Electric Viking: "Quality flops, dead last" — the critical view
The Electric Viking video is the most negative of the eight in tone, but it isn't a hatchet job. It's a critical accounting of what's gone wrong around the SU7 even while the car continues to be one of the best-selling EVs in the world. The two main charges: a $6,000 carbon-fibre bonnet option that allegedly didn't deliver promised aerodynamic cooling (now subject to lawsuits), and a dead-last finish in a recent quality survey.
Watch original ↗- →Leads with quality controversies and notes the CEO has been "emotional, very stressed about what's happening".
- →Acknowledges SU7 has been one of the best-selling EVs globally for 12 months — sold-out demand is not the problem.
- →Major complaint: the $6,000 carbon-fibre bonnet option that allegedly didn't deliver actual aerodynamic cooling — generated lawsuits.
- →Reports "hundreds of owners apparently taking Xiaomi to court" after the carbon-bonnet controversy; separately reports a dead-last quality ranking.
- →Despite criticism, concedes that on a track day a stock Ultra will be "streets ahead of everyone" driving expensive prepped race cars.
Opening: "There has been a lot of controversy." The tone is set immediately. The video frames the CEO as "emotional, very stressed about what's happening" — this isn't the standard product-review opener, and it isn't trying to be.
The sales paradox is acknowledged early. SU7 has been one of the best-selling EVs globally for 12 months running. Demand isn't the problem. The video is about the gap between commercial success and product- and brand-trust quality.
The carbon-fibre bonnet specifics. ~$6,000 option marketed as functional aerodynamic cooling. Owners report no actual cooling-airflow benefit despite the marketing copy. Reports of "hundreds of owners apparently taking Xiaomi to court" over this specific spec.
The quality ranking, separately. Dead-last in a recent quality survey — broader fit-and-finish concerns, NVH, software niggles. Electric Viking treats this as independent of the bonnet issue, not derivative of it.
The Ultra defense. Even with the criticism, Electric Viking concedes that on a track day a stock SU7 Ultra would still be "streets ahead of everyone" driving expensive prepped race cars. Product-quality concerns and on-track performance are kept separate in his framing.
The takeaway. Xiaomi is not in commercial trouble. But the brand-trust trajectory matters if the company is serious about expanding outside China — international buyers don't have the same brand-loyalty cushion that domestic Chinese consumers do. The video ends without a verdict — just a warning.
“There has been a lot of controversy.”
“He's been emotional, very stressed about what's happening.”
“Hundreds of owners are apparently taking Xiaomi to court over the carbon-fibre bonnet.”
“Dead last in the quality rating.”
Electric Viking's claims (carbon-bonnet lawsuits, quality survey ranking, sales records) sit at the boundary of what we can verify independently. They appear on /sources with Media-reported confidence — meaning a credible video source has said this, but Xiaomi has not officially commented and we have not seen primary court filings ourselves. The Ultra track-day defense ties back to /su7-ultra.
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"
Doug DeMuro
Doug DeMuro: "A bargain Chinese luxury sport sedan" — Doug Score 69/100
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