China's Xiaomi undercuts Tesla with yet another cheaper car

BEIJING — Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi

is taking aim straight at rival Tesla

with a new electric SUV.

Xiaomi’s luxury YU7 SUV will start at 253,500 yuan ($35,322), CEO Lei Jun said Thursday, pointing out that the vehicle is 10,000 yuan cheaper than Tesla’s Model Y, which starts at 263,500 yuan in China.

Prior to the official price announcement, a Citi report had listed expectations that the YU7 SUV would be priced around 250,000 yuan to 320,000 yuan ($34,800 to $44,590), forecasting monthly sales of about 30,000 units. Once the pace picks up, Citi predicts annual sales of 300,000 to 360,000 units.