Xiaomi's Unlaunched SkyNomad Targeted by Online Smear Campaign; Company Denounces Rumors and Files Complaint

On July 9, Lei Jun, Chairman of Xiaomi Group, announced that Xiaomi Auto’s second product line has been officially named “SkyNomad Xiaomi Pengcheng,” positioned as an “intelligent, adaptable large-space SUV.” The first model in this series is named Pengcheng N90. Targeting family travel and outdoor scenarios, this new series distinguishes itself from the SU7 and YU7 series, which are positioned as “driver-focused vehicles.” On the same day, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the 409th batch of its “Announcement on Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products,” revealing that Xiaomi Auto has filed four plug-in extended-range hybrid models under the Pengcheng series. However, even before the official launch of these new vehicles, negative search terms such as “SkyNomad fire cause,” “accident details,” “owner维权 (rights protection),” “car explosion,” and “crash scene” began appearing in the search bars of certain social media platforms. Some short-video platforms also circulated crash videos labeled as featuring the “SkyNomad Xiaomi Pengcheng,” accompanied by captions like “My newly purchased Xiaomi SkyNomad ended up on the roadside greenery again.” Several of these videos have since been flagged by the platforms with disclaimers stating, “Suspected use of AI-generated content—please verify carefully.” Currently, related search results have returned to normal. In response, Xiaomi stated that such content is entirely fabricated, emphasizing, “The car hasn’t even been officially launched yet—how could there possibly be any accidents?” The company added that these malicious posts have severely disrupted its normal operations and confirmed it is actively collecting evidence and filing complaints with relevant platforms for removal.