Xiaomi on Thursday launched its new SkyNomad SUV series, expanding its electric vehicle lineup into the large family SUV segment as it looks to boost sales in China’s highly competitive auto market ahead of its planned European launch next year.
The company hopes the new SkyNomad series will increase vehicle sales after its EV deliveries in the first half of the year reached only about one-third of its annual target. Demand in China’s auto market has also slowed because of the weaker economy.
Xiaomi, which also manufactures smartphones and home appliances, describes the SkyNomad as an intelligent, flexible and spacious SUV. Unlike the company’s SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV, which focus on driving performance, the SkyNomad is designed with families in mind.
The launch marks Xiaomi’s expansion into China’s growing family SUV market, where the company’s EV business has become an increasingly important source of revenue.
The flagship SkyNomad N90 Max is a seven-seat SUV equipped with a 76-kilowatt-hour battery, a 1.5-liter turbocharged range extender and a 60-liter fuel tank.
Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) are powered primarily by electric motors, while a gasoline engine serves as a generator to recharge the battery or supply electricity when needed.
Speaking at the launch event, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said six-seat vehicles are not enough for many families and compared a vehicle to a home where space can be arranged according to different needs.
Xiaomi said the N90 Max is priced at 299,900 yuan (about $44,397) and offers a combined driving range of up to 1,705 kilometers (1,059 miles).
The SkyNomad series is built on Xiaomi’s new Kunlun vehicle platform, which the company said was developed specifically for large SUVs with flexible interior layouts.
Xiaomi has started accepting preorders for the new SUV series and plans to officially launch the vehicles in September.
