Is someone else picking a fight with Xiaomi? Why does Xiaomi seem to have more and more "enemies"?

Xiaomi has been a bit troubled recently. Yan Chuang, a well - known blogger in the automotive circle, recently spoke up on social media, saying that he had sold his YU7 car and would "no longer touch Xiaomi products" in the future because he "didn't share the same values" with Xiaomi.

This view has resonated with many, with some in support, some in doubt, and others engaging in calm reflection. The question is: What problems within Xiaomi does this sudden decision of a seemingly die - hard Xiaomi user to break away reflect? Why has the number of Xiaomi's "opponents" suddenly increased?

01

Event Recap: From Abnormal Noises to "Inconsistent Values"

The incident itself is actually quite simple. It's about a YU7 owner complaining online about persistent abnormal noises in the car that couldn't be diagnosed. Then, without any warning, Yan Chuang reposted the owner's blog post and said, "I sold my YU7 yesterday." He also directly stated that he would no longer touch Xiaomi products. Later, he listed what he considered to be Xiaomi's product - related issues, such as false advertising of the carbon fiber hood, using a vehicle - grade tissue box but not a vehicle - grade chip, cases of driving assistance accidents, and the failure to properly address the abnormal noise problem.

According to Yan Chuang, this was due to his "inconsistent values" with Xiaomi. In other words, there was a deviation in the understanding of basic standards such as "quality, commitment, and service" when making products, which led him to eventually sell his Xiaomi car and "draw a clear line from Xiaomi."

Actually, some of these issues have been repeatedly mentioned, and Xiaomi has yet to provide a reasonable explanation to the public.

The most typical case is definitely the carbon fiber hood. The "perforated front hood" for the SU7 Ultra was defined by Xiaomi as a "dual - duct carbon fiber front hood," with the selling points of increasing downforce and cooling the brakes. However, many owners found that this optional hardware worth 42,000 yuan was just for show and had no actual effect. The "high - end feeling" emphasized in the promotion was far from the actual experience.

Similarly, the vehicle - grade tissue box is a bit of a joke. It's not that a tissue box can't be vehicle - grade, but Xiaomi didn't seem to pay much attention to the so - called "vehicle - grade" before. Not only is the chip a consumer - grade one, but even the phone holder they like to promote wasn't advertised as vehicle - grade. Bringing up the "vehicle - grade" concept later gives people the impression of a double - standard logic of "only when I achieve vehicle - grade does it matter."

There are also many disputes about other issues, but actually, there is room for discussion. The problem of abnormal noises involves many complex design and manufacturing issues, and it's difficult for any automaker to completely avoid it. Most of the time, it requires proactive efforts to solve the problem for consumers. And the accidents related to assisted driving are an industry - wide problem. In an era when intelligent driving capabilities are widely "exaggerated," we can't solely blame Xiaomi for such problems.

But overall, it's a fact that the values conveyed by Xiaomi are gradually collapsing with the delivery of the YU7. Their reputation is not as good as the enthusiasm during the delivery of the SU7. When colleagues in the office talk about their actual experience of using the YU7, we often hear some "voices that Xiaomi doesn't want to hear."

02

How Big Are the Risks of Xiaomi's Product - Related Problems?

Actually, these problems are not unique to Xiaomi, but in the current market environment, the cost of these problems may be higher. There are several aspects that Xiaomi needs to urgently pay attention to:

Consistency between promotion and actual testing: For high - end - sounding configurations like "carbon fiber," "dual - duct," and "vehicle - grade," Xiaomi needs to make more rigorous claims and provide more transparent actual testing data. If users or third - parties find discrepancies between the actual test results and the promotion, the brand image will be damaged.

Quality control and experience details: "Experience details" such as abnormal noises, resonance, and comfort during static and driving conditions need to be strictly controlled, as these are what users experience on a daily basis after buying a car. Quality is not just about the parts configuration but also about the fineness of the overall vehicle tuning and assembly.

User feedback and after - sales response efficiency: Xiaomi should respond promptly, explain clearly, and fix problems. It's best to communicate the possible problems in advance. Otherwise, dissatisfaction will accumulate, and the brand's reputation will deteriorate rapidly.

Standardization and reliability of core components: The matching degree of vehicle - grade chips, assisted driving systems, sensors, and the whole vehicle is the core of basic safety and stability. If these parts are regarded as areas to cut costs, the risks are not only being exposed but also may lead to a trust crisis or legal risks.

If Xiaomi can make adjustments in these aspects, it will undoubtedly retain the trust of many "Mi fans" and ordinary users. However, if these problems continue to be ignored, every user complaint, every abnormal noise incident, and every small accident related to driving assistance in the future will be magnified and become a burden on the brand.

In terms of the incident itself, the word "values" sounds a bit abstract at first, but in Yan Chuang's case, it points to several core aspects: integrity, quality, user experience, and transparency. These should be the most basic requirements for automotive products.

When certain small details (abnormal noises, accessories, small promotional content) keep recurring, and the official or the brand fails to handle the response, correction, or explanation satisfactorily, users or reviewers will feel a sense of disappointment of "seeming to value promises but neglecting implementation" and "promotion outweighing substance." Trust comes not only from "selling points" but also from "fulfillment." When the gap between fulfillment and promotion is magnified, it's easy to trigger disputes over "values."

In addition, as a consumer product that requires high investment, high trust, and high expectations, users are much more sensitive to aspects such as "safety," "quality," and "experience" in cars than in ordinary electronic products. This is also the biggest difference between the automotive and 3C fields. Since the unit price of cars is higher, consumers' dissatisfaction with the product is more likely to be magnified, and they are more likely to be "picky." Once they feel that these basic aspects are neglected, even if other aspects are done well, it's difficult to outweigh the negative emotions caused by these basic problems.

Summary: Product Strength Is the Foundation of Trust

Yan Chuang's "defection" has sparked intense discussions among supporters and opponents. Supporters think he is brave enough to expose the problems of a leading enterprise and has voiced the concerns of many YU7 owners. They feel that many people have the same feelings but are afraid to speak up. Opponents suspect that he is "riding on the topic" and "seeking popularity." Some also point out that he may not have received a commercial order from Xiaomi or has other interests at stake, so his statement is biased.

This co - existence of two extreme views itself indicates a problem: the trust between the brand, users, and reviewers is fragile. If Xiaomi handles this situation improperly, this trust gap will widen, and more people may claim "inconsistent values," not just Yan Chuang.

In the end, the incident of Yan Chuang's "inconsistent values" with Xiaomi is not just a conflict between a reviewer and a brand but also a signal: in the automotive industry, product strength (including quality, experience, and reliability) is always the most fundamental thing. No matter how strong the brand is or how good the marketing is, it's difficult to cover up the flaws in the product foundation.

For Xiaomi, this storm is both pressure and a reminder. If Xiaomi can face these problems head - on, starting from fixing abnormal noises, improving the consistency between actual testing and promotion, strengthening the reliability of core components, and enhancing the product's detailed experience, it still has a chance to maintain its brand reputation in the highly competitive electric vehicle market. On the contrary, if these problems are downplayed or ignored, more and more people may label Xiaomi with "inconsistent values," and the brand's trust will fade away silently.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Che Yun" (ID: cheyunwang), author: Lu Zhiyao, editor: Cong. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.