India, April 25 -- As auto giant Volkswagen AG races to catch up with upstart Chinese competitors, it has drivers like 26-year-old Ren Yiling in mind.

She is young and wants to play video games in her car. The digital features of her Zeekr 001, a European-designed electric car from China's Geely Holding Group, appeal to her. She uses her smartphone to help her parents adjust their seats and tells an animated voice assistant to open the window or play music.

"I once sung karaoke in the car when travelling a long way with my family," she said. "To me, the car is more like an entertainment place. I am a singer."

Foreign automakers have been caught flat-footed in China by an electric vehicle boom that has shaken up the market, the world's ...