Within a week of its launch, the orders for XiaoMi’s SU7 (“big ding”) exceeded 100,000, with over 40,000 orders locked.
Such order performance is undoubtedly a significant reward for XiaoMi’s 3-year commitment to car manufacturing. Both the power of the SU7 product and the reputation of the XiaoMi brand contributed to this high order performance.
In terms of brand, XiaoMi enjoys superior popularity compared to other car manufacturers, Lang Jun’s influence and appeal stretch across the digital realm and the car domain; In terms of product, SU7 strives to benchmark itself against Tesla and Porsche. It is a standard C-class vehicle and also encompasses the intelligence of the XiaoMi ecosystem.
In the 200,000-300,000 yuan market segment, the SU7 demonstrates a strong brand and product advantage. It has not only converted Mi-fen users but has also attracted many passersby to place orders.
While the SU7 is XiaoMi’s first car, Lang Jun has handed in a satisfactory answer sheet. However, with the surge in orders in a short time, XiaoMi is sinking into an issue of capacity shortage for the SU7, stretching the delivery cycle.
Currently, the latest XiaoMi Car APP shows that the SU7 Max version is expected to deliver in 28-31 weeks after order is placed. The Standard and Pro versions have delivery times of 26-29 weeks. This will test the patience of customers who have placed orders, the resolution of those preparing to place orders and XiaoMi official’s meticulous management of client relations.
As many users are eagerly awaiting their cars, we identified ten potential and current XiaoMi car owners. We chatted with them about their choice to purchase the SU7 and their experiences post delivery.
Some are Mi-fen, some are passerby fans, and some are merely passersby; some hesitated not before placing an order, some gritted their teeth and increased their budgets to meet the order, and some inadvertently purchased a car after seeing the XiaoMi SU7 – Let’s listen to their voice.
Car owner ‘Passerby A’: All is surprise, surprise to no surprise
City: Qingdao
Identity: 26, male, internet service company boss
Version Purchased: XiaoMi SU7 Max version (yet to be delivered)
Car-owner Narrates:
The XiaoMi SU7 is the 4th car I bought, having learned driving with a HYUDNAI, later buying a BMW 5 series and an Xpeng P7, and selling the HYUDNAI. Apart from commute, I also have a penchant for racetracks and mountain terrains. I think the Xpeng P7 I drive is also OK, if XiaoMi hadn’t launched a car, I would not have planned to buy another one.
I consider myself half Mi-fen, as I’ve bought many XiaoMi smart home products.What attracted me most about the XiaoMi SU7 is its performance and appearance. I had been following this car wehn spy shots started hitting the road in October last year. Knowing that it has strong performances from the technical release conference, I decided to buy the SU7 even before its release.Although the SU7 is XiaoMi’s first car, many people express hesitation, but not me. I know that an automotive expert whom I have great faith in has led his team to XiaoMi, and indeed the car lives up to expectations.
I attended the launch on March 28, and I was genuinely excited. I was pleasantly surprised when the price was announced; it was even lower than I had expected. I had initially thought the Max model would be priced around 330,000.
Among the three models, I believe the Max variant offers the best value for money. My sentiment for this model is filled with surprises until there are no more surprises left. I initially didn’t think XiaoMi would enter the market with a sports sedan. I thought a mid-sized SUV would have been the likely debut, but XiaoMi surprised me pleasantly with a Class C sports sedan, which I adore for its sheer driving pleasure.
Although many think the car resembles a Porsche, I think if aerodynamics optimization is pushed to its extreme, a look similar to Porsche is inevitable.
I reckon that during the design phase, it wasn’t the intent to mimic the looks of a Porsche, but rather to achieve the desired aerodynamics, this sort of appearance was unavoidable.
XiaoMi’s SU7 turned out to be incredibly popular. I had not even had the chance to test-drive one. There are only two test-drive vehicles in Qingdao, and during the Qingming festival, I visited the dealership and saw crowds of customers from Jinan, Weifang, etc., who have taken high-speed trains to test-drive the car. There was widespread concern regarding the long waiting times for delivery.
Early buyers can enjoy early benefits
City: Zhengzhou
Profile: 20-year-old male, freshman computer science student
Model: Standard, decided to upgrade to Pro model (not yet delivered)
Owner’s statement:
I’m a student, and buying a car isn’t a necessity. It’s mostly for fun. The budget my family set for my car is 300,000. XiaoMi’s SU7 is the first car I own myself. Each of my parents possess a Buick and a Wuling, respectively.
