Ultra has emerged as the de facto pinnacle of excellence.

In 2025, a wave of innovation named "Ultra" is sweeping through China's automotive market. Xiaomi SU7 Ultra stands out with its "racetrack-level performance," AITO M5 Ultra captivates with five major upgrades, and renderings of Xpeng P7 Ultra have surfaced. Automakers are drawing on the successful playbook of the consumer electronics sector, where "Ultra" is no longer merely a label but a strategic battleground for technological supremacy.

Image source: Xiaomi Automobile

However, beneath the excitement lies a lurking concern. When "Ultra" devolves from a symbol of technological apex to a mere checkbox on a spec sheet, and naming takes precedence over innovation, will this trend ultimately implode into a bubble? Are automakers pushing the boundaries of physics with genuine technological prowess, or are they sinking into a semantic quagmire?

From Phones to Cars: "Ultra" Takes Center Stage

In the realm of consumer electronics, "Ultra" has long established its mental stronghold. Samsung S25 Ultra epitomizes smartphone excellence with AI imaging and top-tier performance, while Xiaomi 15 Ultra resets benchmarks with Leica optics and a quad-camera setup. When this term migrates to the automotive industry, automakers understand its communicative value: a badge imbued with an aura of "ultimate performance" that resonates deeply with consumers.

After Xiaomi SU7 Ultra made a splash, a wave of "Ultra" models is on the horizon.

According to China Trademark Net, Xpeng Motors filed for the "P7 Ultra" trademark on February 8, classified under transportation, currently awaiting substantive examination. It seems Xpeng also aims to carve out a niche in the Ultra performance segment.

Image source: China Trademark Net

Rumor has it that Xpeng will position P7 Ultra as a performance variant to counter Xiaomi SU7 Ultra. It's speculated that P7 Ultra will boast impressive power and handling, possibly featuring a three-motor system with over 1,000 horsepower, locking horns with Xiaomi SU7 Ultra.

AITO recently introduced the M5 Ultra, with a pre-sale price starting at RMB 238,000. Building on its robust chassis, it boasts five major upgrades in aesthetics, intelligent driving, handling, safety, and cabin features: new Phantom Purple and Zero Degree White color options, equipped with 192-line lidar + 4D millimeter-wave radar, a comfortable braking system, all-direction AEB collision prevention, and an upgraded "Queen's Co-pilot" seat with seamless four-way leg rests and other luxurious amenities, elevating product prowess to new heights, nearly transforming into a flawless "hexagonal warrior."

Image source: AITO M5 Ultra

Looking back further, Changan launched the fourth-generation CS75 PLUS Ultra on December 24, 2024. As a decade-long bestseller for Changan, the Ultra version comes with a new Blue Whale 2.0T high-pressure direct-injection engine and Aisin 8AT transmission, available in two models.

However, the pricing doesn't align with the Ultra positioning, with the 2.0T+8AT New Blue Whale Turbo model priced at RMB 131,900 and the 2.0T+8AT New Blue Whale Smart Turbo model at RMB 139,900. It's arguably the most affordable Ultra model currently available.

Beyond appending "Ultra" to model names, some automakers add it to specific SKUs, like Li Xiang L9 and AITO M7, which come in Pro and Ultra versions. This mainly distinguishes configuration differences rather than representing a qualitative leap like SU7 Ultra over SU7.

Have you noticed that new energy vehicles prefer extending the naming paradigm of tech products, perhaps positioning themselves as tech categories from the outset? This naming strategy indeed widens the brand perception gap from fuel vehicles.

In contrast, traditional fuel vehicles' naming typically revolves around model types and engine technology, emphasizing power performance and heritage, focusing on customer loyalty and brand culture, such as "RS" (Rennsport, meaning "racing") and "GT" (Grand Tourer, now generally referring to high-performance sports cars).

However, I prefer appending elements of driving control and riding experience as suffixes, as such suffixes with clear meanings are easier to forge emotional and value resonance.

Ultra-Branded Products: The De Facto Standard?

At the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra launch event, Lei Jun used the keyword "performance monster" to clearly distinguish the standard and Ultra versions. This reveals the crux of the "Ultra" strategy: leveraging technological generation gaps for precise market segmentation.

With new energy vehicle penetration exceeding 50%, automakers realize user demand is shifting from "having or not having" to "being good or not." Family users seek long range and ample space, tech enthusiasts pursue lidar and Orin-X chips, while performance lovers focus on zero-to-hundred acceleration and track lap times.

