Xiaomi YU7 Intelligent Driving Rush-Hour Test: Smart but Impatient — High Scenario Pass Rate, Strong Motion Sickness

Design: Minimalist Tech Aesthetic, Thoughtful Interior Materials

Xiaomi YU7 retains the brand's signature design language: a closed front grille paired with a full-width LED light bar, complemented by finely detailed headlights. The overall appearance is clean and crisp. Its fluid body lines significantly reduce the drag coefficient, while the side profile balances sportiness and practicality. Inside, minimalist design dominates — no physical buttons on the center console; interaction centers on a 15.6-inch floating touchscreen and HUD. Red sport seats contrast against black interior trim, delivering solid build quality and precise stitching. As seen in the real-world photos, material selection and assembly craftsmanship align with mainstream standards for a ¥200,000-class pure-electric SUV.

Powertrain: Distinctive Driving Character

Real-world driving impressions indicate rapid responsiveness, an aggressive accelerator pedal calibration, early brake intervention, and inconsistent linearity in braking force — resulting in frequent 'nodding' motions. Especially during stop-and-go traffic and intersection starts/stops, throttle and brake logic feels rigid, intensifying passenger motion sickness. This aligns closely with its self-proclaimed 'track DNA', yet also reveals adaptation gaps for daily commuting use cases.

Intelligence: Broad HAD Coverage & High Pass Rate — But Aggressive Behavior

The Xiaomi YU7's HAD (High Definition Autonomous Driving) system demonstrated exceptional scenario coverage during this 50-km, 20-scenario evening rush-hour test: autonomous garage entry/exit, campus navigation, precise stopping at manual toll booths, roundabout negotiation, tidal-lane recognition and avoidance, and multi-option left-turn path planning all succeeded smoothly. Only the 'three-point U-turn' function remains unavailable (the system explicitly prompts: 'Please perform U-turn manually').

Notably, its handling of complex static obstacles — such as temporary parking near hospitals, barrier gate recognition, and speed control through blind corners — and dynamic interactions — including e-bike cut-ins, judgment of left-turn gaps, and ramp merging timing — shows increasingly mature logic. In most scenarios, decisions are confident and trajectories smooth. Yet in extreme cases like 'second right-angle turn on ultra-narrow roads' and 'right turn onto mixed-use elevated ramps', the system turns overly cautious, causing prolonged waiting. Conversely, at 'side-road entrances' and 'U-turns under bridges', it behaves too aggressively — frequent lane-change probing and abrupt acceleration/deceleration noticeably degrade ride comfort.

Pricing: Not Yet Announced, Market Speculation Intense

As of 2026, Xiaomi YU7's official pricing has not been formally released. Consequently, its pricing strategy, competitive positioning, and dealer incentives remain purely speculative; consumers must await official announcements.

Conclusion: Intelligent Driving Already Top-Tier — But Personality Needs Polishing

After over three hours navigating Beijing's notorious 'Qingbei Line' evening rush, Xiaomi YU7 delivered an impressive performance: extremely high scenario pass rates, fully functional core capabilities, and an HAD system capable of handling virtually all complex Chinese urban road conditions — from underground garages to toll plazas, from spiral ramps to roundabouts — requiring minimal human intervention throughout.

Yet the shortcomings are equally clear: its intelligent driving behavior is 'fast but unstable' — large motion amplitudes and abrupt rhythm shifts lack the composure and refinement expected of mature systems. It resembles a phenomenally talented young race driver still short on real-world experience: capable of winning races, but unlikely to lull passengers to sleep. With future OTA updates refining acceleration/deceleration calibration, smoothing lane-change transitions, and boosting confidence in narrow-road navigation, Xiaomi YU7's intelligent driving experience could truly evolve from 'functional' to 'enjoyable'.