It was a spontaneous decision to buy a car so early, even without the full support of my family. I had not done much research on other modes before deciding to buy one, so I was still wavering after the conclusion of the press conference. However, I was completely taken by the SU7, and after test-driving the car, I placed my order, although I have to wait 20 weeks for delivery, since I was too excited for it, the long waiting time for delivery bothered me.
As an avid Mi fan, I fell to Lei Jun’s charisma. All my electronic devices, including my phone, tablet, computer, as well as air conditioner, television, water purifier, toothbrush, hairdryer are from XiaoMi. I tried almost all their major products.
Since I heard the rumor in my junior year of high school that Lei Jun was going to produce a car, I started to pay attention to their automotive products. When I learned that XiaoMi had its own factory, my trust in XiaoMi autos solidified. My willingness to buy XiaoMi’s first car stems mainly from my faith in Lei Jun and his commitment and ability in car production. Furthermore, the car’s brand image is young, sports-oriented, and refreshed in exterior design while focusing heavily on the driving experience.Before the announcement of the price, I had guessed that this car would start at no less than 220,000 yuan. So, when I found the starting price was 215,900 yuan and came with extensive configurations, it truly exceeded my expectations. My choice for the standard version comes from my distrust in city-specific Nav-On-Autopilot, as well as my love for the driving experience. The standard version includes highway autopilot, which is quite suited to my needs.
I noticed the attention to rider comfort with thoughtful details such as privacy glass, phone mounts, and umbrellas storage when I test-drove this car.
The car’s infotainment interaction is significantly better than traditional car manufacturers. It operates similarly to a regular tablet. My parents’ car has a tiresome process to connect with a phone, whereas XiaoMi enables easy transfer of phone content to the car’s central control screen, which satisfies me.
Among other things, AI XiaoAi is capable of a plethora of functions. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the car accommodates five-zone interaction for its five seats. During a test drive with a friend, when I, seating on the backseat, requested AI XiaoAi to move the co-pilot’s seat forward, it intelligently responded that only the co-pilot can control it.
After Lei Jun announced limited-time reconfiguration, I heeded the advice of numerous friends, these suggested the Pro version is more suitable for family use, and the Max version for extreme experience. Thus, I made the choice to shift from the standard version to the Pro version. Now I believe the longer the range, the better, similar to the larger the battery in a mobile phone, the more reassuring it feels.
Despite returning to the queue, investing an additional 30,000 yuan provides more extended range, a LIDAR, and computing power identical to the Max version. It also comes with an adjustable electric tail fin control button, which is rather cool. Hence, the additional 30,000 yuan is worth it.
One lingering concern is the rapid obsoleteness of cars bought too soon, but my belief remains, the earlier you buy, the earlier you enjoy it. Perhaps, in the future, if I make a fortune, I can purchase a new car then.
Car Owner “Aaron”: The advantage of XiaoMi lies in its ecosystem and appearance.
Current City: Shanghai
Identity: 25-year-old male, English teacher
Purchased model: Standard Founder Edition (yet to be delivered)
Owner’s Statement:
I am a local resident of Shanghai, and my work is also in Shanghai. Apart from personal use, my car needs to be suitable for family use. My budget for the vehicle is around 200,000 yuan. My family owns a new Santana bought in 2014. Before, I was considering spacious models like the BYD Song L and Tang. Initially, I intended to go for Song L, before the launch of the XiaoMi car. However, once the car was launched, I disregarded SUVs. After adjusting my budget a bit, I chose the standard version.
We are a family of long-time Mi fans. Everyone uses a XiaoMi phone, and most of the gadgets in our house are from XiaoMi. The senior members have gotten used to asking AI XiaoAi for help regularly. Hence, when purchasing a car, I place considerable importance on the ecosystem, followed by its appearance; with its addition, XiaoMi SU7 has successfully created a comprehensive ecosystem connecting people and homes. My parents, who particularly liked the spacious SUV Song L, had nothing to say when they learned it was from XiaoMi.
