Xiaomi’s electric vehicle ambitions have just expanded. Last week, the Chinese tech giant announced its third vehicle, one that takes a completely different approach from the brand’s SU7 and YU7. While the latter two are broadly categorized as “driver’s cars” under the driving series, the newly minted SkyNomad belongs to the so-called space series.
No. It will not launch itself into space. The “space” refers to the interior space. Xiaomi describes the SkyNomad as a smart interior space-changer SUV that can transform from big to small. There’s nothing magical here, btw. The ability to change the size of the interior space comes from reconfiguring the cabin for different purposes. It does not literally change in volume.
So why the name SkyNomad? It loosely refers to a wanderer in this mortal realm, where every destination can be transformed into a space that suits your needs. If that makes any sense at all. When we talk about transforming the space, we mean the aforementioned reconfiguration of the interior to suit whatever you need at that moment.
Think of it as an SUV and MPV (or, as they call it in the U.S., a minivan) hybrid. From the outside, the SUV silhouette is unmistakable, but step inside, and it offers the spaciousness of an MPV. This expansive—well, expansive in car-speak—interior allows what would otherwise be an ordinary seven-seater to transform into a living room or café-style setup, complete with a coffee table between two opposing rows of seats.
It can even convert into a tiny living space with a bed, a one-person workspace, a two-person café, a three-person meeting room, or a family gathering space. I am sure the concept itself isn’t new, but one with the ambition to support so many configurations just might be. And even if it isn’t the first, it could very well be the first to actually reach production and become available to buy.
At this point, official details remain scarce. Some details are floating around, but we’d rather not speculate further. According to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, the SkyNomad is currently undergoing trial production at Xiaomi’s EV factory in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, better known as Beijing E-Town.
It is not yet clear when it will be officially unveiled. From what we have heard, the announcement could come as early as August. I think SkyNomad has the potential to become a brand of its own, much like Range Rover. It is not a wild speculation, btw. The fact that Xiaomi has already created official SkyNomad accounts on Douyin, WeChat, and Weibo is a huge hint that it could very well happen.
Speaking of Range Rover, I cannot help but agree with some Chinese netizens that the SkyNomad does look a little like one. I mean… were we really expecting something completely original? I am not bashing Xiaomi. In fact, that’s kind of its superpower. It always puts its own spin on an existing design, and somehow makes it recognizable as a Xiaomi. Just look at the SU7 and YU7. Do they still look like the Taycan and Macan? They do feel less like lookalikes now, don’t they?
The product page of SkyNomad [CH] is live if anyone’s interested in checking it out.
Images: Xiaomi EV [CH].