PHOTO: Xiaomi Xiaomi has officially rolled out its YU7 high-performance, electric SUV, with a shockingly competitive price of just RMB 253,500 (P1.989 million before taxes). The Chinese tech company then saw over 300,000 reservations within hours after the prices were announced. With that starting price, the Xiaomi YU7 undercuts the Tesla Model Y, which starts at around RMB 263,000 (P2.06 million before taxes) in the People’s Republic. The Model Y has long been touted as one of the best-selling vehicles in China, giving Xiaomi’s Purosangue-esque EV a solid chance to shake up its home automotive market. PHOTO BY Xiaomi The YU7 was debuted with two higher variants, namely the mid-spec’d Pro and the top-of-the-line Max. Those are priced significantly higher than the base YU7, as they do pack a lot more power and performance. OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: PH fuel price update: P1.80/L rollback for diesel, P1.40/L for gas effective July 1 But price isn’t the only thing that Xiaomi has over Tesla. The base RWD YU7 is advertised with an 835km driving range, while the more expensive RWD Model Y drives for only 466km. Even the long-range AWD trim loses out at just 551km. The higher-spec YU7 Pro and Max oddly sport shorter driving ranges—770km and 760km, respectively—but both come with dual-motor, AWD systems. While all these numbers best the Tesla Model Y, the YU7 will still need to prove itself once those 300,000 orders reach buyers. Xiaomi YU7 variants and prices: Xiaomi YU7 Max – RMB 329,900 (P2.590 million before taxes) Xiaomi YU7 Pro – RMB 279,900 (P2.918 million before taxes) Xiaomi YU7 Standard – RMB 253,000 (P1.989 million before taxes) PHOTO BY Xiaomi