Xiaomi announces Sky Nomad sub-brand ahead of launch of large hybrid crossover

By the end of this year, Xiaomi will unveil a large crossover with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. To accompany this new model, the company has decided to launch a new sub-brand called Sky Nomad, which translates into English as "heavenly nomad".

Chinese car manufacturers love creating new brands, and Xiaomi, which burst onto the automotive scene in spring 2024, is no exception. After the successful launch of two electric models under the parent Xiaomi brand, company founder Lei Jun decided that a new brand was needed for the third model. That brand will likely be Sky Nomad.

We say "likely" because Xiaomi does not directly state which product the Sky Nomad brand has been created for, but since its announcement was posted on the page of Xiaomi's automotive division on the Chinese social network Weibo, it is clear that we are talking about a car, not a new tablet or, say, a vacuum cleaner. Chinese media unanimously claim that a large plug-in hybrid Xiaomi crossover will be released under the Sky Nomad name. However, nobody yet knows whether the Xiaomi name will be retained in its title or whether Sky Nomad will be a fully independent brand.

It was previously assumed that the large crossover would be called the Xiaomi YU9; its camouflaged prototypes were spotted on the roads as early as last year, and our artist Nikita Chuiko recently produced renders of the upcoming model. At present, it is known that this crossover will come in a short five-seat and a long seven-seat version, with the overall length of the seven-seat version exceeding 5.3 metres. A camper version with a pop-up roof is also planned for travel and outdoor enthusiasts.

The powertrain, according to preliminary data, will be a series plug-in hybrid, meaning that the petrol engine mounted up front under the bonnet is not mechanically connected to the wheels; it operates as a generator and charges the traction battery, which will have a capacity of around 70 kWh. The range on a single charge without engaging the internal combustion engine will be in the region of 400-500 km on the CLTC cycle, and in hybrid mode more than 1,500 km.

Xiaomi's hybrid crossover will face fierce competition in the domestic market, but we are nevertheless confident that it will sell well — Xiaomi has a very loyal audience. In 2025, Xiaomi sold 411,837 cars in China; the plan for 2026 is 550,000 cars, and the company is currently not meeting this target, despite continued sales growth. In the first half of this year, according to CnEVPost, Xiaomi sold 185,055 vehicles (+17.2% compared with the same period last year). The debut of the large crossover should help Xiaomi achieve its sales goal. In 2027, Xiaomi cars will officially enter overseas markets, with Europe being the priority among them.