Doug DeMuro: "A bargain Chinese luxury sport sedan" — Doug Score 69/100
Doug DeMuro spends most of the video unpacking the SU7 — which he insists stands for "Speed Ultra" — as a budget-luxury sport sedan, then ends with the Doug Score reveal: 69 out of 100. That's high enough to put it ahead of every electric sedan he's reviewed except the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and the Lucid Air, both of which cost dramatically more.
Watch original ↗- →Names the SU as "Speed Ultra" and frames it as a budget-priced Porsche Taycan / Tesla Model S rival.
- →Final Doug Score: 69/100 — described as "shockingly high among electric sedans, only beaten by Taycan Turbo S and Lucid Air which cost a lot more".
- →Acknowledges the SU7 isn't a standout in any single category — but factor in the price and it becomes amazing.
- →Confirms the car will not be sold in the US due to Chinese-EV tariffs.
- →Closes with: "if the Chinese can make a car like this at this price point, why can't it be done in North America?"
The naming gag opens the video: "SU stands for Speed Ultra." Doug uses it to set the framing — this is positioned as a Porsche Taycan / Tesla Model S Plaid budget alternative, not a Tesla Model 3 fighter.
The Quirks segment is where Doug's reviews live. Touch-sensitive flush door handles (no flip-out), a key card you place on a small dash screen that then rotates into the digital cluster, a hidden hold-press hack to switch the infotainment from Chinese to English, the heads-up display, the frunk capacity, the multi-tone interior treatments.
Walk-around. Material quality, panel gaps, exterior detail. Doug catalogs the visible Porsche-design influence — the Taycan-like proportions, the door handle shape, the badge font — without ever calling the car a copy. The headlights, by contrast, get tagged as McLaren rather than Porsche.
Drive impression. Power delivery is impressive but not best-in-class for the segment, regen holds the car cleanly, body control is "shockingly composed" for an electric sedan, steering is better than expected for a Chinese first-car effort. The handling chapter is intentionally short — Doug's reviews are not track-day reviews.
The Doug Score reveal. 69/100, described as shockingly high among electric sedans — "only beaten by the Taycan Turbo S and the Lucid Air, which cost a lot more." Doug walks the audience through what's lifting the score (value, styling, weekend-fun rating) and what's holding it back (interior practicality, dealer / service network in any export market, brand recognition outside China).
The closing argument is the rant the video became known for: "If the Chinese can make a car like this at this price point, why can't it be done in North America?" Tariffs, no US sales, the structural reasons. Doug doesn't propose a fix — he just frames the question as the one US automakers should be answering.
“It's the Xiaomi SU7. The SU stands for Speed Ultra.”
“This is shockingly high among electric sedans — only beaten by the Taycan Turbo S and the Lucid Air, which cost a lot more.”
“You're not getting one of these in America. Not because of the car. Because of tariffs.”
“If the Chinese can make a car like this at this price point, why can't it be done in North America?”
Doug benchmarks the SU7 against the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and the Lucid Air — out-of-segment for most US shoppers. Our /vs/tesla-model-3 page positions the standard SU7 against its closest US rival; /price puts the Chinese-market sticker into context against US-equivalent landed cost; /availability tracks where (and where not) the car can actually be bought.
Different reviewers reach different conclusions on the same car. Here are the seven other videos we've watched and summarised — including at least one critical view if you want to balance the picture.
Carwow (Mat Watson)
Mat Watson reviews the SU7 Ultra: "My favourite car from China so far"
MKBHD (Marques Brownlee)
MKBHD: "Are we cooked? Not yet"
Inside China Auto
Inside China Auto first-look at the updated SU7
Everything Electric (Elliot Richards)
Everything Electric (Elliot Richards): "Puts a fizz in your pants"
Out of Spec Reviews
Out of Spec: "Best driving Chinese car I've ever been in"
Business Insider
Business Insider: Xiaomi's affordable $29,000 Chinese EV
The Electric Viking