I was vacationing in Shaoxing on the day of the press conference. Despite difficulty, I managed to watch the entire event. I must confess, I was somewhat disappointed when the price of 215,900 yuan was announced, as I had previously estimated that Lei Jun would bring out a “1999” deal again. Unfortunately, that was not the case.I hadn’t decided to order on the night of the launch because of financing and a tight budget at home. I thought I’d wait for a price cut. But then a batch of Founder Editions came out and I figured I couldn’t wait anymore and placed an order. Considering it’s a Founder Edition, I could get more money when I sell it second-hand, so I don’t think it’s a loss.
Compared to other cars at the same level, the advantage of XiaoMi lies in the ecosystem and appearance. I was an Apple user before, and XiaoMi can do what Apple has achieved in device sharing and interconnectivity. Configurations between the standard version and Pro version don’t offer a choice of HUD, and the standard version does not have a LiDAR, which I think is not reasonable. But I’m an okay driver and don’t need assisted driving systems.
After test driving, it feels almost like my gas car, and kinetic energy recovery can be adjusted to 0, which is a nice touch. I usually listen to music while driving, so I think the high point is that the music on my phone can be streamed directly to the car unit and my screen can also be projected onto the car system, all with a one-click WiFi connection.
I hope its car unit could have more profound interactions with home devices in the future, like automatically switching to a home mode when I get home would be great.
Owner “Incantation”: XiaoMi’s appearance is very timely
City: Hefei
Identity: 29 years old, Male, Programmer
Purchased version: Standard version (not yet delivered)
Owner’s words:
XiaoMi’s product value for money and quality are good, I often use XiaoMi products, and my phone has been upgraded from the original 2S to now the 14. Now I mostly drive with my girlfriend, and I occasionally need to drive back 200 kilometers to my hometown.
I’ve researched cars for a long time. My first requirement for a car is it has to be electric, because the mileage is enough for me, and the user experience of an electric vehicle is much better than a gasoline car. Gasoline cars now feel like a product of an old era. Plus, I’m a programmer and I really like the tech sense and intelligence of electric vehicles. Secondly, the driving experience of an SUV doesn’t compare to a sedan, so I don’t consider SUVs.
I’ve noticed the Xiaomi SU7 since last September. Although I was eager to buy a car, despite test driving about ten electric cars, I hadn’t found one that I particularly liked. So the appearance of Xiaomi was very timely.
I went to see the car during the static appreciation on the 25th, and watched the launch at the delivery center on the night of the 28th. At that time, I was already allowed to get in the car to experience the car unit and observe the interior.
Looking at this car’s components, including genuine leather seats, car paint, standard 19-inch Michelin tires, the lowest spec battery is BYD’s blade battery, the high spec is CATL’s, priced at 215.9 thousand RMB, it’s so worth it. Plus, the Internet giant making smart cars is simply a dimensionality reduction blow. Before the price was revealed, I estimated it to be between 200-220 thousand RMB.
“Good rice knows Porsche”, I chose XiaoMi. Its physical appearance is a significant factor, but I also value its substance. The XiaoMi’s suspension structure has front double wishbone, rear five-link, and the chassis is all-aluminum alloy; these details determine it won’t be a bad car and it’s worth the price. Also, XiaoMi’s human-machine interaction is quite strong and I’m used to using the XiaoAi assistant. Since Xiaomi can make cars and it does it well, why not?
Additionally, XiaoMi has managed to solve the common electric vehicle problem of queasiness. It is not the fast acceleration of electric vehicles that causes this feeling, but rather the fact that the acceleration process is not linear, something that takes quite a bit of effort to fine-tune. XiaoMi does an excellent job in controlling this aspect.
Although the standard version of XiaoMi may not seem to have a high cost-performance ratio, the investment is not merely on surface features, but mostly on aspects relating to driving and tuning.
One regrettable factor is that the standard version does not include an 800 V platform as a standard feature. This point puzzles me, considering that ZEEKR 007 includes the 800 V system throughout their whole series. This aspect holds considerable importance as it concerns the two main electric vehicle issues; battery life and charging. Given China’s significant attention to new energy vehicles, I trust there will be at least several 800 V charging stations in every service area, enabling electric vehicle travel to places like Tibet. While it might not be needed often, having an 800 V provision gives peace of mind and results in lower energy consumption.
Despite the XiaoMi SU7 I selected being 400 V, it incorporates a full-range silicon carbide system, which is quite impressive within its class. I find XiaoMi’s three-electric-power System commendable, although it does not quite match Tesla. However, in comparison to other domestic vehicles, it excels.
