Xiaomi SU7 Max inside look and first drive

17 July 2024

The Xiaomi SU7 is already running on Chinese roads but us folks outside its homeland are left out of the fun.

Thankfully, we managed to score some quality time with the SU7 Max, check out how it feels on the inside and see experience its mighty dual motor setup.

We had a date with the Xiaomi SU7 in the Max trim with the 495 kW all-wheel drive configuration and a 101 kWh battery pack.

Since our rendezvous was at Xiaomi's factory in China, we got to see a few different color versions of the SU7, including this lovely Radiant Purple hue - every bit as "romantic, dreamy, and gentle" as Xiaomi says on its website.

The leather seats and Alcantara trims on the doors and dash are matched to the car's panels, while the center console, door handles, and bottom part, and steering wheel are left in black.

There's a definite air of quality about the Xiaomi SU7 Max's interior - far more than its price tag would suggest. The leather seats have fine-stitched bolsters and perforated surfaces that wouldn't be out of place in a car twice as expensive.

There aren't many plastic elements in the cabin. Even the door handles are quality stitched leather.

Xiaomi overengineered the SU7. There's not even a regular old pull handle to open the door - you have a button - clever stuff, though one that might cause a few issues in the long run. We'll reserve judgement for when we get to spend more time with the car.

While we're talking about buttons, we love the buttons in the Xiaomi SU7's cabin. They are all high-quality, great-feeling to start. But even more, there are buttons for just about every function you can think of - no need to navigate complicated touchscreen menus to adjust the climate controls.

The SU7 Max has a few cool buttons just below the Start/Stop button - you can lower or heighten the car through its air suspension, and a particularly cool touch - a button to deploy or retract the spoiler at the back of the car! Being an active aero part, it adjusts its angle of attack automatically depending on your speed!

The Xiaomi SU7 is surprisingly roomy inside, both at the front and back. The glass roof further reinforces the sense of spaciousness. It's comfortable inside too. We can't speak of the driving experience, because we only sat behind the wheel in a stationary SU7 (sigh).

We tried the Xiaomi-made phone holder on the steering wheel's left and that is nicely sturdy, not being bothered by even the largest of phones.

The car will not leave you wanting for luggage space either. The frunk is quite big, while the trunk has a cavernous underfloor.

We were able to take a look at a stripped-down SU7 and its underpinnings. We also got to check out Xiaomi's factory (alas photos weren't allowed there so you'll have to take our word for it) and are quite impressed. Nearly everything is automated - robots carrying parts between robot assembly lines and all that. There were no more than 50 people in the factory in all. A representative quipped that Xiaomi's EV factory works more efficiently than Tesla's Shenzhen factory, but we'll not be taking sides in this.

We also got to experience the car around Xiaomi's impromptu test track for a bit. You can't really feel the speed in a video but trust us when we say, the acceleration was violent and uncomfortable on the stomach - the SU7 Max is a proper rocket! The car feels nimble and responsive, cornering way better than its over 2 tonnes would suggest.

It's also quiet and refined inside. Even at higher speed, you can barely hear anything, although admittedly the excellent tarmac quality may have helped a bit there.