We find out if the Tesla-baiting Xpeng G6 has what it takes to rival the VW ID.5 and Kia EV6

Xpeng G6 review: does China’s answer to Model Y have the X factor?

July 12, 2024 Russell Campbell

We find out if the Tesla-baiting Xpeng G6 has what it takes to rival the VW ID.5 and Kia EV6.

might like to see itself as the fly in the ointment of the established competition, but now the tables have turned; Xpeng (in business since 2014) is the new kid on the block and going head-to-head with Tesla in the UK with this, the G6.

Xpeng has played it safe with the G6, giving it a sloping-roof-SUV body that ticks all necessary boxes for style and practicality, while Xpeng’s USPs are to set to be its battery technology – range and charging speeds – and the sheer amount of standard equipment you get for your money.

Like Tesla, an entrepreneur set up Xpeng, and the company is now hot property after signing a deal to share its platforms with Volkswagen. The G6 isn’t just targeting Tesla; its price point puts it on a collision course with electric rivals like the new Ford Explorer, Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and VW’s ID.5.

Design, interior and technology

In some ways, the Xpeng G6 looks like a compilation album celebrating its direct rivals’ styling cues. You get the front and back light bars of a Volkswagen EV, a profile (apparently) directly modelled on the Tesla Model Y and the curved haunches of the Kia EV6. However, the absence of body creases rules out comparisons with the Ford Explorer and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

That aside, there’s nothing wrong with how the G6 looks. Its pebble-smooth design gives an air of solidity, and Xpeng’s attempts to inject some character – with a monobrow nose and eye-socket-style light clusters – are inoffensive. Nevertheless, its most striking feature is our test car’s optional Fiery Orange paint.

The familiarity continues inside, where you’ll be unsurprised to be met by a huge, 15-inch, landscape-style infotainment screen and a 10.25-inch letterbox-shaped driver display. The absence of a glovebox in the Xpeng’s lozenge-shaped dashboard is likely the only thing that will surprise you.

Staying consistent, the infotainment can be challenging to navigate on the move. With no haptic feedback, it’s hard to tell what buttons you’ve pressed and the long drop-down menus are a pain to scroll through when you’re busy doing silly things like, er, driving.

Salvation comes in the form of a genuinely excellent voice activation system. It operates almost everything – from the windows to the sat-nav – and can also differentiate between you and your front-seat passenger. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard fits for customers’ cars, too.

With 18 speakers, Dolby Atmos and a 960W output, on paper, the stereo matches the optional systems in rivals. However, this theory isn’t entirely borne by bass that lacks thump and poor clarity at higher frequencies.

You will, however, like the sound of the car’s practicality. Up front, it’s easy to get comfortable with roomy heated, cooled, and electrically adjustable seats.

Seating in the back is just as competitive, the rear chairs recline a few degrees for extra lounging on long trips and tall adults get plenty of room behind someone of a similar height. The Xpeng’s completely flat footwell pronounces the feeling of space, as do the large rear windows and the standard panoramic roof.

The back seats only split 60:40 – rather than the more versatile 40:20:40 found in some rivals – but everything else about the boot is practical; it has a square shape and a generous 571-litre capacity. Under the floor, there’s space for charging cables, plus you get a small netted storage space and a 12V power socket. It’s all very well thought out and likely not what you’d expect from a car company that’s only been in business for ten years.

Battery, motor and performance

There are three versions of the Xpeng G6 – the 255bhp RWD Standard with a 66kWh battery and a 270-mile range, the 282bhp RWD Long Range with an 87.5kWh battery and a 354-mile range and, finally, the 469bhp AWD Performance with an 87.5kWh battery and 342-mile range.

We tested the AWD Performance, which, as the horsepower figures suggest, has all the power a family car will ever need without being as violently accelerative as others. Fine, because this is a car you’ll never relish driving quickly. Neat handling is fair trade for the firm ride at low speeds, but the steering’s numbness doesn’t inspire the confidence you need to exploit it.

Despite our best efforts, the G6 returned a respectable 3.5m/kWh, and charging speeds of 280kW mean a 10-80% charge should take around 20 minutes on a public fast charger.

Drive with a little less ‘enthusiasm’, and we suspect you could do significantly better than that figure, and at normal speeds, the Xpeng is easy to shunt around in. The harshest of the three regenerative braking settings means you’ll rarely need to use the actual brakes, and, of course, there are no gears.

A 360-degree camera makes up for the steering’s inaccuracy, making tight manoeuvres in town and, on the motorway, autonomous driving aids do most of the driving for you, although the car’s inputs can be too last-minute for comfort.

Price and specification

Xpeng hasn’t confirmed prices for the G6, but it will likely undercut the Tesla Model Y, with a starting price of less than £45,000. The AWD Performance will be closer to £55,000.

The good news is that almost everything comes as standard – the only options are the paint and a tow bar. That means along with the big infotainment screens, fancy stereo, electric seats and panoramic roof, you get a 360-degree camera, auto drive with LiDAR and a vegan-leather interior.

Verdict

Buying a car from a manufacturer ten years in the making used to mean taking a parkour-like leap of faith, but that Xpeng G6 doesn’t feel like that. It feels as good as anything Europe offers in most respects, with a battery range and charging speeds that will put many to shame.

Okay, so the name will be meaningless to most. The styling is a tad homogeneous, and the driving experience won’t set the world on fire. Still, as a comfortable way to transport the family on EV power, there’s little to dislike about the Xpeng, particularly when it’s likely to be incredibly keenly priced and comes with the reassurance of a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.