Xiaomi may delay launch of first SUV, source says

Xiaomi is planning to postpone the launch of its first electric crossover YU7 by a month to August rather than June or July as previously planned, Chinese blogger going by the handle “安亭大帆” suggested on local microblogging platform Weibo. The car, set to be “a hit product from a top-tier young electric vehicle maker,” is still subject to parts changes, the blogger said on Monday, without mentioning further details. The five-seater YU7 is slightly larger than the Tesla Model Y and features a longer driving range with an expected starting price of RMB 250,000 ($34,187), making it a strong competitor to the US carmaker’s best-selling model, TechNode has reported. The news comes after a severe crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 sedan killed three people in the eastern Chinese city of Tongling on March 29. Xiaomi, a consumer electronics giant turned automaker, last year delivered more than 135,000 SU7 vehicles, its first EV model. [TechNode reporting, Chinese blogger’s Weibo post]