Xiaomi has unveiled its first production car, the SU7, as a Porsche Taycan-rivalling electric saloon that’s due on sale globally after a launch in China next year.
The new saloon debuted 1003 days after the Chinese consumer electronics company initially announced its plans to enter the electric car ranks in 2021 with an initial investment of RMB10 billion (£1.1 bn) and plans for a further RMB70bn (£7.8bn) over the next 10 years.
The SU7 is among a range of new models planned by Xiaomi, which has set itself lofty goals.
At its unveiling in Shanghai on Thursday, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said the company is seeking to become one of the world’s top five car makers within the next 15 to 20 years.
“Xiaomi will rival Porsche and Tesla, and create a dream car for the new era of the automotive industry,” he said.
Further Xiaomi models will include an SUV, according to plans already revealed by the Beijing-based company.
The basis for Xiaomi’s first production model is a new electric car platform that goes under the internal name Modena. It has been conceived to support both 400-volt and 800-volt electric architectures, as well as single- and dual-motor drivetrains.
The styling of the SU7 was developed in-house under the leadership of Xiaomi’s head of design, Sawyer Li. The Chinese designer has contributed to a number of recent new cars, including the BMW iX and Circular Vision Concept during a five-year stint at the German car maker.
At 4997mm in length, 1963mm in width and 1440mm in height, the new saloon is 34mm longer, 3mm narrower and 44mm higher than the Porsche Taycan, and has a wheelbase 100mm longer than its German rival at 3000mm.
The sleek lines contribute to a claimed drag co-efficient of just 0.195. This makes it one of the most aerodynamically efficient production cars yet, beating the 0.199 claimed by Geely for the new Galaxy E5 and roughly matching GAC’s Hyper GT.