Xiaomi‘s foray into the electric vehicle market with the SU7 Ultra has generated significant buzz, but a recent controversy surrounding an optional carbon fibre hood is raising eyebrows and drawing criticism from early adopters. Despite a hefty price tag of 42,000 yuan (5,800 USD), the hood featuring prominent vents offers no functional aerodynamic benefit and serves primarily as a cosmetic upgrade.

During a four-hour New Year’s Eve livestream on New Year’s Day this year, Xiaomi’s founder Lei Jun announced a widely applauded decision: adding the vented front hood as an optional configuration for the SU7 Ultra.

The optional carbon fibre hood was introduced to allow customers to make their production SU7 Ultra look more like the prototype used for performance testing, including runs at the Nürburgring. Xiaomi initially stated that the hood, made using a complex hot-press tank process, would reduce the vehicle’s weight by 1.3 kg and feature two through-channels designed for efficient airflow, mirroring the prototype’s aerodynamic design.

However, upon receiving their vehicles, some of the first customers who opted for the expensive hood conducted simple tests, such as using a blower, and found virtually no airflow through the vents. This quickly led to disappointment and accusations online that the vents were merely decorative, lacking the functional purpose seen in performance cars from manufacturers like Ferrari or Porsche, where similar hood vents contribute to downforce or cooling.

While Xiaomi highlighted the hood’s “cool look” and weight reduction, the primary justification for the vented design was its aerodynamic function, which users are now questioning. The discrepancy between the advertised aerodynamic benefits and the apparent lack of function has fueled user frustration, especially given the significant cost of the option.

This situation underscores new entrants’ challenges in the competitive automotive market, particularly in the high-performance segment, where they must balance marketing appeal with functional engineering. For now, the 5,800 USD vented hood on the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra appears to be a costly aesthetic choice rather than a performance-enhancing feature.