Xiaomi’s new car, the SU7, is expected to arrive in Spain this year and could be a turning point like its smartphones.
A few months ago Xiaomi presented one of the most important products in its history , the Xiaomi SU7. What is the brand’s first vehicle has already gone on sale in China and has been a real success, far exceeding sales expectations in its native country . We were able to see it very closely at the MWC , although it has not yet been tested in Spain.
However, that could change very soon . At a press event, Borja Gómez Carrillo, Country Manager of Xiaomi Iberia, indicated that in a few months a highly anticipated new product category would arrive in Spain . Although he did not officially confirm that it was the car, everything points in that direction. Likewise, last week Jia Wei, Head of Marketing Xiaomi Western Europe, spoke at the IV Spanish Economic Forum Wake Up, Spain! that “Spain will be one of the first countries to receive our SU7 electric car.”
The success of the Xiaomi SU7 has been such that it has challenged adversaries such as Tesla, which has begun to lower prices in some regions. There is even speculation that the cancellation or delay of the future low-priced Tesla has to do with excessive competition from Chinese brands. Spain is one of the countries in the European Union where the adoption of electric cars is being slower , but that does not mean that it will not happen. And the more time passes, the more time Chinese brands will have to land in our country. And this is a market very open to products from that part of the world .
The weight of the brand
The first thing that is necessary for a product to be successful in a region is its availability, obviously. However, Xiaomi has been successful in Spain even before its official arrival in 2017 . That is to say, it is a well-known brand, which began by prioritizing only the quality-price ratio, but which little by little has evolved into a company where quality is a priority . And it seems that it is doing it well, because currently Xiaomi is the company that sells the most mobile phones in our market.
The Xiaomi SU7 is a highly anticipated car, as Jia Wei confirmed, which also fits into the company’s ambition and strategy to use Spain as a testing ground for the rest of Europe. “For all products, Spain serves as a testing ground for other markets,” the directive explained to this newspaper. What there is not yet are specific dates or prices for this model , but those responsible for the brand in Spain have already hinted that this first car could be sold in Spain before the end of the year.
The plus point is the price seen in China, well below what was expected. Furthermore, this car is designed to comply with European regulations , so it would not have to be redesigned, which sometimes has to be done with certain models when they are sold in European markets and causes their price to skyrocket. The point against is the possible tariffs that the EU imposes in the coming months or years on vehicles that come from outside our territory.
The importance of price
Even taking that into account, the Xiaomi SU7 is a vehicle that rivals in price with the Tesla Model 3 , which has been selling a lot in Spain in recent months. On paper, Xiaomi’s car has better features, at a lower cost. It is something similar to what happens with their mobile phones, if compared to Apple’s. In fact, Xiaomi’s Honest Pricing strategy has been one of the reasons why the company has been so successful, and they could replicate it in cars.
And Spain is a country in which the price of products matters a lot . Xiaomi knows this, and that makes it the perfect entry into Europe to explore how to enter other countries that are perhaps wealthier but also more reticent about Chinese cars, such as Germany or Denmark.
Ecosystem integration
Another point in favor of this vehicle compared to competitors is the integration it has with the current ecosystem of Xiaomi products . The company announced HyperOS as the new operating system for mobile phones and tablets, but also for other products. In fact, the SU7 has this same operating system, adapted to the needs of a vehicle, as is logical.
This allows you to control the car from home , by using your cell phone or a tablet as if it were a remote control. In China it is also possible to use Xiaomi’s voice assistant, but it is not yet clear whether this will reach Europe with Alexa or the Google assistant. In Spain, there are many users who already have a Xiaomi mobile phone, and that would make it easier to control certain aspects of the car.
At the moment there is no definitive date for the arrival of this car in our country, and we could even have to wait a few years given that although Xiaomi is expanding its production, the demand in China is much higher than expected. which could delay its internationalization. All in all, Xiaomi is not interested in delaying that part of its strategy too much , because other competitors could establish themselves in European and Asia-Pacific markets and then make it difficult to establish themselves there.
Autonomy and charging
Another advantage of this car over others from other brands is its charging speed and autonomy. Although the Chinese approval cycle is much more lax than the European one, the Xiaomi SU7 allows longer trips than many models , which in a country like ours, with an improvable public infrastructure, is a point in its favor.
It is also very fast charging, having 800 V technology in some of the models . Not all SU7s have this architecture. This would make the waits at the chargers, the times you have to stop along the way and other inconveniences smaller.
The future SUV, key
We must not lose sight of the fact that the Xiaomi SU7 is a sedan. That is to say, it is a low profile car, like those that were mostly sold until a few years ago. Since then, the most sought-after profile is that of an SUV , a taller and larger type of car that allows a more comfortable driving position.
Xiaomi doesn’t have such a product yet, but a second vehicle that would match that shape is rumored to be in development . That car, with a size that is not too large, could be perfect for a country like ours, where that type of cabin is valued.
