How Bad (Or Good) Is The Knock-Off Porsche Taycan?

Beyond its Taycan-inspired looks: The SU7 has substance

Perhaps, the most striking attribute undoubtedly is the SU7’s exterior design. Its sleek lines and Porsche-inspired silhouette should certainly grab attention. While some may argue that it’s a bit too derivative, I suppose Xiaomi has successfully captured the essence of a modern electric sedan.

The futuristic interior, looks impressive, offering a comfortable and well-appointed cabin with decent materials. An area where Xiaomi truly excels is with the on-board tech. The SU7 is packed with features that should make driving more enjoyable and convenient. The car’s 15-inch infotainment display should be fairly intuitive to use and responsive thanks to superfast Qualcomm processors, and the integration with Xiaomi’s ecosystem of smart devices is a unique selling point. Imagine being able to control your home’s lights, temperature, and even your coffee maker directly from your car.

But it’s that very infotainment system that truly stood out to me, especially since I’m an analog kind of guy (call me old-school). So this screen comes, with a bunch of attachments, with proper physical buttons, allowing you to plug in your desired one into the infotainment system. Porsche take-note. I can only imagine the plight of someone who came from a Gen-1 Macan or older Panamera with a center console full of buttons, to the all-electric Taycan devoid of them. So rather than force people to use the touch-screen for basic functions like climate, why not give them the option to choose with a setup similar to what the SU7 has here?

However, it’s under the hood (or skin) where the SU7 truly shines. The car’s electric motor or motors (depending on the variant you choose) has the gubbins to deliver a satisfying burst of acceleration, with a 0-60 mph time of as quick as 2.78 seconds. Its range is more than adequate for daily commuting and even longer road trips, with a claimed range of up to 435 miles on the base trim. The SU7 also offers a variety of driving modes, allowing you to tailor the experience to your preferences.

Key Performance Specifications and Pricing:

While the SU7 offers a compelling package, it’s not without its flaws. From some of the reviews I’ve seen online, the build quality, while generally good, could be improved, and the suspension, especially on the top-spec MAX model, could be a bit stiffer for some drivers.

Now, if a brand like Xiaomi were to ever enter the United States with an EV like the SU7, it could cause some major headaches for legacy automakers. Without the 100 percent tariffs on the import of Chinese EVs, a model like this could pose a threat to domestic car sales of U.S. automakers, especially those (from the big three) that are still a long way off from competing with the Chinese EV manufacturing, both in terms of scale and price. Even American heavyweights like Tesla are far behind EV market leaders like B.Y.D., not just in China, but globally. But these tariffs, in my opinion, are a temporary solution and is just about buying time for legacy auto to play catchup.

The SU7 certainly seems to have the potential to attract a large number of buyers seeking a more affordable and technologically advanced electric vehicle, because, at this point, besides the charging infrastructure, EVs remain far too expensive for the average American consumer, which has led to a comeback of hybrids. Porsche, who were overly optimistic about their EV goals of an 80% electrified lineup by 2030, have taken a step back with regards to their electrification strategy.

Now despite being a bit of a skeptic of what has been dubbed a Taycan copycat, thinking objectively, I can appreciate the innovation and ambition that Xiaomi has shown with the SU7. While the brand may still have a long way to go to match the heritage and prestige of Porsche, the SU7 shows that Xiaomi is on the right track and frankly, if this is their first effort, I’m curious to see what they do next.