After conquering its home market of China with several exciting EVs, Xiaomi will soon start selling its cars internationally. Things will kick off in Europe next year, including in Germany, with the signing of several memorandums of understanding with dealership groups to make it happen.

Read: Xiaomi’s New $38,400 SUV Runs 314 Electric Miles Before Burning A Drop Of Gas

Xiaomi already operates a large research and development center in Munich, Germany, and will work alongside groups including LUEG Mobility GmbH, a Mercedes-Benz dealer, and Emil Frey Germany, one of the nation’s largest automotive dealership groups. Working with experienced partners will allow Xiaomi to hit the ground running with dealers that have already established trust with customers across Germany and have extensive experience in new-car sales.

In addition, working with dealerships rather than selling vehicles directly to consumers will give prospective buyers the chance to touch and feel Xiaomi products in the flesh before handing over any of their hard-earned cash.

Xiaomi’s models in Europe will be more expensive than the ones it sells in China. The EU imposes hefty tariffs on EVs imported from China, significantly increasing their prices. Xiaomi had yet to launch its first EV, the SU7 sedan, when the European Commission launched its investigation into Chinese EVs in 2023, and as a result, the technology company didn’t participate in the probe. As noted by the South China Morning Post, this means it could be hit with the highest possible duty of 45.3 percent.

Xiaomi’s Skynomad

Since it started selling vehicles, Xiaomi has delivered more than 700,000 units in China, a remarkable achievement given how new it is to this ultra-competitive industry. However, in China, Xiaomi is a well-established consumer product brand, often viewed as the ‘Apple of China.’ This gave it a huge competitive advantage over other new-vehicle brands as it’s already a trusted name.

Although Xiaomi products are also available in several overseas markets, they remain a relatively small player in regions like Europe and won’t be able to rely on familiarity to win over customers. Instead, it will need to convince shoppers with great features and competitive pricing, which is a tall task indeed, especially in the hotly contested markets of the Old Continent.

Launching a new EV in a crowded market place is tough enough. Launching one that looks like another popular EV can make life even tougher as MG discovered when copycat complaints forced it to halt a recent livestream introducing its new MG07.

Chen Cui, who heads MG’s brand operations, hosted the June 29 broadcast to explain the styling behind the new fastback sedan. Instead, viewers repeatedly compared it to both the Porsche Taycan and Xiaomi SU7. According to Chinese media, Chen insisted the MG07 “does not plagiarize a single detail,” but became emotional before ending the session early.

MG wasn’t about to let the criticism stand unanswered. At a subsequent media briefing, Chen tried to reframe the debate by arguing that if the MG07 copied anything, it copied MG itself, Sina reports. He pointed to design cues from classic models including the 1965 MGB GT fastback, saying the company’s latest sedan is a modern interpretation of styling that’s been part of the brand for decades.

More: The New MG 07 Flagship’s Looks Say Porsche Taycan, Its Price Says Corolla

I can’t say I see much MGB in the MG07 but i can see plenty of evidence of the pressures modern car designers are under. Whether a car runs on batteries, petrol or a combination of both, maximizing efficiency means reducing drag.

That pushes designers toward familiar solutions including low noses, smooth body sides, flush door handles, sweeping rooflines, and tapered fastback tails. When everyone is chasing the same aerodynamic targets, there’s only so much freedom available.

Once you see it…

Still, it’s equally fair to acknowledge why some people made the comparisons. The MG07’s headlights have more than a passing resemblance to Porsche‘s own lights, some wheel designs also feel familiar, and viewed from the side the car inevitably bring the Xiaomi SU7 (itself a Taycan admirer) to mind. Those similarities may not prove copying, but they certainly don’t help MG’s case. The 07 is not ugly, but it is derivative.

Ultimately, this is becoming one of the defining design debates of the EV era. Physics is steadily nudging every manufacturer toward the same basic silhouette. The real challenge isn’t making a slippery car anymore. It’s giving that slippery car enough personality that nobody mistakes it for someone else’s.

MG/SAIC