Xiaomi is best known in Malaysia for its phones, but at its second automotive technology event on 30 July the company took the wraps off the Xiaomi SkyNomad Series, its first family SUVs built on a brand new platform called Kunlun. The cars are not confirmed for Malaysia, yet they show where one of the country's most popular tech brands wants to go next.
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Dinesh Raj chevron_right
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The Xiaomi SkyNomad range: two SUVs, one new platform
The SkyNomad line launches with two extended-range models. The flagship SkyNomad N90 Max is a seven-seat SUV with a pre-sale price of RMB 299,900, roughly RM177,000 at current exchange rates. The smaller SkyNomad N70 Max is a five-seat all-wheel-drive model at RMB 259,900, or about RM153,000. Both are extended-range electric vehicles, which means they run on an electric drivetrain but carry a small petrol engine that works as a generator to recharge the battery on longer trips.
They are the first vehicles on the Xiaomi Kunlun architecture, which Xiaomi describes in three parts: the Kunlun platform, the Kunlun Super Range Extender, and a Kunlun Total Safety system. The series opens a second product line for Xiaomi's car arm, sitting alongside the pure-electric SU7 sedan and YU7 SUV it already sells in China.
What is inside
The centrepiece of the platform is the range extender. Xiaomi says it uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, developed with Harbin Dongan Auto Engine, that produces up to 112 kW and runs on regular 92, 95 or 98 octane petrol, with fuel use starting from 5.7 litres per 100 km on the WLTC cycle. The range extender and the electric system carry an eight-year or 160,000 km warranty.
The N90 Max is a large SUV at 5,285 mm long on a 3,080 mm wheelbase, with Xiaomi claiming a drag coefficient of 0.255 and more than 140 aerodynamic refinements. The cabin story is space and comfort: a completely flat floor, reconfigurable five or seven-seat layouts, front seats with 16-point massage, ventilation and heating, and an interior finished to OEKO-TEX textile safety standards. According to regulatory filings reported by CarNewsChina, the N90 Max pairs a 76 kWh battery with dual motors and a pure-electric range in the 363 to 370 km band, while the N70 Max is listed with 52 kWh and 76 kWh battery options. Launch colours include Mountain Green, Valley Blue and Volcanic Gray.
Why it matters for Malaysia
Malaysia's EV market is no longer a niche. Local brand Proton e.MAS has passed 20,000 sales and taken the market lead this year, while imported names such as the BYD SEALION 7 compete hard on range and price. Xiaomi entering the extended-range segment is worth watching, because that format, electric most of the time with a petrol backup, suits drivers who worry about charging on long inter-state journeys, a common concern here. Whether Xiaomi ever brings its cars to Malaysia is a separate question, and for now there is no local launch on the table.
Can you buy one here
Not yet. The SkyNomad prices above are Chinese pre-sale figures, and Xiaomi does not currently sell its cars in Malaysia. The ringgit conversions are a guide to scale, not a local price, and taxes plus specification would reshape any figure that reached showrooms here.
For Malaysian readers, the SkyNomad is less a car to shortlist than a signal: the phone brand in your pocket is now building family SUVs, and doing it quickly enough to matter to the wider EV race.
