Chinese technology giant Xiaomi is laying the groundwork for a dedicated rollout in Australia, kicking off local recruitment in Sydney ahead of a planned right-hand drive market entry in 2028.
This is exciting news for those of us (like this author) who have marvelled and salivated from afar at the SU7 Ultra’s Nordschleife-blitzing speed, the SkyNomad‘s Issignois-like packaging efficiency, and the YU7 GT’s Purosangue-embarrasing style.
The smartphone manufacturer has officially begun headhunting in New South Wales, advertising key vacancies including a senior legal counsel and an auto finance role to establish its operational footprint across the Asia-Pacific region, according to the Xiaomi website.
This local hiring push aligns with a broader corporate strategy to introduce right-hand drive electric vehicles – expected to be spearheaded by the SU7 sedan and the YU7 crossover – into Australia, the UK, Japan, and New Zealand during the first half of 2028.
Also likely for Australia is the upcoming YU7 electric SUV, priced from approximately US$35,120 domestically and featuring similar high-voltage, dual-motor underpinnings. Adding further complexity is Xiaomi’s newly launched ‘SkyNomad’ division, which builds range-extender (EREV) SUVs.
The mid-size five-seat SkyNomad N70 and the large three-row N90 Max are priced from around AU$55,000 and AU$64,000 equivalent, respectively. They combine large battery packs with a petrol generator to deliver upwards of 1700km of combined driving range (overseas test cycle).
This right-hand drive expansion will follow Xiaomi’s initial overseas foray into Europe, which is slated for the second half of 2027. Conversely, the United States has been explicitly ruled out of the brand’s global roadmap due to steep import tariffs and stringent regulatory barriers.
With a reported annual production capacity of 300,000 units at its Beijing facility, Xiaomi is rapidly scaling to meet international demand. Having recently cemented its engineering credibility when the SU7 Ultra claimed an official 7:04.957 lap record on the Nurburgring, the brand’s eventual arrival in local showrooms signals formidable incoming competition for established EV players like Tesla and BYD.
The biggest question is; will Xiaomi chicken out on offering a flagship sedan the same way XPeng denies us the highly desirable P7? We can only hope not.
