XPeng G6 review

Are new cars becoming more like smart devices than modes of transport? Well, if the XPeng G6 is anything to go by, they're arguably heading in that direction.

The G6 is a new electric SUV featuring an abundance of artificial intelligence (AI) and driver-assistance tech – much like its key rival, the Tesla Model Y.

In case you haven't read enough about Chinese car brands already, let's tell you a bit about XPeng too. It has its sights set on the UK car market, and follows other brands from China with similar ambitions, including BYD, GWM, Nio and Omoda.

It was named after its founder, He Xiaopeng, and very much markets itself as a tech company. For example, XPeng calls the G6 a "smart EV" (electric vehicle) in a bid to liken it to your smartphone or smart TV.

Regardless of how smart it is, the XPeng G6 will face plenty of competition. As well as the Model Y, its rivals include the spacious Audi Q4 e-tron, the great-value Genesis GV60 and a former What Car? Award winner, the Kia EV6. Read on to find out whether it's a good alternative to the best electric SUVs…

The XPeng G6 is available in three forms, two with rear-wheel drive (RWD) and a third with four-wheel drive (AWD). They're called the RWD Standard Range, the RWD Long Range and the AWD Performance.

The RWD versions are powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor that produces 255bhp for the Standard Range and 282bhp for the Long Range. With 0-62mph times rated at 6.9 seconds and 6.7 seconds respectively, performance figures are similar to a Tesla Model Y RWD (which officially takes 6.9 seconds).

The Standard Range version is powered by a 66kWh (usable capacity) battery that delivers an official range of 270 miles, while the Long Range version has a larger 87.5kWh battery and a 354-mile range. Those are strong numbers – for comparison, the Kia EV6 RWD officially manages 328 miles on a charge.

Meanwhile, the G6 AWD Performance version gets the bigger battery used in the Long Range, which means it can still officially travel 342 miles on a full charge. That’s more than the 319 miles the Model Y Performance can manage.

As you might expect, the Performance version steps things up a notch when it comes to acceleration. It comes with an additional electric motor for the front wheels to produce a combined output of 469bhp, cutting the dash from 0-62mph to just 4.1 seconds. That’s quicker than a Volvo EX40 Twin Motor (at 4.8 seconds) but some way behind a Model Y Performance (3.7 seconds).

So far, we’ve driven the G6 AWD Performance. Its smooth linear power delivery means you can effortlessly drive swiftly along without it shoving you back into your seat as hard as a Model Y Performance.

While the G6 clearly has a taut set-up (European market cars have stiffer suspension than Chinese models), the suspension does a good job of soaking up lumps and bumps in the road to provide a good level of ride comfort most of the time. It’s just a bit of a shame that harsher imperfections, such as expansion joints, sometimes cause a slight thump that can be heard in the interior. 

During cornering, the G6’s hefty 2.1-ton weight becomes noticeable. The Performance version doesn’t offer any suspension upgrades over the RWD versions, but body control remains well controlled compared with some rivals, including the Peugeot e-3008 (which is particularly cumbersome).

Unlike the Model Y – which has heavy steering compared with a lot of electric SUVs – the G6 has a very light steering set-up. However, it’s fairly direct, which makes it easy to place when the going gets twisty.

Meanwhile, refinement is impressive, with minimal wind and road noise when cruising on a motorway. Only a mild level of vibration felt through the steering wheel when driving over rougher road surfaces disturbs the calmness.

Four levels of regenerative braking are available and the strength of the braking effect can be adjusted in a menu on the infotainment touchscreen. In its strongest setting, it can slow the G6 to a crawling speed. The consistent brake pedal response makes it easy to stop smoothly, unlike in a Renault Scenic E-Tech (which can be grabby at low speeds).

The driving position in the XPeng G6 is similar to what you’ll find in a Tesla Model Y. You sit high up with a great view forwards, but the low-slung bonnet makes it quite difficult to judge where the front of the car is. That said, the windscreen is large and the front pillars are not too wide.

