Xiaomi fixes SU7 Ultra hood after false advertising claims

Xiaomi is now offering a free hardware update for its high-performance electric car, the SU7 Ultra. Starting March 10, 2026, owners of this EV can book an appointment to fix the front hood. The update adds two new aerodynamic vanes inside the car's air ducts, helping the vehicle stay stable when driving at high speeds. The installation takes about two to three hours at a Xiaomi service center.

The update is only for the expensive carbon fiber hood that some owners bought as an extra option. This special hood cost RMB 42,000, which is about $5,810. When the car first launched in early 2025, Xiaomi told buyers the hood had "dual air ducts" to help cool the battery and wheels. However, people who took the car apart found that the ducts did not actually lead anywhere. They were just for show, which made many buyers very angry.

This discovery led to a huge "crisis of trust" for the brand. Over 400 owners felt cheated because they paid for performance parts that did not work. Legal battles followed across China. In October 2025, a court in Suzhou ruled that Xiaomi used false advertising. The court even ordered the company to pay triple damages to some owners. However, another court in Changsha later ruled in favor of Xiaomi, saying the marketing words were not technically lies.

To settle the remaining legal issues, Xiaomi is now making the hood functional. The new vanes work with the car's front grille to control how air moves through the front section. This system only turns on when the driver selects "Track Mode" or when the car goes faster than 93 mph. By pushing the air more precisely, the car gets more downforce, keeping it pressed firmly against the road.

The update makes the SU7 Ultra better at handling, but there is a small trade-off. Xiaomi mentioned that using these new aerodynamic parts will use a little more battery power. This means the car might not travel quite as far on a full charge when the system is active. The standard version has a range of over 373 miles, according to the very optimistic Chinese testing standards.

The SU7 Ultra is a seriously powerful machine. It has three electric motors that deliver 1,138 kW - about 1,526 hp. It features a special high-power battery from CATL, designed to handle the high energy needs of racing on a track. Xiaomi built this model to compete with other fast electric cars like the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and the Zeekr 001 FR.

Even with all that power, selling these expensive EVs has been difficult lately. In January 2026, reports showed that Xiaomi only sold 45 units of the SU7 Ultra. To help sell more cars, the company lowered the price significantly. While early estimates in 2024 were as high as RMB 814,900, the final price ended up being RMB 529,900, or roughly $73,400.

By offering the free fix, Xiaomi is treating its cars a bit like smartphones. When a phone has a software bug, the company sends an update. Here, Xiaomi is "patching" the car's hardware to make it do what was originally promised. This shows the company is trying hard to win back the respect of its customers after a rocky start with its most expensive model.

Via