Leaked road-test video hints at Xiaomi (小米) range-extended YU9 SUV

A fresh sighting on public roads

A road-test video shared on Chinese social media appears to show Xiaomi (小米)’s range-extended SUV under development, codenamed “Kunlun” and reportedly slated to launch as the YU9. The camouflaged prototype is now fitted with production-style lighting, with brake lights visibly activating, according to Chinese tech outlet ITHome (IT之家). Is this the long-rumored flagship SUV taking shape?

Design cues and early specs

Spy imagery to date suggests the YU9 follows Xiaomi’s family design language, including the brand’s teardrop side mirrors, newly seen vertical tail lamps, and a likely two-piece “tiandi men” split tailgate—reportedly enabling more flexible cargo access. Early chatter pegs the vehicle at over 5.2 meters long and roughly 1.8 meters high, placing it firmly in the large D-segment. As a range-extended EV (EREV), it would pair an electric drivetrain with a combustion engine acting primarily as a generator, a format popularized in China for alleviating range anxiety.

What Xiaomi has (and hasn’t) said

Zhang Jianhui (张剑慧), a Xiaomi Group vice president, has teased development progress on Weibo, sharing images of dynamic tests and interior lighting cues, but no formal specs or launch date. A Deutsche Bank note previously indicated Xiaomi Auto plans a large D-class hybrid SUV around 2026; the YU9 could be that model, though timing remains unconfirmed. Separately, it has been reported that Xiaomi’s 2024 roadmap includes four models: an SU7 refresh, an SU7 Executive variant, and both five- and seven-seat range-extended SUVs.

Strategic context in a crowded field

Xiaomi, a consumer electronics giant turned automaker, is racing into China’s hyper-competitive new-energy vehicle market alongside BYD (比亚迪), Li Auto (理想汽车), NIO (蔚来), and Huawei (华为)-backed ventures, where EREVs have proven especially strong in family SUVs. Any future export ambitions would face a thorny geopolitical backdrop: soaring scrutiny of Chinese EVs in Europe, ongoing EU subsidy probes, and elevated U.S. tariffs. For now, the latest road-test sighting underscores one thing—Xiaomi’s SUV push is accelerating, even if key details remain under wraps.