Xiaomi Sky Nomad N90 moves from a teaser to a real family SUV in twenty-four hours

Yesterday, the auto industry was trying to figure out what Xiaomi meant when it teased a new product name called Sky Nomad. Today, the Chinese smartphone maker removed all the mystery by revealing the final look at its first full-size SUV, the Sky Nomad N90. The quick twenty-four-hour sequence marks a completely new chapter for a company that only started building passenger vehicles a short time ago. Instead of sticking with the low, aerodynamic body styles that defined its early EVs, Xiaomi is now chasing the profitable family-hauler market. That’s a sharp one-eighty in design, packaging, and mechanical philosophy.

The biggest shift involves how this vehicle gets its power. Xiaomi previously focused entirely on pure battery-powered electric cars, but the Sky Nomad N90 is an extended-range electric vehicle, or EREV. It relies on two electric motors to spin the wheels, but it also has a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine under the hood. That engine operates only as an on-board generator to keep the battery charged. Many Chinese drivers prefer these types of EVs because they offer zero-emission city driving without the fear of running out of power on remote highways.

Xiaomi sources the battery packs for the Sky Nomad N90 from domestic suppliers Sunwoda and CALB. The pack holds more than 70 kWh of energy, and provides an electric-only driving range between 249 miles and 311 miles. When the gasoline generator automatically activates to provide extra electricity, the total combined range of the vehicle exceeds 932 miles.

The design of the Sky Nomad N90 abandons the athletic shapes of Xiaomi’s previous electric cars. Designers opted for a very upright, boxy profile that prioritizes inner room over aerodynamics. Up front, the blocky headlights look like a rugged evolution of the company's older "waterdrop" styling elements. Around the back, the looped-lightbar taillights look similar to those found on the premium Zeekr 9X. A prominent pod sits on top of the front windshield, holding an advanced LiDAR sensor that feeds data into the vehicle's automated driving systems.

The N90 measures over 17.4 ft in length and has a long 10.2 ft wheelbase. These measurements give the vehicle a footprint similar to the popular Li Auto L9 and NIO ES8 luxury models. Because the body is so large, Xiaomi plans to sell the vehicle in two distinct seating arrangements. Customers can choose a standard five-seat layout with a 2+3 configuration, or a three-row seven-seat layout using a 2+2+2 format.

The true highlight of the new model is the cabin, which Xiaomi calls an "intelligent expanding space". The company built the vehicle on a new Kunlun platform, which sports a perfectly flat floor and integrated floor tracks. This setup allows the front seats to rotate a full 180 degrees to face backward. By pairing an SUV exterior with a highly flexible minivan interior, the N90 allows occupants to change the space based on what they are doing.

The company claims the interior can quickly transform into a private studio for one person, a small cafe for two, a business meeting room for three, or a playground for a full family. First images reveal a completely walk-through center console in the front row - this layout lets passengers move from side to side without stepping outside. The console itself can slide along the floor tracks to serve different rows of passengers.

The N90 targets people who enjoy the modern outdoor trend of luxury camping. There is an option of a built-in rooftop tent that lifts up to create an elevated sleeping area. Inside, the seats fold completely flat into a bed, and AC outlets let owners run home appliances. Xiaomi even showed portable EcoFlow power stations sitting in the second row. Apparently, modern wilderness exploration requires enough electricity to power an electric grill and a television miles away from the nearest town.

The manufacturing choice to build range-extended EVs is a calculated business move. Xiaomi needs this vehicle to sell quickly if it wants to meet its ambitious 2026 delivery goal of 550,000 electric cars. Industry estimates suggest the N90 will start under RMB 450,000 ($66,500), putting the massive family vehicle right in the path of established players like Li Auto and Huawei-backed Aito. Do buyers want a mobile living room from a phone company? Judging by the success of the SU7 and YU7, it’s quite possible we are looking at yet another sellout product from Xiaomi.

Via