Xiaomi’s new Suzuki Jimny is just a toy, but it might have real car ambitions
- Xiaomi introduces a remote-controlled SUV after social media confusion
- The gadget giant previously launched a special edition SUV in partnership with Chinese carmaker FAW
No, you can’t buy a Xiaomi-made SUV just yet.
The Chinese gadget maker created a social media storm on Sunday after putting up a poster on Weibo that suggested the company was getting into the car manufacturing business.
“Making cars? We are serious!” read a slogan that was accompanied by a silhouette of a mysterious vehicle.
The speculation didn’t last long, though. Within about an hour, Xiaomi’s public relations manager Xu Jieyun clarified that the person in charge of the Weibo post had made a mistake. He said the company has no immediate plans to make a car.
But Xiaomi does have a car in the pipeline -- just not one that you can drive.
After deleting the original Weibo post, the company announced that it’s releasing a remote-controlled version of the Suzuki Jimny SUV. The 1:16 scale replica will retail for 199 yuan (around US$28) in China.
While Xiaomi has shattered hopes for a car manufactured by the smartphone company for the moment, the idea has popped up multiple times in the past.
In 2017, the company reported in a regulatory filing in India that it might sell electric vehicles. At the time, an employee told the Financial Times that the company didn’t currently have any cars in production.
Then last year, Xiaomi partnered up with FAW -- the Chinese state-owned carmaker best known for building the iconic Red Flag sedans that chauffeur top Communist officials. According to promotional materials, the Xiaomi version of the Bestune T77 SUV allows owners to remotely control Xiaomi’s smart home products through voice commands in the vehicle. Prices started at 124,800 yuan (US$17,625).
And just this month, Xiaomi registered a Chinese trademark that roughly translates as “Xiaomi car alliance.”
The auto business is proving enticing for other tech giants, too. Huawei recently teamed up with 18 carmakers in China to develop 5G-connected vehicles for consumers. Experts say 5G will be essential for self-driving cars, allowing them to be remotely controlled during emergencies, for instance.