Chinese tech company Xiaomi, best known for their phones and other consumer electronics, is making a car, and ahead of its official projected launch in 2024, the electric sedan has surfaced in its home market on a number of websites and social media channels including on Weibo were we found these images.
Xiaomi first formed their vehicle development division back in 2021, purchasing autonomous driving technology company Deepmotion Tech and building an EV manufacturing plant shortly after. They had their first engineering prototype ready as of this past summer, and now, the production version of that vehicle, called the MS11, has leaked.
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Overall, the sedan’s design is quite handsome. Its coupe-like sportback silhouette is to be expected, seeing as it’s an EV that needs to be aerodynamic, and even if it weren’t electric, there aren’t many sedans left on the market that haven’t adopted the popular body style. Adding to the sportiness are vents aft of the front and rear fenders, as well as a set of bright yellow Brembo brakes.
Granted, one of the reasons it might look so good is because it appears to borrow some elements from proven sports car designs. Up front, we can’t help but feel that the headlights and overall bumper shape are very McLaren-esque, and the tiered rear end with its full-width taillight bar is quite reminiscent of the Aston Martin DBS. Even the wheels appear to be somewhat similar to those of a Lamborghini Huracan Evo, though that might be a bit of a stretch.
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That being said, these design elements aren’t exact copies of the ones we think they look like, and the car does wear them quite well, so we’ll give it a pass. Elsewhere, the roof-mounted Lidar sensor and flush door handles hint at this car’s tech-laden philosophy, which is expected to place a heavy focus on autonomous driving.
Range and power specs have yet to be announced, but a report from Car News China indicates that the car will use batteries supplied by CATL and BYD, while the electric motors will be made in-house by Xiaomi themselves. Once the MS11 does officially launch, it will likely compete with cars such as Sony and Honda’s Afeela sedan, another electric vehicle developed in part by a tech company.
