March 19, 2026
Laser eyes, hotter takes
Xiaomi launches next-gen SU7 with 902 km range and Lidar, still undercuts Tesla
Cheaper than Tesla, laser sensors standard, and the comments are on fire
TLDR: Xiaomi’s new SU7 claims up to 902 km on China’s test cycle, adds LiDAR to every trim, and still undercuts Tesla in China. Commenters are split between “EV endgame” hype and pushback over Chinese range tests, subsidies, and the LiDAR-vs-camera showdown — a big deal for prices, competition, and what “range” really means
Xiaomi just dropped its next‑gen SU7 sedan and the specs are pure headline bait: up to 902 km on China’s CLTC test, laser sensors (LiDAR) on every model, and lightning charging that claims up to 670 km in 15 minutes — all starting around $33k, undercutting Tesla in China by a hair. But the real launch was in the comments. One camp cheered “game over for gas cars,” calling this the moment EVs go from nice-to-have to no-brainer. Another camp fired back: subsidies, different test cycles, and brochure math aren’t road trips.
The biggest brawl? LiDAR vs. cameras. Some praised Xiaomi for putting “laser eyes” on every trim, shading Tesla’s camera-first approach. Skeptics dragged the CLTC range as overly generous, warning that 400-ish miles in the real world is more realistic. And yes, the subsidy siren blared: commenters insisted Xiaomi’s pricing “needs context.” Meanwhile, safety upgrades after past incidents — extra-strong steel, two more airbags, and beefier door handles with a manual backup — drew both relief and memes (“more airbags than a bounce house”). With nearly 89,000 pre-orders in a day earlier this year and over 360,000 already on roads, the mood is clear: love it or doubt it, Xiaomi just turned up the heat — on Tesla, and on the gas pump
Key Points
- •Xiaomi launched the next‑gen SU7 with standard LiDAR, a unified 700 TOPS compute platform, and HAD across all trims.
- •High‑voltage upgrades: Standard/Pro move to 752V with SiC inverters; Max increases to 897V, enabling 5C supercharging.
- •Claimed ranges rise to 720 km (Standard), 902 km (Pro), and 835 km (Max) on the CLTC cycle.
- •Performance and chassis: V6s Plus motor standard, Pro gains dual‑chamber air suspension with CDC; Max adds Brembo calipers; Cd improves to 0.21.
- •Safety and design updates include 2,200 MPa steel in body, 1,500 MPa pack crossbeam, two additional airbags, and redundant door handles; price starts at 229,900 yuan, undercutting Tesla Model 3 in China.