New Delhi: Until a few years ago, Xiaomi was just a smartphone company, and in fact, I had owned it briefly. Times have turned strange, though, with the brand in 2021 announcing its intention of entering the automotive world and in 2023, bringing its first production vehicle.
Now, though, its ambition has gone beyond papers as Xiaomi’s upcoming YU7 GT went past the Audi RS Q8 as the quickest SUV around the Nurburgring. Before its reveal later this week, the Chinese EV crossed the finish line in 7 minutes and 34.93 seconds.
At the wheel was Xiaomi’s chief test driver, Ren Zhoucan. The YU7 GT improved on the previous lap record by 1.76 seconds. It marks the first time a Chinese driver has set an official lap record at the Green Hell, although this isn’t Xiaomi’s first outing at the German circuit. The brand’s first model, the production-ready SU7 Ultra, had completed a lap around the circuit in 7:04.95.
Onboard footage from the YU7 GT’s run seen on Weibo social media suggests the SUV isn’t the same version that the customers will buy. Apart from the full roll cage, the back seats were also removed in order to cut down on weight. The strategy is similar to the SU7 Ultra Package that went around the Nurburgring last year in just 6:22.09.
Xiaomi set the SUV lap record on April 2nd, though it only revealed the results recently, creating hype for the YU7’s reveal on May 21st. The electric SUV used for the Nurburgring hot lap features an optional Track Package with the details kept under wraps.
What we know about Xiaomi YU7 so far
As per the regulatory filings with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the YU7 is expected to come with a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration, making 990 hp. Local media reports have also claimed that Xiaomi is targeting a top speed of 300 kph, which would make it one of the quickest SUVs in the world. It is quite a realistic number, since Nurburgring footage shows the vehicle having reached a GPS-verified speed of 299 kph on the big straight line.
The motors are also said to be taking power from a 101.7 kWh battery unit, having a maximum range of 705 kms, which was on China’s CLTC test cycle. Of course, the Nurburgring lap times talk about the speed of the car and how quickly it can enter and exit a corner, but it doesn’t provide information on handling and ride quality. It is somewhat of a marketing aid for the good sales performance of cars. Still, going past an Audi RS Q8 is no less a feat.