Alibaba has taken innovation to a different level with the unveiling of its first internet-enabled car on Wednesday.

The internet-connected vehicle, which will be equipped with the e-commerce giant's YunOS operating system, will reportedly be the first of its kind to go into mass production soon, according to the China Daily.

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The car is the result of a partnership between the Chinese e-commerce giant and SAIC Motor Corp, one of China's leading car manufacturers.

Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma views the vehicle as a "milestone product,"  as it is a realization of what China refers to as the "internet of everything" wherein all facets of society is interconnected via the world wide web.

"Just like what the smartphone does to our life－about 80 percent of the features of a smartphone are not related to making phone calls anymore," Ma noted. 

"In the future, about 80 percent of the functions of a car will not be related to transportation," he added, highlighting the anticipated impact of Alibaba's internet car on Chinese consumers.

The car includes several technologically advanced features such as voice control to adjust the in-car temperature, and a real-time navigation system that does away with the driver's need to constantly check his or her smartphone-based navigation tools.

The vehicle is expected to be rolled out in the market soon and will sell at 148,800 yuan ($22,250).

For some, the car's high-tech features may not seem like significant breakthroughs considering the advancements made by other foreign vehicle manufacturers.

However, James Yan, research director at Counterpoint Technology Market Research, believe that connecting a car to the internet isn't as easy as it may seem as what Alibaba has done.

"With the installed operating system, Alibaba is likely to introduce more features, such as streaming videos and online shopping, in the future generations of its smart vehicles," Yan said.

However, he doesn't believe that cars will ever take the place of smartphones as a primary internet-connected device.

"After all, people don't spend that much time in cars, only when they need to commute." Yan pointed out.

Alibaba is considered a trailblazer in so far as developing an internet-enabled car, as its main rivals, such as Baidu Inc and Le Holdings Co's efforts are focused on developing self-driving technology.

Tagschina, Alibaba, Alibaba Internet Car