- The Xiaomi YU7 GT is expected to launch in China with 990 horsepower.
- According to China’s MIIT, it will have a 101.7 kWh battery and travel up to 438 miles (CLTC).
- It should go on sale later this year.
The Beijing Auto Show is next month, and plenty of automakers are gearing up to debut new models. One problem with revealing a new car in China: The country’s Ministry of Industry (MIIT) and Information Technology consistently exposes models before they’re ready to be shown off to the public. Manufacturers must submit key specifications and images to the government before a car can be sold, and those filings are made public.
It may take the shine off of a new car’s debut, but means anybody who’s paying close attention can get a sneak peek of a vehicle’s details before they’re announced. The latest victim of said exposure is the Xiaomi YU7 GT. The sporty version of Xiaomi’s crossover was unofficially revealed last month, and it looks ready to take cars like the Porsche Macan Turbo head-on.
Now, thanks to more MIIT filings, we’ve got some new details about its inner workings. A 101.7-kWh battery should be good for 438 miles of range (705 km), according to China’s CLTC testing cycle. CLTC range ratings are generally city-biased and not quite as realistic for the rest of the world. Still, I think it’s reasonable to expect the YU7 GT to crest 300 miles or so if it were to ever be rated for sale in the U.S.
This appears to be the same battery size as the top-of-the-line YU7 Max, but the range is down from the 519 miles of that car. Keep in mind, however, that the YU7 GT has a whopping 990 horsepower, up from the 690 horsepower of the Max.
Photo by: MIIT
The YU7 GT has been an open secret for a while now. The Ferrari Purosangue-esque body has been spotted at the Nürburgring during testing in camouflage for at least a year now. Xiaomi has used the Nürburgring as a measuring stick for its testing for a while, and it seems to be working. The hottest version of Xiaomi’s SU7 sedan, the SU7 Ultra, was the fastest production car to go around the track, ever (in a special Nürburgring trim).
Curiously, it seems like the YU7 GT won’t be quite as hardcore as the SU7 Ultra. Of course, it sounds silly to downplay the YU7 GT’s monstrously powerful, twin-motor setup. But the SU7 Ultra has three motors (two in the rear, one in front) that put out more than 1,500 horsepower combined. Perhaps Xiaomi is trying not to overpower its street cars? A few SU7 Ultra models have been involved in fiery crashes in China. The car’s immense capability to go very fast may have been a factor.
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
Still, the YU7 appears to trounce its German competition. When I drove the YU7 last year, Xiaomi’s engineers said they benchmarked the Porsche Macan and Cayenne, as well as the Tesla Model Y. At nearly 1,000 horsepower, the YU7 GT gives all a run for their money, besting the Macan Turbo Electric’s 630 horsepower, but falls short of the Cayenne Turbo Electric’s 1,139 horsepower.
The YU7 GT is expected to make its official debut this year.
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