That said, I never contemplated Tesla. Despite its technological superiority, just like the narrowing gap between domestic and Apple smartphones today, the domestic route is now fully reliable. Regarding self-driving capabilities, I firmly believe that Huawei and XiaoMi will further excel in the future.
Car Owner ‘Leaf’: This car is ideal for women
Based in: Zhuhai
Profile: 26 years old, Female, Grass-roots Government Employee
Chosen Model: Max Founder’s Edition (Car already delivered)
Owner’s Statement:
I purchased this car with my boyfriend. We each used to drive a Japanese fuel car from our respective homes. We plan to get married this year or the next, and with oil prices continually increasing, we felt it was time for a new car. After watching the launch event, we found that the Max Founder’s Edition offered the best value for money, including HUD and air suspension unique to the Max version, and a bonus car paint. We managed to get this edition on the day of the launch.
There’s no delivery center in Zhuhai yet, so we picked up the car from Foshan. On our way back, we realized the popularity of this car. Colleagues were lining up to book a test drive as soon as they found out we had purchased a XiaoMi SU7.
After getting the car, we have been continually surrounded by other drivers trying to keep pace with us, pedestrians and drivers filming us, and even people coming up and chatting while we wait at traffic lights, park, or charge the car.
This situation has become somewhat disruptive to the traffic, and I hope XiaoMi accelerates their delivery speed. Once XiaoMi cars are a common sight on the streets, they should become less of a spectacle.
The car greatly exceeded our expectations, particularly the impressive performance of the headlights. Lei Jun did not mention this detail at the launch event, but I believe it’s a strong selling point. Many cars have dim headlights while XiaoMi’s are very bright and clear, yet not disturbing to oncoming drivers. The car includes many thoughtful details. There are plenty of storage spaces inside the car, such as cup holders that can firmly secure two cups of milk tea or coffee, something rarely seen in other cars.
However, there are some details that are less satisfying. We noticed that the seats of the XiaoMi’s car are a bit hard, and particularly, the co-driver’s seat lacks the function of adjusting the cushion height and angle, which could affect the comfort level. The rear space is average, my boyfriend and his friends are all about 1.8 meters tall, the headroom in the back seat is not great.
Besides, we also noted that the car’s intelligent system still has some room for improvement, like the matching problem of Bluetooth keys and car machine accounts, there is only one wireless charging spot, and the “Xiao Ai” voice assistant lacks a wake-up-free function. I think as a manufacturer who has been doing voice assistants for so many years, this shouldn’t be their performance.
I think this car is very suitable for girls, not only is its appearance attractive, but its driving performance is also excellent. Sometimes the reason why girls are indecisive while driving may be because they are not so skilled to control the car, so high maneuverability is a great help. If you’re driving a car that’s slow to accelerate, hesitation might lead to missed opportunities, but a high-performance one will help me make decisions quickly. I think girls can try the intelligent driving mode more frequently, it could be more timely and safe than manual operation under situations like changing lanes at freeway exits.
Car owner “Mr. Chen”: Buying this car has an element of gambling
Located city: Shanghai
Identity description: 28 years old, male, a car designer
Selected version: Standard Founders Edition (car already picked up)
Owner’s self-reported:
This is my first car, and for me, owning a car is somewhat of a necessity. I don’t need a car for commuting, as my girlfriend lives far away, so I need a car for convenience. The most important thing for me is the driving quality of the car, it needs to be interesting to drive. Before I decided on XiaoMi, I had already booked a ZEEKR 007, but I canceled it after I got XiaoMi.
To be honest, I think the configuration of ZEEKR 007 is better than XiaoMi, but XiaoMi gives more additional value, one is its heat or popularity, the other is emotional value.
Since I am in the car circle, I have friends who are designers of XiaoMi and friends who are relevant to the supply chain of XiaoMi. Their feedback is that the materials used in the first car of XiaoMi are very good, comparable to Benz’s S class. The story of XiaoMi and other car companies is also interesting. What’s most important is the heat on that evening was so high that as a young person chasing trends, not chasing this wave of heat seems to not fit the character, right?
Its cost performance is also reflected in its heat. If you can drive a Founder’s Edition at this time, the attention you get is something even a Porsche can’t bring, so from the aspects of heat and emotional value, its cost performance is very high.
