- Chinese tech and car maker Xiaomi has introduced its next series of cars under a new sub brand called SkyNomad.
- The SkyNomad N90 is the first, and it is a three-row crossover that is about 208 inches long, about ten inches longer than a Kia EV9.
- The N90 is an extended-range EV (EREV).
It’s no secret that Xiaomi, often called China’s version of Apple, has been immensely successful with its foray into electric cars. The brand came from seemingly nowhere and offered two dynamite attempts at a premium sedan and crossover that have turned into stalwarts on China’s top sales charts. And for good reason: The SU7 and YU7 are fantastic cars. Xiaomi’s hoping the magic of the SU7 and YU7 will carry over into its next big idea: Sky Nomad.
Photo by: Xiaomi
It has been an open secret that Xiaomi has been planning to infiltrate China’s growing market of large three-row premium crossovers; there have been plenty of spy shots. If you’ve been to Xiaomi’s Beijing-area headquarters and factory within the past 18 months, you would’ve seen a camouflaged boxy and upright SUV on the company grounds. It looked nothing like the low-slung and sporty SU7 or YU7 designs we’ve been familiar with. This is intentional, since Xiaomi says that Sky Nomad is a sub-brand that is distinct from its two existing cars. This 208-inch-long SUV is 10 inches longer than the Kia EV9, so it’s not small in the slightest.
Officially, the SUV is called the SkyNomad N90. It is meant to be more family and lifestyle-oriented than Xiaomi’s existing lineup; it’s much longer and comes with three rows of seats. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun says it’s designed to “adapt freely, the way you want to.”
The brand hasn’t shown off much of its interior aside from a quick teaser animation and a few stills, instead opting to show off apartment-style floor plans that illustrate the vehicle’s interior flexibility. There are some cool features we do see, like the ability for both front seats to rotate 180 degrees and a couple of table options.
Xiaomi has been quiet about the powertrain of the N90, but China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has exposed some key details. For starters, it’s an extended-range EV. There is a 1.5-liter turbocharged gas engine, and a dual electric motor setup fed by a large battery. However, the output of its electric motors, gas engine, and battery size for what Xiaomi will officially put on sale has not been confirmed just yet.
Stylistically, the N90 feels familiar, although that argument could be made for much of Xiaomi’s lineup. The front is a little blank, the surfacing is a bit nonchalant, and the wheels feel a bit small. The rear’s thin wraparound lights look very similar to the Zeekr 9x, but to be fair to Xiaomi, this look is trendy in China’s car market these days.
The SkyNomad is entering a very, very crowded field in China. If you thought that Americans were the only ones who loved big three-row SUVs and crossovers, then you might be shocked to learn that China might just pass us in that segment the near future. Xiaomi will have to compete with the growing collection of big, three-row EVs and EREVs in China, like the Nio ES8, Aito M9, and Li Auto L9.
Photo by: Xiaomi
There may be a lot of players on the field, but that hasn’t stopped Xiaomi before. The SU7 and YU7 were also introduced into very crowded markets. Yet both cars successfully carved out sizable niches, even if sales have been rockier lately. If the SkyNomad N90 ends up being as well-executed as the SU7 and YU7, then I would not be surprised if it ends up just as successful.
Contact the author: Kevin.williams@insideevs.com.