistant can activate eleven different interior configurations on command.

SkyNomad N90 Interior

Packed out order books in a shrinking segment

Customers have responded enthusiastically. In the week following the premiere, the Chinese portal Cailian visited Xiaomi sales outlets in Beijing, Wuhan, Shanghai, and Chengdu, counting 200 to 300 deposits per location. Extrapolated to the company’s 499 outlets, this suggests over 100,000 reservations. It is important to note that this is an estimate based on a sample, not an official figure from Xiaomi. In Beijing alone, 4,800 deposits were recorded on 2 August, with over 30,000 in the Beijing and Tianjin region combined. The larger seven-seater is in higher demand.

Xiaomi has set a target of 550,000 deliveries for 2026 but managed only around 220,000 from January to July. The SU7 and YU7 models together account for approximately 30,000 vehicles per month. To meet the annual target, Xiaomi would need to deliver an average of over 60,000 cars per month in the remaining five months. Yet, the segment the company is now entering is shrinking. According to data from the manufacturer association CPCA, 450,000 range extender vehicles were sold in China in the first half of the year – a decline of around 15 percent compared to the same period last year. However, CEO Lei Jun believes the market is far from saturated and points to the high demand for the new Li Auto L6.

Production of the SkyNomad models is already underway at the second phase of Xiaomi’s Beijing plant. Sales representatives promise that the long waiting times experienced with the YU7 will not be repeated, and that the first vehicles will be available immediately after the market launch in September. The N90 will make its public debut at the Chengdu Auto Show starting on 21 August. Xiaomi lists the following suppliers, among others: Harbin Dongan for the range extender, Hesai and RoboSense for the Lidar systems, and Bosch for the braking system.