However, speaking of the configuration alone, its cost performance is also average. I think the cost performance between low-end configuration ones and high-end ones are similar, they are just targeting different customers.
After the price and configuration were released, I think the configuration of the Pro version is obviously unreasonable. If we remove the intelligent driving configuration, there is no essential difference between the mid-end and low-end ones. And it’s 40,000 yuan more expensive, of which at least 30,000 yuan is for intelligent driving. The drivability and chassis are the same. Both mid and low-end configurations lack the air suspension, CDC, big brake caliper. It only has an extra laser radar and a slightly bigger battery, these things are not worth a 40,000 yuan premium.I possess a plethora of appliances from XiaoMi at home, even my cellphone is a product of XiaoMi. After procuring the car, I had a brief experience with the interconnectivity between the car and phone, that felt extremely convenient. For those always keeping up with the development of renewable energy vehicles, XiaoMi has progressed from step 98 to 99, for those accustomed to traditional gasoline vehicles, one could say it’s a leap from 0 to 80. However, XiaoMi’s vehicle interconnectivity can only be considered marginally unique without the formation of a leading concept.
Although I entrust Lei Jun quite a bit, he remained humble throughout the entire press conference. Regardless of whether this is performance preparation or character presentation, he needs to reinforce a good brand image through actual actions.
The driving experience exceeded my expectations after procuring the vehicle. The typical issue most electric cars face initially is, softer designs would lead to more comfort however, if the electric car is softer it can easily cause car sickness. Coupled with energy restoration, this feels like the commotion of driving a large boat. If it’s harder, it could feel extremely rigid, similar to the Xpeng G6 where it feels like sitting on steel.
Although the standard version of XiaoMi was my selection, the standard model adopts a sporting suspension, I don’t consider it to be comfort-oriented. Rapid acceleration and braking could cause the passenger to feel dizzy, a more delicate touch is necessary to ensure passengers don’t get car sick.
True to Lei Jun’s words, XiaoMi SU7 is indeed a pleasure to drive. Setting energy restoration to 0 roughly equates the experience to driving traditional vehicles devoid of gear shifting delay. I may not have driven superior cars, this is the best-quality car I’ve driven but may be slightly uncomfortable for passengers.
I hope subsequent OTA upgrades could introduce a camping mode or a short rest mode. In addition, the width of the car could be optimized. Its width is approaching two meters, quite similar to ZEEKR 001, a more reasonable width should be slightly above one meter eighty. I am not too confident with auto parking in 3D garages, I had one unsuccessful attempt after procurement.
The biggest shortcoming of the XiaoMi SU7 is that it cannot be viewed as a vehicle worth 300,000. It is more of a car worth 200,000, economizing where possible in detailed designs. If the general expectation was 200,000, it matches performance. However, with a measurement standard of 300,000, everyone would seek to demand more luxurious standards which it cannot cater to.
Opting for XiaoMi signifies compromising on the stability of quality, as this is the first vehicle released by XiaoMi. Many aspects have not undergone verification or large-scale testing, small issues could potentially emerge in the details. The purchase of this car contains some elements of gambling, betting on the fact that they cannot afford to let their first vehicle fail.
When it comes to purchasing a car, I paid the bills and my girlfriend generally has no objections. She probably believes owning a car would suffice, but the day we picked up the car, our smiles never faded. Firstly, she truly believed that this car was attractive, secondly, it greatly satisfied her vanity, attracting attention from bystanders.
Vehicle Owner ‘LL’: I recognize this vehicle from the product rather than the brand.
Located in: Shanghai
Identity description: 28 years old, male, auto media operator.Selected Version: Max Edition (Car not yet delivered)
Owner’s Narration:
Working in the automobile sector, I had already been keeping an eye on the XiaoMi car since September last year. I set my car-buying budget at 300,000 RMB and placed an order for the Max version right on the night of the launch.
Initially, I anticipated the XiaoMi SU7 Max version to be around 350,000 RMB, at least on par with ZEEKR’S YOU edition at 320,000 RMB. It turned out to be even cheaper, thus exceeding my expectations.
Driving, for me, is the most critical factor while choosing a car, and that’s why I opted for XiaoMi. At first, I didn’t find the design of XiaoMi very appealing; I believe NIO has the best design amongst domestic cars. However, the chassis of NIO lags behind XiaoMi and ZEEKR, but the design doesn’t bother me much.
