Car Review: XPeng G6 Long Range Electric Vehicle

Flashy by name, and packed with features but how does this new EV SUV measure up?

Another new kid on the block has launched an EV in Oz, with big promises and a pretty reasonable price tag. But will flashy features and a compelling listing price be enough to tempt buyers away from mainstream choices? Daily Addict got behind the wheel of the new XPeng G6 Long Range to see what all the fuss is about.

What is it?

Never heard of XPeng? Well you’re not alone, during my brief two-week review I had a fair few people approach me asking what it was, and how much it would set them back. Perhaps it’s the striking not-quite-a-porshe-cayenne rear quarters, or the space-age noise it makes as it motors past at low-speed. Personally, I feel it was because the test model was sporting massive branding and a QR code on its flanks… hardly subtle. 

So what is an XPeng G6? In short, it’s a mid-size electric SUV from Chinese manufacturer XPeng, the G6 is positioned to compete with mainstream EVs like the Tesla Model Y and other rivals in the growing Australian EV market. As you can see here it’s roughly a similar size to the very popular Toyota Rav4 Hybrid. 

The G6 comes in two choices of spec; the Long Range we have here sits above the standard model with a larger battery, more power and a longer claimed driving range. Pricing starts around $59,800 before on-road costs for our long-range, with the cheaper standard range coming in at $54,800. At the time of writing XPeng is also shopping around some deals to entice buyers such as $5,000 cash back. 

Under the hood (ironically you can’t open up the front of the G6 and it doesn’t have a ‘frunk) the G6 Long Range drives the rear wheels only with a sprightly 210kw and 440NM of torque. It won’t throw you back in your chair like some other EVs but it’s definitely more than enough oomph for getting about down. The larger 87.5kWh battery also supports faster DC charging and provides a claimed WLTP driving range of 570km which is impressive in the world of EVs. To top it all off the G6 can offer a vehicle-to-load feature, allowing people to get more use out of their battery when the car is stationary.

Inside the G6

Once you pry open the fancy pop-out door handles (I couldn’t get the proximity key to work) and slide into the 8-way power adjustable heated and cooled leatherette pews, the XPeng G6 is a tale of two different experiences for this reviewer. The interior itself is beautifully put together, in two weeks of varied driving it was a quiet, serene and comfortable place to be. Touch points are all appointed in fabric or faux-leather, and the 18-speaker Xopera sound system couples beautifully with the distinct lack of road noise. The front seats are heated and ventilated (very needed during Sydney heatwaves), while second-row outboard seats and the steering wheel are heated. A combination of un-shaded panoramic sunroof and slightly asthmatic aircon meant that the cooling seats were very much appreciated. 

The main feature of the interior is the 14.96” central screen from which the Xpeng G6 is connected, updated, and entirely reliant on for day-to-day operation. It’s supported by a 10.2” digital dashboard which is clear and readable even in direct sunlight. The central screen of the G6 has had some proper thought about it, with no sign of lag you can create shortcuts for the most important functions such as the climate control, air conditioning and central car functions. 

If you want your phone to connect up without hassle, it’s pretty easy with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on offer as well as a native navigation system with traffic updates and route planning to include charging stations and the like. Unfortunately the Apple Carplay navigation wasn’t available on the smaller screen, reserved only for the native setup.

The back seat is a great place to be and safe for the kiddies with a set of ISOFIX child-seat anchor points in the window seats and three top-tethers, too. Weirdly there’s no passenger glovebox so the passenger princess in your life will be able to stretch out nicely and still fit a 6-footer in the seat in the back. For parents with teenagers it would certainly be worth a squiz.

Boot space is great with a claimed 571 litres of space (about the same as a BMW X3) with the seats up, and a big under-floor storage area for the tyre repair kit – sadly, no spare tyre is offered here. In terms of practicality I would have loved some shopping hooks or tie down points to stop things rolling around. 

The Drive

For anyone who isn’t yet used to the driving style of EV’s, the G6 may be a little bit of a shock. For those of us who have experienced a variety of electric-only vehicles – this is a decent bit of kit to punt through the city or on the open road (thanks to the excellent range). 

The steering wheel is small, and an odd sort of oblong shape which I didn’t particularly enjoy. But again the soft-touch surfaces and super quiet drive immediately makes you feel like you’re in a much more expensive car. There are still dozens of menu screens and sub-menus about setting up the way this car drives, of which it could take days of exploration, but XPeng has delivered a setup that doesn’t take too long to get your head around. By far and away my favourite differentiation provided was that once you turn off annoying driver alerts they stay off (you hear that BYD?). All driving controls are done from the two stalks on either side of the wheel which are so multifunctional it takes some getting used to. For example, to activate cruise control you have to double-click down on ‘D’. 

All driver aids can be tuned to your liking including alerts and regenerative braking or one pedal driving. The G6 is quite zippy with its 440 Nm of torque, getting from 0-100 km/h in around 6.2 seconds with the same torque helping it overtake other cars on the road with ease and minimal tyre chirps. One downside for this reviewer was the ride quality, it felt overly stiff and at odds with the plushness of the rest of the experience. My 90’s BMW has more pliant suspension, and in fact it was the first thing my main passenger (my wife) pointed out when we went for a spin. 

Parking was a breeze with a great 360 degree camera setup and a clever system that can remember particular locations and know that you’re going to want to park there. In terms of other driver aids. 

The Verdict

In order to fully review a car as feature-packed as the XPeng G6 Long Range, this writer would need a lot more wordspace. But alas, we only have this much and as such need to provide a summary of our time with the hot new bombshell entering the EV Villa. In all fairness, for a first crack at the market, the XPeng impressed. For the money, many more name-brand competitors feel cheaper, and offer less range. The features and fit-and-finish are exceptional, and the dealership network and support is only growing from here. The way it drives is where this writer was left a little… numb. Are cars now expected to be regarded as appliances? It certainly feels that way and just a little soul-less. This (perhaps unfair) criticism isn’t directed towards the XPeng specifically, but EV’s in general.