A number of pictures and movies circulating on-line counsel that Xiaomi’s third mannequin, briefly known as the Xiaomi YU9, is present process highway checks in Xinjiang, China. The hypothesis intensified after Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Lei Jun posted on social media, confirming that he had arrived in Tashkurgan, Xinjiang, for high-altitude automobile testing.
Social media exercise signifies that a number of Xiaomi executives, together with senior automotive advisor Hu Zhengnan, vp Zhang Jianhui, and automotive product division normal supervisor Yu Kai, are additionally at present in Xinjiang. This implies {that a} large-scale check session is underway, much like the corporate’s pre-launch highway checks for the Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 fashions.
Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun shared a number of Weibo posts documenting the corporate’s ongoing high-altitude automobile checks in Xinjiang, China. He wrote that the check staff had reached Panlong Historic Street, a 30 km mountain route with over 600 sharp turns at an elevation of greater than 3,500 meters, which he described as a preferred however difficult native landmark.
Lei Jun added that testing was happening on the foot of the Kunlun Mountains on the Pamir Plateau, the place the common altitude exceeds 4,000 meters. Greater than 20 Xiaomi engineers are concerned in evaluating the YU7’s endurance, charging efficiency, and UV resistance in robust ultraviolet circumstances. The staff additionally visited Karakul Lake, situated at round 3,600 meters, close to Muztagh Ata, which rises to 7,500 meters.
The YU9 has appeared in a number of spy photographs since late 2024, progressively revealing key particulars. It’s broadly believed that the automobile will undertake a range-extended hybrid powertrain, as earlier pictures confirmed an exhaust system. Some studies declare it might characteristic an 80-kWh battery, providing over 400 km of electric-only vary. The general driving vary has not been disclosed.
When it comes to dimensions, the YU9 is anticipated to measure over 5.2 meters in size and round 1.8 meters in top, positioning it throughout the D-segment SUV class. The automobile’s inside stays principally undisclosed, however leaked pictures counsel it might not use a dual-screen dashboard design seen in another Xiaomi fashions.
The YU9 can also be anticipated to characteristic LiDAR, in step with Xiaomi’s earlier method to superior driver-assistance techniques. Some prototypes have been noticed each with and with out LiDAR items, indicating that a number of configurations could also be below testing.
In line with a Deutsche Financial institution report, Xiaomi Auto plans to launch a big D-segment hybrid SUV in 2026, which aligns with the YU9’s presumed specs.
With Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 deliveries surpassing 40,000 items in September, the corporate’s check actions in Xinjiang counsel that growth of its third mannequin has reached a complicated stage. Nonetheless, Xiaomi has not but confirmed the YU9’s specs, identify, or launch timeline.
