China’s Xiaomi takes aim at Tesla, staking 23% lower price on premium SUV
Xiaomi, one of Tesla’s biggest challengers in mainland China over the past year, has priced its newest cars at a 23 per cent discount to the US carmaker’s Model Y L SUV amid intensified competition in the country’s premium electric vehicle (EV) segment. Beijing-based Xiaomi announced on Thursday that the five-seat N70 Max model under its new extended-range SkyNomad series would sell at 259,900…
Xiaomi, a major competitor to Tesla in China's electric vehicle (EV) market, has launched its new premium SUV N70 Max and N90 Max models at prices 23% lower than Tesla's Model Y L SUV. The five-seater N70 Max starts at ¥259,900 (US$38,474), while the seven-seater N90 Max begins at ¥299,900. Both models are part of Xiaomi's SkyNomad extended-range series, which debuted in September.
Xiaomi's founder and CEO Lei Jun unveiled the vehicles, highlighting their off-road capabilities, spacious interiors, and reconfigurable seating. The company aims to sell 550,000 units of the SkyNomad series annually, requiring an average of 61,000 units per month for the remainder of 2026 to meet this target, according to Deutsche Bank's research note.
The extended-range models feature a petrol-powered engine that recharges the battery without driving the wheels, as well as Xiaomi's Dragon Armour battery system and a preliminary autonomous-driving system. Xiaomi overtook Tesla last year by selling 258,164 units of its SU7 model, compared to Tesla's 200,361 units of the Model 3 in China.
Despite intense competition, Xiaomi's sales of the SU7 were 30% higher than the Model 3's. However, AlixPartners predicts a 10% year-on-year decline in China's light vehicle sales to 24.6 million units in 2026, due to economic uncertainty and reduced government support.
Written by urgent.news from SCMP Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
