China’s electric vehicle makers have been known to push the envelope when it comes to dreaming up new functions to attract buyers. There’s in-car karaoke, steering wheels that turn into gaming consoles and seats that recline into comfy lie-flat beds.
But a fresh feature from Zhejiang Geely Holding Group’s premium EV brand Zeekr has Chinese social media users wondering if these designs have gone a step too far. In videos released on Oct. 11 to promote the Mix minivan, Vice President Yang Dacheng was seen enjoying a hotpot meal in the spacious interior, which can seat four people and, evidently, a table groaning under a range of ingredients to dip into the large pot containing pungent soup stock.
The videos went viral, racking up nearly 1 million views and over 4,100 reposts on Weibo alone. Netizens debated whether it’s practical to eat a meal with boiling soup in a car and wondered what the smell may do to the interior. Others denounced it as a clear marketing gimmick, while some conceded the Mix, being able to accommodate different uses, would make outdoor activities more fun.
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