After the Maybach controversy over *Xiaomi Cars*, Lei Jun has now made everything clear

The main talking point in the auto world these past two days has felt a lot like a public showdown after a massively hyped version update. During the Beijing–Shanghai range challenge livestream, Lei Jun directly responded to the earlier controversy sparked by comparisons between the Xiaomi YU7 and Maybach, and also took the opportunity to make it clearer who Xiaomi cars are actually for. To me, the key point of this response was not just “clarification,” but bringing Xiaomi Auto’s product positioning back to the driver itself.

The starting point of the whole matter was actually quite simple. Earlier, when introducing the Xiaomi YU7, Lei Jun mentioned that the second-row seat recline angle was very large, with comfort even exceeding Maybach by one degree. That statement quickly triggered controversy, and in the livestream Lei Jun explained that he had originally just made a small joke based on objective parameters, only to be met with a coordinated wave of attacks from online trolls. From an information standpoint, his follow-up this time was quite complete: he himself is a Maybach owner and has always held the brand in high regard, with no intention of deliberately putting it down.

What makes this controversy most interesting is actually the mismatch between “factual parameters” and “felt experience.” Lei Jun’s view was that the extra one degree does objectively exist in physical terms, but when it comes to the actual riding experience, people may feel differently. This was a relatively restrained way of putting it, and sounded more like a product manager’s statement than a slogan. The auto world and the gaming world have something in common: the stat crowd and the feel crowd are always pulling in different directions. One side looks at the specs, the other at the hands-on experience, and if either side is missing, things can easily devolve into chaos.

More than his response to the controversy, what I paid closer attention to was the buying advice he gave during the livestream, because that part felt more like a clear user segmentation. Lei Jun suggested that single people or young couples are better suited to the Xiaomi SU7; if you are a family user who needs to accommodate multiple passengers, then the roomier Xiaomi YU7 would be a better fit. This kind of distinction is not flashy, but it is extremely practical. At its core, it is telling consumers: don’t just look at the hype—look at your actual usage scenarios first.

There was also one line that I think directly revealed Xiaomi Auto’s core strategy at this stage: “Although Xiaomi Auto has done a great deal of work on ride comfort, its design core has always revolved around the driver.” This also explains why Lei Jun explicitly said that he would not recommend Xiaomi cars to bosses who have full-time chauffeurs. Put plainly, if your main need is to sit in the back seat and be driven around, Xiaomi’s current product logic may not be the best answer for you; but if you enjoy driving yourself and care about balancing handling with everyday usability, then its direction is quite clear.

From the perspective of industry trends, this is actually a very smart way to communicate. Rather than trying to make everyone feel that “I can do it all,” it is better to first define the most core user profile. The signals currently conveyed by the Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 are highly consistent: the former leans toward lighter personal or two-person commuting scenarios, while the latter fills the needs of families traveling with multiple people, but neither abandons the underlying idea of “driver first.” Once this product philosophy is clearly explained, outside expectations will also become more stable going forward.

If I were to give an even more straightforward buying suggestion, it would be this: put this controversy aside for the moment, and then ask yourself three questions. Do you often drive yourself? Do you need a larger rear row and more space? And is your core need driving or riding? Once you are clear on these three points, deciding between the SU7 and the YU7 will be far more reliable than simply following trending searches. For the brand, Lei Jun’s response this time may not put an end to the debate, but at the very least it has put the product boundaries, the target users, and the communication logic back on the table.