XiaoMi was essentially a smartphone company, and software is not a difficult task for them. Therefore, I am not too worried about the level of intelligence or the auxiliary driving of XiaoMi SU7.
My trust in XiaoMi’s automobile is due to my faith in ZEEKR’s vast platform, which is something I have always admired. Apart from ZEEKR, I hadn’t considered any other car models. I also believe in XiaoMi’s Modena platform which significantly contributes to driving, and I don’t feel that its driving would be bad.
If you opt for ZEEKR, you have to compromise its aesthetics, software, and smart driving, but with XiaoMi, there is no need for such compromises. Moreover, its driving is even better than ZEEKR, thus making XiaoMi an easy choice. There isn’t a better car in the 300,000 RMB range. Even a year or two from now, I don’t think there will be any better car for the price.
Its product strength outperforms the second and third-generation new-forces cars, even though it doesn’t appear to be a first-generation car. On the driving level, I couldn’t find any room for improvement; it completely surpasses my needs and driving abilities. Unless I progress at an extremely rapid pace to the level of a racetrack, I might be able to feel its limit. Otherwise, in daily driving, I believe it is invincible.
I am not a Mi fan and haven’t used XiaoMi smartphones for a long time. Hence, my approval of the car is based on the product itself rather than the brand. Before driving, my trust in it was based on ZEEKR, and after driving, it’s based on my experience. The overall feel of it is really good; the handling is fantastic, the sporty vibe is strong, and it’s truly comfortable and high-end.
Car owner ‘Mr. Hou’: Not just good-looking and easy to drive but also comfortable to use.
City: Shenyang
Profile: 25 years old, male, and a current graduate student.
Selected Version: Standard Founder Edition
Owner’s Narration:
Actually, I do not need a car this year, and it will only be required after I graduate next year. Before buying the XiaoMi SU7, I had not test-driven it, nor had I driven electric cars a few times – I didn’t even think I would buy a car this year.
Choosing XiaoMi is mainly because I trust the brand. I have been a Mi fan since my high school days. Apart from using XiaoMi smartphones, I also bought some XiaoMi peripherals, such as XiaoMi’s sports shoes. I started using the XiaoMi 4 and have since switched through seven or eight XiaoMi smartphones, never using other brands. Apart from smartphones, we have an entire set of XiaoMi smart home appliances, around 70 devices. Using a complete set from XiaoMi feels very comfortable, and XiaoMi would be my primary choice when buying a car.Since high school, people have been jokingly saying that once XiaoMi produces cars, they will buy one. A few years later, this joke has become a reality.
When buying a car, I highly value the driving experience. My father owns an old Chery, and while we did purchase a Volkswagen Tiguan for my wife last year, we found that SUVs are not as comfortable as we thought. Prior to XiaoMi producing electric vehicles, only Tesla could provide me with a satisfactory driving experience, so that was my first choice.
If I could describe XiaoMi in one word, it would be ‘just right’. Whether it’s its appearance, power control, or interior design, it isn’t extravagant, nor does it have any flashy designs. This is just what I want.
After XiaoMi announced the price, I was surprised by how affordable the Max version was, my estimate was about 340,000 yuan. Initially, I ordered the standard Max version and would have to wait for 20 weeks, meaning I would have the car by the Lunar New Year. However, during the second batch of preorder, I only managed to get the standard version. I am still young, so I figured the standard version would suffice. Maybe after smart driving technology matures, I might consider an upgrade. The only regret is that the standard version does not include aerial suspension, retractable spoiler, and HUD.
Despite this model being popular among women, my girlfriend is the one who doesn’t want me to buy it the most. She has never driven an electric vehicle before, and her understanding of vehicles is still based on traditional fuel vehicles. She thinks it would be better to add a bit more money to buy a Benz C260, questioning why would anyone buy XiaoMi with two to three hundred thousand yuan?
Now, her attitude has changed after seeing the exterior design of the car and the online hype. I’m planning to leave the car at home for my girlfriend to use. Maybe after a year, she’ll find it comfortable and won’t want to drive fossil-fuel cars anymore.
