Xiaomi Automobile Creates Another Blockbuster: No "Story", No High - end Pure - Electric Vehicles
Xiaomi's second product, the YU7, was launched. Three minutes after the sale began, the number of orders had exceeded 200,000.
Although the deposit can be refunded at this stage, it cannot be denied that the YU7 has become another hit product under Xiaomi.
The standard version is priced at 253,500 yuan, with front zero-gravity seats and an electric front trunk offered for free for a limited time. The Pro version is priced at 279,900 yuan, upgraded to a closed dual-chamber air spring. The Max version, with a 5.2C charging rate and the ability to replenish 620 km of energy in 15 minutes of charging, is priced at 329,900 yuan.
The highly competitive pricing shows Xiaomi's ambition for the sales volume of the YU7. However, the appeal of the YU7 goes beyond that.
In the field of vehicle safety, which consumers care about most, Xiaomi's YU7 innovatively conducted a 24-hour endurance test with drivers taking turns while the car kept running. It achieved an excellent result of 3944 km, surpassing the Porsche Taycan and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, proving Xiaomi's dedication and investment in vehicle safety.
At present, it is highly likely that the Xiaomi YU7 will become the second long - selling hit in the high - end pure - electric SUV market after the Tesla Model Y.
Tesla, through the stories of Silicon Valley and Mars, with its minimalist design and precise functional design, has won users' recognition of technology and belief. The Xiaomi YU7 is the embodiment of the "self - pleasing philosophy". At the product level, it precisely targets young family users with its design, configuration, and functional ingenuity, and has won wide recognition from users through the in - depth combination of brand stories and product values.
All this is not accidental, but a re - verification of "narrative economics" in the automotive industry.
Xiaomi YU7: Breaking Through with Design and Suitable for Family Use
The product logic of Xiaomi's two models is similar. The most prominent highlight of the YU7 is still its exterior design. Especially in the field of family SUVs with rather mediocre designs, the YU7 has made a remarkable design breakthrough.
On the basis of the previously disclosed exterior, Lei Jun announced all nine exterior color schemes of the YU7 at the press conference. Similar to the rosy purple of the SU7, Xiaomi also launched a golden pink color for female car owners on the YU7. The design of the front double zero - gravity seats further demonstrates Xiaomi's insight into the needs of its user group. In the SUV market where configurations usually favor the rear seats, the Xiaomi YU7 offers a unique form of care.
Design has become Xiaomi's most core brand label and emotional value. In the highly homogenized electric vehicle styling, the rare design of the YU7 provides Xiaomi users with sufficient sense of identity, which is the most direct and powerful weapon for Xiaomi to establish a high - end image.
The Xiaomi YU7 has also been comprehensively upgraded in terms of range, intelligence, and reliability, which are the most important factors for pure - electric vehicle consumers.
The CLTC range of the rear - wheel drive version of the Xiaomi YU7 reaches 835 km, and that of the four - wheel drive version reaches 770 km, both ranking among the top in the industry. Moreover, with the support of the 800V high - voltage platform, the Xiaomi YU7 Max version can also achieve a super - charging rate of 5.2C, replenishing 620 km of energy in 15 minutes, which will be one of the strong consumer attractions of the Xiaomi YU7.
In terms of intelligent experience, the most significant improvement is the standard equipment of auxiliary driving chips and sensors across all models. The YU7 will also be equipped with the 10 - million Cilps version of Xiaomi's end - to - end auxiliary driving system across all models, and Xiaomi's XLA large model for auxiliary driving will be launched in the second half of this year.
However, at present, there is still a gap between Xiaomi's auxiliary driving performance and that of the industry's first - tier players, and its "comeback" remains to be seen.
In the field of safety and reliability, according to Lei Jun, Xiaomi specially used female dummy models for the safety development of all working conditions and all seats on the YU7, exceeding the national safety requirements.
In the vehicle testing, in addition to the durability test covering 296 cities over 539 days, the Xiaomi YU7 also carried out an endurance challenge, maintaining a high - speed of 210 km/h for 24 hours with drivers taking turns while the car kept running.
Previously, the Porsche Taycan and the Mercedes - Benz CLA had also conducted similar tests. In the field of safety, the Xiaomi YU7 has indeed achieved an effective upgrade.
Xiaomi YU7
In the Chinese market, one of the core demands of family users for SUVs is comfort, especially when dealing with complex road conditions and full - load scenarios. The Xiaomi YU7 offers a super configuration: the dual - chamber air suspension is standard from the Pro version priced at 279,900 yuan. Among similar products with the same configuration, the standard version of the Li L7 is priced at 301,800 yuan, and the flagship version of the Denza N7 is priced at 289,800 yuan.
Xiaomi's ingenuity for family users does not stop there.
Under the second - row seats of the YU7, Xiaomi designed a drawer for storing daily necessities such as tissues and children's toys. As female users have a strong demand for sun - protection glass, such storage space precisely solves the pain points of in - vehicle storage for family users.
Storage Space of Xiaomi YU7
The YU7 has also been comprehensively upgraded in terms of sun protection and heat insulation. Its intelligent light - curtain roof glass keeps the interior temperature lower than that of similar products with physical sunshades after being exposed to the sun at 38°C for 1.5 hours.
