A €56,000 Chinese electric sedan left a €700,000 Ferrari behind: 9.3 vs 10.2 seconds

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra has shown once again how dramatically electric cars have changed our idea of what fast means. In a Carwow drag race, the Chinese electric sedan beat the Ferrari SF90 XX — a supercar that costs roughly 12.5 times as much.

On paper, the Ferrari looks almost like the perfect car for this duel. The SF90 XX uses a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and three electric motors, putting out a combined 1,030 hp. All-wheel drive, a kerb weight of 1,660 kg and a price tag around €700,000 — this is rare track-focused supercar territory.

Xiaomi answers with a completely different approach. The SU7 Ultra is a four-door sedan weighing 2,360 kg, around 700 kg more than the Ferrari. In return it gets three electric motors, all-wheel drive, 1,548 hp and 1,770 Nm. In China this version costs about €56,000 at the current exchange rate, although the actual European price is bound to be different.

Over the standing 402 m the Xiaomi covered the distance in 9.3 seconds, the Ferrari in 10.2. Over 804 m the gap held: 14.5 seconds for the SU7 Ultra against 15.7 for the SF90 XX. On a short straight that’s not «a little quicker» — it’s a clear win.

The story isn’t only about power, though. The day before the test a sandstorm passed through the area, leaving sand on the surface, and traction was hard to come by. The Xiaomi’s torque arrives instantly and is shared by the electronics across all three motors, while the Ferrari, despite all-wheel drive and its hybrid system, struggled off the line in those conditions.

Braking was closer. In the test from 160 km/h the Ferrari and the Xiaomi performed at roughly the same level, although on repeat runs the Italian supercar started to show limits, while the SU7 Ultra looked more consistent. The Xiaomi’s driver did mention the car feeling nervous under hard braking — 2,360 kg doesn’t just disappear.

The SU7 Ultra also has a track argument: the production version lapped the Nürburgring in 7:04.957. That already takes the conversation beyond a simple straight-line race.

The practical takeaway is uncomfortable for the old school: the Ferrari remains the lighter, rarer and more emotional car, but in pure access to acceleration, electric sedans have already moved into a different league. The next big question is what kind of price tag the Xiaomi will carry in Europe, when the brand starts bringing its EVs to that market.