Rear visibility isn’t quite as good, with a small rear window and chunky pillars, but thankfully the G6 comes with plenty of driver aids as standard, including blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree view parking camera. Speaking of which, the G6 has 12 cameras in total, as well as five radars and 12 ultra-sonic radars, all of which form part of the Xpilot driver assistance system.

The design of the interior is very minimalist, with nearly all the car’s functions operated using the large 14.9in central touchscreen running Xpeng’s Xmart operating system.

It’s a shame there are no physical buttons for the climate control, mirror adjustments and so on, but thankfully the infotainment system is very easy to use. It operates much like a smartphone, with pin sharp graphics and a simple lay-out. All the most frequently used features, such as your media, the sat-nav app and the climate controls, are found using a bank of icons on the driver’s side of the screen, so they’re easy to reach while you’re driving.

The steering-wheel buttons and scroll wheels also double as volume and climate controls, with the left hand side operating the fan speed and temperature, and the right hand side the radio station and volume.

The car has an AI-powered virtual assistant, called Xiao P, which is a small robot that’s always visible at the top of the screen. It operates much like Amazon Alexa, so you can ask it to complete certain functions, such as to fold in your mirrors. We tried the system, and it didn’t always understand the commands. 

In front of the driver, there’s a 10.2in digital instrument panel. It’s bright and easy to use, but not very configurable. It’s split into three sections, with the left side showing your trip information, your speed and driving assistance settings in the centre, and the right side displaying your navigation or media.

Material quality is mostly good, with plenty of soft-touch materials and faux-leather padding on the doors, dashboard and centre console. There are, though, some scratchier materials lower down on the dashboard and the doors don't feel very solid when you close them. In terms of build quality, it's fine but not as good as, say, a Peugeot e-3008 or Skoda Enyaq.

One area where the XPeng G6 really impresses is with space for passengers: it offers acres of head and leg room for up to five adults. It’s particularly good in the rear, where a six-footer will have loads of space behind a similarly tall driver. The seat backs can recline and you can really get comfortable on long journeys.

Interior storage is plentiful too. In the front you get two large cupholders, a large central storage cubby and big door bins. As with the Nio EL6 there’s no glovebox, but you do get a big centre console storage area.

The G6 has 571 litres of boot space which is more than the Kia EV6 (490 litres) and Peugeot e-3008 (548 litres), so it should have more than enough room for a couple of large suitcases for a family trip away.

Unfortunately, there’s no storage area under the bonnet for your charging cables like there is in a Tesla Model Y and there’s also a small loading lip, which can be annoying when lifting heavy items in and out of the boot.

Unlike the e-3008 and Model Y, which have 40/20/40 split folding seats, the G6’s seats split in two parts, 60/40 – the same as in the EV6 and GV60.

One area where a lot of Chinese cars trump their Western counterparts is with pricing, and the XPeng G6 is no exception.

The G6 RWD Standard Range and RWD Long Range are expected to undercut the Genesis GV60 RWD, the Kia EV6 RWD and the Tesla Model Y RWD by quite some margin. Even the AWD Performance version is expected to be more affordable than the entry-level Peugeot e-3008.

Better still, all G6s come with a long list of standard kit, 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. 

Currently, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are not available with the G6 infotainment system but they are expected to be added in a software update by the time cars arrive in the UK.

The G6 Standard Range offers a swift maximum charging speed of 210kW while the Long Range and Performance versions ramp that up to 280kW. If you can find a quick enough public charger you should be able to a 10-80% charge in just 20 minutes.

Using an 11kW home charger will take longer. The G6 Standard Range can charge from 5-100% in seven hours and 30 minutes, while the Long Range and Performance versions can cover the same charge in nine hours, 30 minutes.

The Kia EV6, Genesis GV60 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 can all charge quickly (they have 800V charging capability), while the the Model Y is fast too, and also has the benefit of access to the Tesla charging network.

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 and a driver monitoring system. There are also several driving and visibility aids included as standard, such as adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree reversing camera.

Xpeng offers a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty for the G6, which is a match for Kia’s class-leading offering. The battery gets a separate eight-year warranty.

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