(Yicai) March 26 -- Many visitors, especially young men, rushed to the newly-opened Xiaomi Automobile stores to check out the first electric vehicle model independently developed by the carmaking unit of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi.

The first batch of 59 Xiaomi Auto stores opened across 29 Chinese cities yesterday. The outlet in Guangzhou's Fanyu district received over 800 visitors on a working day, a staffer told Yicai.

Xiaomi Auto will launch its first EV model, the SU7, at an event at 9.00 p.m. on March 28, with deliveries expected to begin as early as next month. The SU7, a C-class mid-level five-seater sedan, does not yet have a price. But founder Lei Jun said it will be "a little expensive." Insiders expect the model to be priced at above CNY200,000 (USD27,710).

Xiaomi Auto's store next to the company's factory in Beijing welcomed about 20 visitors in only one hour. Over 1,000 SU7 are currently parked outside the factory. All customers who purchase an SU7 in the Chinese capital city will pick up their car at the physical stores.

During Yicai's visit to the Xiaomi Auto store in Guangzhou's Fanyu district, reporters noted that many auto vloggers had rushed there to be the first to share a glimpse of the SU7. The store was much busier than the nearby Tesla and Hycan Automobile Technology stores.

Consumers will be able to test-drive and book the SU7 after the model's launching event on March 28, staffers at various Xiaomi Auto stores told Yicai. Some outlets are already fully booked for the first day of test drives on March 29.

Most of the sales employees at Xiaomi Auto's stores have experience in the field, and many have worked for luxury car brands, including Lexus and other established traditional carmakers, Yicai learned. The whole staff attended a one-week training before the opening.

A salesperson at a Xiaomi Auto store who worked for Chinese new energy vehicle startup Nio before told Yicai that the salaries of the two companies are very similar, but he decided to change job because of Xiaomi Auto's higher market expectations.

The SU7 will compete with Tesla's Model 3, BYD's Han EV, Xpeng's P7, Geely's Zeekr 001, and other all-electric medium-level sedans, according to a market research report by Huachuang Securities. Monthly sales of the SU7 are expected to range between 5,000 and 10,000 units.

Xiaomi’s Beijing plant is expected to produce up to 100,000 SU7 this year, according to data Yicai acquired during an earlier visit to the facility.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione