Xiaomi launches SkyNomad SUV series, with large space and reconfigurable interiors

BEIJING – China’s Xiaomi launched an SUV series dubbed SkyNomad on July 30, expanding its electric vehicle (EV) line-up into the large-family SUV segment, as it seeks to boost sales in the country’s ultra-competitive car market ahead of a planned European launch in 2027.With the SkyNomad, Xiaomi is hoping to boost vehicle deliveries after first-half EV sales reached only about one-third of its annual target, and as consumer demand softens in the world’s largest car market amid a sluggish economy.Xiaomi, which also makes smartphones and home appliances, has positioned SkyNomad as an “intelligent, reconfigurable, large-space SUV”, contrasting it with the SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV series that focus on driving dynamics.For Xiaomi, whose EV business has become an increasingly important source of revenue over the last two years, SkyNomad represents a push into China’s family SUV market.Petrol engine helps extend rangeThe flagship N90 Max, a seven-seat SUV that Xiaomi describes as “a house you can move”, combines a 76-kilowatt-hour battery with a 1.5-litre turbocharged range extender and a 60-litre fuel tank.Founder, chairman and CEO of Xiaomi Group Lei Jun speakings during the launch of the new EV Xiaomi SkyNomad in Beijing on July 30. PHOTO: EPAExtended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, are driven primarily by electric motors and use a petrol engine as an onboard generator to recharge the battery or sustain electricity supply when needed.“Six seats are not enough for families... If we compare a vehicle to a house, we can freely arrange our space and decorate,” Xiaomi chief executive Lei Jun said at its launch event.Xiaomi said the N90 Max, priced at 299,900 yuan (S$56,970), has a combined range of up to 1,705km.The SkyNomad line is built on Xiaomi’s new Kunlun architecture, which the company says was developed specifically for larger SUVs with adaptable cabins.Xiaomi will take pre-orders starting from July 30 and bring the vehicles to market in September, Lei said. REUTERS