From smartphones, smart home appliances to cars, I have used many XiaoMi products and have come into contact with numerous Mi Fans through smart home groups and car owner groups. Some people say that Mi Fans are just grown-ups, not rich. I disagree because people who own three to four hundred XiaoMi devices are not strapped for cash. Some can be described as heavyweights, but they still find XiaoMi most comfortable. If XiaoMi is second in smart home services, no one would dare to claim the first.
This may be an essential reason why XiaoMi cars have a high sales volume. It’s not just about its aesthetics and performance but also the comfort it brings. For those with a disposable few hundred thousand yuan, why not buy a car that brings more comfort?
Compared to XiaoMi, Huawei’s products have a high entry threshold. In contrast, XiaoMi truly allows everyone to enjoy the beauty of technology in life. Even ordinary people can have a great experience, which is very captivating.
Car Owner ‘Little Deer Ears’: Some little details caught my attention
City: Wuxi
Identity: 28 years old, female, restaurant brand operations
Purchase Version: Max Founder Edition, first delivered in Wuxi
In her words:
XiaoMi’s product design is simple, has excellent value for money, and I have always loved it. In my home, two air purifiers, two televisions, a heater, an electric fan, a desk lamp, a ceiling light, a rice cooker, a camera, and other small appliances such as hairdryers, hair clippers, power banks, and razors are all from XiaoMi.My husband has always been following XiaoMi’s car, to which I wasn’t that acquainted. On the March 28 launch event, my husband rushed me home from work to watch it. At that point, I had no intention of buying a XiaoMi car as we already have three gas vehicles.
At first, the event didn’t resonate very much with me, but as Lei Jun continued speaking, his discussion about the intelligent ecosystem really touched me. Coupled with the car’s appealing design and Lei Jun’s charisma, I decided to order it impulsively. My dream car used to be Panamera. As a Porsche is out of my league, settling for a XiaoMi seems like a fair deal.
A video about XiaoAi’s capabilities during the event left a strong impression on me. It was able to identify the cars in front or to specify the river we just crossed. My curiosity gets the best of me quite often, which makes my husband the victim to endless questions. As such, he said that it suits me perfectly. My former car didn’t possess such intelligence. I believe we’re living in an increasingly intelligent and technological era, thus having a smart car is a must.
As soon as the event wrapped up, I downloaded the XiaoMi car app and made my customization choices instantly. My husband’s former co-worker, who now works at XiaoMi, mentioned that a test-drive car arrived at the nearby Mi Home. Even though it was not yet 10 o’clock, we decided to swing by and take a look. At 10 o’clock, when we were still on the road, I had my husband pull over and we both tried to snatch up the Founder’s Edition with our mobiles. Ultimately, he failed but I succeeded. I was super thrilled; never had I ever wanted anything as much as I did in that moment.
I picked up the car on April 3. It was the first delivery in Wuxi. The test-drive met my expectations and I didn’t have an ounce of doubt about my purchase. Driving the car gives a sense of unity between man and machine. The regenerative feedback is well implemented, without the intermittent feeling found in NIO cars. XiaoMi’s smart driving assistance is also commendable, even surpassing my own decisiveness during lane changes.
However, parking spaces in our community are tight and the conditions aren’t ideal, so the auto-parking feature hasn’t succeeded yet. It tends to leave a reasonable amount of safety distance, which can be a bit conservative.
The bug I’ve encountered so far is the high frequency of danger incidents recorded by the Sentry Mode. Every time I get in the car, it alerts me of numerous medium and high-risk events, accumulating upwards of ten videos throughout the day. The 128G memory card that was included is already full. There’s no option for automatic overwrite or batch delete of videos – only individual manual deletions – which I hope they’ll improve. Also, asking XiaoAi to enable the glare protection function doesn’t reflect any changes in the rear-view mirror, which is still piercing when the high beam shines.
There are some minor flaws, like realizing the real leather seats were crumpled on the delivery day, and that the left and right windows don’t have heat insulation. Lei Jun had mentioned at the event that Apple phones can connect to XiaoMi’s car, but my husband’s iPhone has yet to successfully connect. My own XiaoMi 14 does connect, but it tends to heat up after an extended period.There are a few minor details that catch my attention. When you open the door and step on the pedal, the dashboard flips, giving a sense of ceremony; the refrigeration feature can not only cool but also heat things, catering well to women’s needs.
Car owner ‘Xiu Tai’: We were photographed all the way after we picked our car.
