XPeng G6 review

From Xerox to SpaceX, there’s a long history of tech companies using the letter X, so it seems appropriate that the XPeng G6 is described by its maker as a “Smart EV” (electric vehicle) – the automotive equivalent of your smartphone or smart TV.

The justification for XPeng's claim is that the G6 features artificial intelligence (AI) and an abundance of electronic driver aids. However, instead of the X being there for marketing purposes, XPeng is actually named after its founder, He Xiaopeng.

Based in Guangdong province in southern China, XPeng now has its sights set on the UK car market, and is following in the wheel tracks of other Chinese car brands with similar ambitions, including BYD, GWM, Nio and Omoda.

Regardless of how smart it is, though, the XPeng G6 faces stiff competition from some well-established models, including the similarly tech-heavy Tesla Model Y and two five-star rated cars, the Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq. So is it a good alternative to the best electric SUVs? Read on to find out...

There are three versions of the XPeng G6: the RWD (rear-wheel drive) Standard Range, the RWD Long Range and the AWD (all-wheel drive) Performance.

The Standard Range and Long Range each have one electric motor, with the former’s producing 255bhp and the latter’s 282bhp. Those outputs are enough for 0-62mph in 6.9 and 6.7 seconds respectively, which is comparable with the performance of a Tesla Model Y RWD.

As for how far you can go on a charge, the Standard Range is powered by a 66kWh (usable capacity) battery that allowed it to cover 270 miles in the official test, while the Long Range has a larger, 87.5kWh battery and a 354-mile official range. That’s more than any Peugeot e-3008 can manage, although the Skoda Elroq is officially capable of up to 360 miles, the Model Y 373 miles and the Renault Scenic 379 miles.

As its name suggests, the Performance version of the G6 steps things up several notches when it comes to acceleration, with it having a second electric motor that hikes power to 469bhp. The result: 0-62mph in just 4.1 seconds, although the Model Y Performance is faster still (3.7 seconds).

Then again, the G6 Performance gets the bigger battery used in the Long Range, so it can still officially travel 342 miles on a full charge. By comparison, the Model Y Performance is limited to 319 miles.

Sadly, you’re unlikely to enjoy covering long distances in the G6 due to its poor body control. This is not only reflected in considerable lean through corners but, more annoyingly, a tendency to bounce its occupants around when the road surface is anything other than super-smooth.

Steering that’s horribly vague further undermines the driving experience, as does a stability control system that cuts in and out in a jerky way, even when you have it in the more relaxed Sport setting. The Scenic, Elroq and Model Y all inspire far more confidence.

There are four levels of regenerative braking, although it’s annoying that you have to use the car’s infotainment touchscreen to switch between them.

More positively, the strongest setting can slow the G6 down to crawling speed (although not to a complete stop). And when you do feel the need to touch the brake pedal, its responses are reasonably consistent – unlike those of the Scenic.

In fact, the G6’s refinement is pretty good full stop, with motor whine well masked, and wind and road noise kept down to an acceptable level. Only the frequent thumps from the suspension disturb the peace.

“Much of the time I wasn’t sure where the front wheels were pointing due to the remoteness of the steering. Driving the XPeng G6 is like trying to dance in wellies.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The driving position in the XPeng G6 is similar to that of the Tesla Model Y. You sit high up and the windscreen pillars are slim, so there’s a great view forwards, although the low-slung bonnet makes it quite difficult to judge exactly where the front of the car is.

Fortunately, the G6 comes with plenty of parking aids, including front and rear sensors and a 360-degree camera – something that also helps compensate for the small rear window.

It’s easy to get settled, thanks to an eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat. Meanwhile, four-way lumbar adjustment helps keep you ache-free even after a long stint behind the wheel. It’s just a pity the seats don’t hold you in place better through corners – particularly given the G6’s poor body control.