Intelligent Light - Curtain Glass of Xiaomi YU7
The Closed - Loop Business Logic of Xiaomi Automobile: From "Functional Consumption" to "Emotional Consumption"
Domestic brands have been targeting the high - end pure - electric SUV market for a long time. However, almost all these new cars have only made a short - lived appearance in the new car market.
The G6, a pure - electric SUV model under XPeng Motors, has become a current hit product with its excellent interior space and intelligent experience, and its monthly sales once exceeded 10,000 units.
However, the good situation seems not to last long. Such high sales only lasted for 3 - 5 months. With the emergence of a series of new products such as the Zhijie R7 and the Zeekr 7X, consumers who focus on configuration and cost - effectiveness have turned to newer and stronger products.
Nowadays, the technology iteration and cost compression of supply - chain enterprises are accelerating, the overlap of the supply chains of domestic new cars is increasing, and there is also a trend of homogenization at the product level. In this battle of configuration products lacking innovation, it is difficult to produce products with long - term competitiveness.
In the automotive market where products are highly homogenized and price wars are raging, competing with product strength based on configuration and parameters may bring short - term sales, but it is difficult to form a brand moat and bring long - term and stable market influence.
To survive the industry cycle and win long - term victory, automobile manufacturers must build a complete and self - consistent business - model closed - loop. The core of this is the "narrative ability" that deeply understands user needs, is rooted in enterprise products, and is finally sublimated into brand value. Simply put, for whom does the automobile manufacturer build cars? What do its enterprise and products represent?
Tesla, the evergreen tree in the new - energy market, is a typical example. As one of the earliest manufacturers of electric vehicles, Tesla is a "disruptor" in the automotive industry. The continuous exploration of Mars and the universe by SpaceX, a company under Elon Musk, has further strengthened Tesla's image as a "technology pioneer".
Tesla's automotive products are in line with its brand story. Simplicity and efficiency are the core styles, and leading electrification and intelligent performance are the main product strengths. Therefore, Tesla has successfully attracted a group of users who yearn for technology and the future and has established a strong connection with them.
Li Auto targets the core pain points of China's new middle - class families. Behind the refrigerator, color TV, big sofa, and large - capacity extended - range battery is Li Auto's deep insight into the life scenarios of new middle - class families. While the "dad's car" has become the best travel tool for families, family happiness has also become the core value of the Li Auto brand.
Xiaomi has opened up a new path.
In an environment with increasing involution and uncertainty, the consumption logic of young consumers is gradually shifting from "functional consumption" to "emotional - value consumption". Xiaomi Automobile tells a story of "pleasing oneself". Both the SU7 and the YU7 are personalized products designed for "self - pleasers" who pursue self - expression, pay attention to the quality of life, and enjoy the fun of technology.
On June 23, Lei Jun posted a Weibo post explaining why Xiaomi's first SUV is not a six - seat model, which is currently the most popular. He said that the meaning of SUV is a sporty multi - purpose vehicle, and the Xiaomi YU7 chooses to stay true to its original intention and make a good sporty SUV.
At the end of the Weibo post, Lei Jun especially emphasized that "a color TV, a refrigerator, and a big sofa" are indeed very important, but the driving experience of the driver should also be taken into account. This is how Xiaomi Automobile implements its "self - pleasing narrative" in products.
The appearance is an amplifier of the emotional value of a vehicle. At a time when family SUVs always sacrifice design for energy consumption and space, Xiaomi still chooses a long - front - end design for its pure - electric vehicles that do not need an engine.
In the price range of the YU7, Xiaomi offers a rare design with the most distinctive style and recognition, which can clearly arouse users' enthusiasm. Aesthetics and design have gradually become the brand soul of Xiaomi Automobile.
Xiaomi's pursuit of speed and driving control in automobiles is similar to its pursuit of parameters and experience when starting the mobile - phone business. Although the YU7 is positioned as a family SUV, its materials and tuning also strive to retain a certain driving quality while ensuring comfort.
Xiaomi is an enterprise with a large and loyal user group. To win the love of "Mi fans", it must meet their core demands.
By extending the "enthusiast spirit" from mobile phones to automobile products, through the pursuit of speed and driving control, on the YU7 model, the brand identity of Xiaomi users has been extended: first, it is an SUV with the Xiaomi spirit, and then it is an SUV suitable for family users.
In the automotive market that has long been function - oriented, such a new product driven by technology and guided by emotion is a powerful breakthrough in the homogenized competition in the industry. This is the experience that Xiaomi has summarized from 15 years of consumer - product business: starting from users, rather than from products and technologies.
Only a differentiated narrative that is rooted in brand genes, runs through the product soul, and can arouse strong resonance among target users can break through the smoke of price wars and become a long - selling product in the automotive industry.
However, the foundation for such a brand story to hold is to create unique and tangible value that users can perceive. The exterior design of the Xiaomi YU7, its persistence in sporty driving control, and the convenience provided by its seamless ecosystem are the core commitments of the brand to please users.
The market is changing rapidly, and a so - called "protective amulet" is not a guarantee of success. The next step for Xiaomi Automobile is how to transform the success of these two models into continuous and iterable competitiveness to withstand the long - term market test.