City: Dallas
Identity: 28 years old, male, finance industry
Purchased Version: Max Founders’ Edition (Already picked up)
Story of the car owner:
Both my fiancée and I are fans of XiaoMi (aka Mi fans). We started paying attention to this car when Lei Jun announced that they were entering into car manufacturing three years ago. We plan to take turns driving this car after making the purchase. We already owned an older SUV, and considering we are about to get married soon and needed a change of vehicle, as luck would have it, XiaoMi’s car was released in the first half of the year, so we immediately made up our mind. We were planning to purchase the Xpeng P7i if XiaoMi’s car had been launched in the second half of the year.
The place where I work is quite far, roughly 20-30 kilometers one way. Therefore, when I consider buying a car, comfort and handling capacity ranked high for me. However, what attracted me most about the XiaoMi SU7 was its sleek design. Additionally, having been a user of Mi Home products previously, I was thoroughly satisfied with XiaoMi’s infotainment system and mobile connectivity, as well as the feature that allowed me to control the car remotely via Xiaomi’s voice assistant ‘XiaoAi’. All these factors deeply appealed to me.
The primary reason for placing such high faith in XiaoMi’s first car was because I have been using their phones ever since high school. I find that the brand values align perfectly with the youthful demographic. I listened to the entire conference and the feeling I got was that Lei Jun had put all his heart and soul into XiaoMi’s cars. This made me believe that buying a XiaoMi car was a safe choice.
Our budget for buying this car was approximately ¥250,000. Before the launch conference announcing all the specs of various models, I assumed that the Pro version would come standard with a HUD and an 800V high voltage platform. However, when reality did not match the expectation, it turned out that the Max version had the highest cost-performance ratio among the three versions. Hence, we decided to go for the Max version after taking a test drive one evening.
This car is incredibly popular. We were photographed all the way after picking the car and on the second day, when I drove to the office, all my colleagues asked where I parked because they all wanted a test drive.
Picking the car up, I noticed that in comparison to other electric cars, the handling of this car was outstanding, resembling a feel of traditional gas cars. I tested the acceleration on the highway and found it to be quite exhilarating. When driving other electric cars, my fiancée, who usually sits beside me, would get carsick. But when we picked up the car at Tianjin and drove to Dallas, she constantly claimed that it was an excellent experience.
The flaws that are noticeable at the moment are mainly that the audio effects are average, and the audio system of Xpeng P7i outperforms it significantly. The noise control isn’t done very well – I realized when driving on the highway that its noise level was higher than the cars I had previously driven. We are not too concerned about the space at present, and plan to stick with this car for about 10 years, after which we may consider switching to an SUV that is more family-friendly.
Final thoughts
In this interaction with car owners, driving sensations, smart ecosystems, aesthetic design stood out as the three primary attractions for choosing the XiaoMi SU7 — If there is another common thread among these owners, it would be their trust and expectations from the XiaoMi brand.
Whether they are fans of XiaoMi or just admirers of its products, they all had a strong sense of trust in Lei Jun and the XiaoMi brand. The unique point being, their familiarity and dependency on the XiaoMi smart ecosystem was a crucial reason for many Mi fans placing their orders, while other customers chose XiaoMi based primarily on their all-rounded evaluation of the product quality of the XiaoMi SU7.Interestingly, in the decision-making process of these car owners, models such as the ZEEKR 007, Xpeng P7i, and NIO ET5 became their most frequently compared vehicles. However, the main reasons these vehicle owners finally chose the XiaoMi SU7 were the smart ecosystem of Xiaomi, its unique exterior design, and the emotional value brought about by the popularity of Xiaomi’s first car.
In addition, all 10 vehicle owners we communicated with this time expressed strong interest in the driving experience and smart ecosystem of the Xiaomi SU7. Many of them mentioned their high reliance on “Xiao Ai Tong Xue”.
Of course, in the process of communicating with us, these car owners also expressed concerns about the delivery time. At the moment, due to the surge in orders, the delivery time for non-founder edition models is longer than expected, which undoubtedly brings them some anxiety. Therefore, for Xiaomi cars, how to effectively manage capacity, ensure that each owner can pick up the car in a timely manner, and make potential owners not be deterred by a long wait, will be an important challenge it needs to face in the future.
This article is a translation by AI of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.