The previous "one-size-fits-all" strategy is no longer effective, and "Ultra" acts like a precise scalpel, carving the once chaotic market into quantifiable niche segments. Automakers concentrate the latest technologies on "Ultra" models, essentially creating a "technology isolation zone."

Image source: AITO M5 Ultra

Take AITO M5 Ultra as an example: compared to the regular version, it adds 192-line lidar + 4D millimeter-wave radar and upgrades safety features with AEB all-direction collision prevention, eAES automatic emergency steering, and braking and yielding support.

These technological upgrades aren't linear improvements but create a chasm-like experience gap, and regular models can't achieve equivalent capabilities through OTA upgrades. This mirrors Apple's "strictly hierarchical" strategy: when the iPhone Pro version exclusively accesses ProMotion display and AOD always-on display, basic users must accept functional limitations.

From Apple's perspective, the "Ultra" strategy also entails precise pricing.

First, reshape consumers' brand value perception with the high price of the Ultra version (e.g., Xiaomi SU7 Ultra at RMB 529,900), making the regular version appear "cost-effective." Then, create a price ladder through annual technology delegation; for instance, this year's Ultra version's lidar might become standard on next year's Pro version.

Moreover, the Ultra version's gross margin is typically 8-12 percentage points higher than the regular version, hedging against price war pressure. This strategy has proven successful in the mobile industry; last year, though the iPhone 15 Pro Max was Apple's priciest model, it contributed the highest profits. The automotive industry is replicating this model.

Second, create manufacturing technology anxiety. By inscribing "Ultra = technology peak" into consumer perception, this psychological manipulation results in regular version owners wanting to trade up for "Ultra" post-launch, even if they only use 60% of basic functions daily. This implies the regular version is already outdated.

Image source: Xiaomi Automobile

Of course, Lei Jun priced SU7 Ultra at RMB 529,900. If he didn't intend to set the "Ultra" game rules, I don't believe it.

Samsung NOTE exemplified ultimate performance, a super-large screen, and a unique Spen, solidifying the "NOTE" name. When latercomers use the "NOTE" suffix, netizens quip that "only Samsung NOTE is the real NOTE," highlighting the industry standard.

As all automakers join the "Ultra" competition, the essence is the battle for industry standard-setting rights. The scary part is that latecomers must abide by pioneers' parameter systems or face exclusion.

Appending "Ultra" Isn't Hard; Making Great Products Is

"Ultra" is great but should be used judiciously.

Following the mobile industry's trajectory, when "Ultra" becomes ubiquitous in the high-end market, it will spill over to budget models, like Xiaomi 15 Ultra's K70 Ultra. The former is a true Ultra, while the latter might simply be labeled Ultra after exhausting other suffixes like Pro, Max, and Pro+.

Regarding suffixes like Pro, Max, Ultra, Turbo, which is stronger? Consumers must decide. This phenomenon harms the industry more than it helps.

When Pro and Max are overused, consumer sensitivity wanes. If the automotive industry keeps launching derivative concepts like Ultra+ and Ultra Pro Max, this label will degrade into marketing jargon. In the worst case, when all products claim to be "Ultra," genuine technological innovation will drown in a naming arms race.

"Ultra" is inherently a spiritual totem—representing engineers' quest for the ultimate, automakers' ambition to reshape the market with technological breakthroughs, segmenting demand with performance benchmarks, and activating competition with technological generation gaps, making the "top-tier experience" tangible.

However, symbols' value ultimately needs product nourishment. When "Ultra" becomes a mere spec sheet checkbox, and "naming inflation" dilutes technology's gold content, this trend edges toward a dangerous precipice: if every car claims to be "Ultra," true innovators will lose meaning.

Therefore, don't rush to Ultra. Instead of piling up labels in marketing materials, ensure every lidar, horsepower, and OTA upgrade lives up to "Ultra-level" scrutiny.

The automotive industry's ultimate romance lies in breaking physical laws with engineering wisdom, not word games. Just as CATL achieved over 1,000 kilometers of range with the Kylin battery without labeling it Ultra, and Huawei ADS 3.0 enabled urban piloting without a suffix. These silent evolutions embody the essence of Ultra far more than marketing jargon suffixes.

True "Ultra" never relies on rhetorical packaging; great products speak for themselves and don't need suffixes to prove anything.

Source: Lei Technology