The dashboard design is very minimalist, with the main feature a large, 14.9in infotainment touchscreen that runs XPeng’s own Xmart software. This brings pin-sharp graphics, while the menus for the audio system, sat-nav and climate control are reached using icons on the driver’s side of the screen. However, those icons are still fiddly to use due to their small size.

More positively, the buttons and scroll wheels on the steering wheel double as stereo and climate controls, with those on the right-hand side allowing you to change the radio station or volume, and the left-hand side the fan speed and temperature.

The G6 also has an AI-powered virtual assistant, called Xiao P, which is represented by a small robot avatar that’s always visible at the top of the screen. It operates much like Amazon Alexa. However, we found it didn’t always understand our commands. 

In front of the driver, there’s a 10.2in digital driver's display that's bright but not very configurable. Still, the fact that there’s a second screen at all is an upgrade on the Model Y, which forces you to look across to its touchscreen to see what speed you're doing.

Material quality is mostly good, with plenty of soft-touch materials and faux-leather padding on the doors, upper dashboard and centre console. Sure, it’s no match for the Genesis GV60 because there are some harder plastics lower down, but build quality is still comparable with the likes of the Peugeot e-3008 and Skoda Elroq.

“I was impressed by the sound quality of the XPeng G6’s stereo, which is an 18-speaker, 960-watt Xopera system.” – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

This is an area where the XPeng G6 scores well because it offers acres of head and leg room for up to five people.

It’s particularly impressive in the rear, where a six-footer will have loads of space behind a similarly tall driver. What’s more, the seat backs can recline and there’s plenty of room for everyone’s feet thanks to a completely flat floor.

True, it’s a little disappointing that there’s no glovebox, but you do get two large cupholders, a big central storage cubby and wide door bins.

Then there’s the boot. The G6 has 571 litres of boot space, which is more than the Peugeot e-3008 (548 litres), Renault Scenic (545 litres) and Skoda Elroq (490 litres).

Among rivals, only the Tesla Model Y is significantly more practical, because its boot is complemented by an under-bonnet luggage area that’s big enough to take a carry-on suitcase. By contrast, there’s no room beneath the bonnet of the G6.

Unlike the e-3008, Scenic and Model Y, which have 40/20/40 split folding seats, the G6’s seats split in only two parts, 60/40 – the same as in the Elroq.

“One of the XPeng G6’s most unusual features is front seats that fold flat backwards to create a bed. I guess this is so you can take a quick nap while you wait for it to charge.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

In entry-level form, the XPeng G6 is expected to cost less than an equivalent Tesla Model Y and about the same as a Renault Scenic, but it won’t be as affordable as the Skoda Elroq.

Then again, all G6s are fitted with a long list of standard equipment, including 20in alloy wheels, faux-leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, a wireless phone-charging pad and a panoramic glass roof.

The one major omission (ironically, given that XPeng wants the G6 to be seen as a smart device) is smartphone mirroring using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – although XPeng says it will be added later with a software update.

The G6 Standard Range offers a maximum charging speed of 210kW while the Long Range and Performance versions ramp that up to 280kW. As a result, a 10-80% top-up can be completed in less than 20 minutes at the quickest public chargers. For comparison, the Elroq can accept a maximum of 175kW and the Model Y 250kW.

As for home charging with an 11kW wallbox, the Standard Range can go from 5-100% in seven and a half hours while the Long Range and Performance versions need nine and a half hours.

The G6 scored five stars out of five when it was safety tested by the experts at Euro NCAP and comes with lots of safety kit as standard. That includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and a driver monitoring system.

We don’t have any reliability data for XPeng, and you could face quite a trek to get your car to a dealer due to the brand’s limited coverage in the UK. However, XPeng does provide a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which is a match for Kia’s offering and better than Renault, Skoda or Tesla's. The battery gets a separate eight-year warranty.

“When I took a closer look at the XPeng G6’s safety scores, I found it didn’t just get five stars overall, but performed well in all of the areas Euro NCAP looks at: adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian protection, plus safety assist technology.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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