Is the price of Xiaomi SU7 Ultra at 814,900 yuan too expensive?

On the evening of October 29, Xiaomi held a new product launch event in Beijing.

At this important launch event, known as Xiaomi's year-end gala, Lei Jun announced not only the official launch of Xiaomi 15 series smartphones and other products but also the birth of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra.

Regarding this flagship model, which Lei Jun has high hopes for, he described it as 'the most premium and powerful "tech sedan" in the Xiaomi SU7 series.'

As the most premium and powerful model, its price is naturally high-end. During the launch event, Lei Jun officially announced the pre-sale price of this model at 814,900 yuan.

Unlike other versions of the Xiaomi SU7, which have a maximum price of less than 300,000 yuan, the price of the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is 2-3 times more expensive. Therefore, when this price was announced, there was an uproar both within and outside the industry.

For some Mi fans who view Xiaomi as a company representing affordability and value, this price is clearly 'too expensive.'

Despite the car's astonishing 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 1.98 seconds, a maximum design speed of 350 km/h, and powerful specifications such as the 'Xiaomi Super Motor V8s with a maximum speed of 27,200 rpm and a track version high-power battery pack capable of outputting 800 kW even when only 20% charged,' this 'fastest four-door mass-produced car on the planet,' as described by Lei Jun, still leaves many Mi fans feeling regretful due to its price tag exceeding 800,000 yuan.

For this group, this model is clearly out of reach.

However, this group naturally does not affect the popularity of this model. According to an official Xiaomi Automobile post-launch article, within the first 10 minutes of opening pre-orders for the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra, 3,680 units had already been reserved.

As a high-end electric sports car priced at over 800,000 yuan, this number represents a significant achievement.

At the same time, this figure also indicates that Lei Jun's market positioning for this model is correct. If Xiaomi used to focus on affordability, it is now embracing a high-end, premium brand strategy.

From this perspective, it becomes clear that this model was not created to boost Xiaomi's sales. Rather, its purpose is to elevate Xiaomi Automobile's brand image and establish a foothold in the high-end market.

Those who perceive Xiaomi as a symbol of affordability are clearly not the target audience for this car. Since they are not the target audience, whether this model offers value for money is irrelevant to them.

The essence of commercial products is to meet the needs of potential customers, which is also the confidence behind Xiaomi Automobile's pricing of the SU7 Ultra at over 800,000 yuan.

Moreover, the model's impressive performance, such as the fastest lap time at the Nürburgring and a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 1.8 seconds, further enhances Xiaomi Automobile's image as a company on par with top-tier automakers in terms of technology, patents, and R&D.

Lei Jun and Xiaomi Automobile likely never intended for this model to become Xiaomi's best-selling product. Instead, as a technological innovation that elevates and improves Xiaomi's brand, this model provides Xiaomi with an opportunity to showcase its strengths.

From this perspective, with its advanced technical specifications and impressive achievements, is the price of 814,900 yuan for the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra really expensive?

In fact, according to this writer's opinion, the price of 814,900 yuan for this model is not expensive, but rather on the low side.

China's new energy vehicle industry has come a long way from its disorderly development phase. Today, it is at the forefront of the world in terms of supply chain, smart manufacturing, and autonomous driving technologies. In this development process, domestic brands such as BYD and Hongqi have successively launched products priced above one million yuan. Therefore, as a rising star, Xiaomi Automobile, with sufficiently competitive products, should naturally follow suit and introduce higher-priced models.

However, Lei Jun and Xiaomi Automobile have been somewhat conservative. While local brands have already ventured into the million-yuan price range, and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra boasts competitive performance and specifications, Lei Jun and Xiaomi Automobile could have priced the model even higher.

Nevertheless, Lei Jun and Xiaomi Automobile have set the price at just over 800,000 yuan. While this pricing strategy offers benefits to consumers, it may also lead some to mistakenly believe that the model is inferior to other million-yuan-plus vehicles, potentially damaging Xiaomi Automobile's brand image in the long run. However, only time will tell the true impact.