We told you in our columns already about the successful entry of Xpeng into our domestic Belgian car market, and we test here for you their stylish mid-sized electric coupé SUV, the G6.  

Introduced on our shores in 2024, the G6 has already undergone a facelift, where the most important news is the new 80.8 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, which replaces the former nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) unit.

This makes the G6 a true champion at the fast charging terminal: you can now charge it at an impressive 451kW. This means that this Xpeng G6 is built for the future, as at the moment of writing we still have to wait for such fast chargers to arrive in our country. But the fact that this allows you (in the future) to charge the battery from 10 to 80% in merely 12 minutes, is a strong (selling) point indeed. The new battery also means less use of expensive and less sustainable materials …

Spacious…

The G6 is not small, to say the least. Compared with the Skoda Enyaq, it is still a good 10 cm longer. It virtually is as wide and long as its important competitor, the Tesla Model Y. The interior space is indeed quite generous, also and even more so for the rear passengers: they enjoy ample leg- and headroom, despite the curving roof line and the coupe-like silhouette. The car also stands quite tall, and the designers have camouflaged this judiciously by putting the sills in a darker color.  One pleasant aspect is that you can… sleep in this G6, as the front seat backrest folds down horizontally and you can  remove the headrest. You can also install yourself neatly in the backseat, use the fully folded front seat as a footrest and have your laptop snugly installed on your stretched legs, and work comfortably…

…and some facelift details

The led headlight bar now runs fully over the front of the car, at the rear there is now a small duck tail spoiler. The car has now also a digital quite panoramic rear-view mirror, which is especially useful at night or when reversing in dark-lit areas. It can change back and forth to a “classic” mirror at the push of a button on its upper rim.

You can choose between 5 colors, and we liked the “stellar purple” of our test car. There is also an optional “black edition”, which is only offered for the time being on the 4WD 2- motor “performance” edition, which is the drivetrain of the car we tested.

An impressive platform with a drivetrain offered in 3 versions…

The G6 now uses Xpeng’s SEPA2.0 platform, with a chassis of aluminium and steel, reinforced by a stressed underfloor battery pack. The body is fully aluminium, the electrical architecture (with a silicon-carbide power inverter) runs on 800 V.

The model line up starts with the RWD standard range model, 252 HP with a 68,5 kW LFP battery. Then there is the Long Range model with a 297 HP motor and a 80,8 LFP battery. We drove, as said, the 4WD Performance model with 2 motors, 297 HP  + 190 HP (total 487 HP).

Superb performance, enjoyed in safety and comfort…

Needless to say that this “performance” edition is fast. Choose on the central screen among the available drive modes the “launch control” function, and then brace yourself. The G6 will take you from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4,1 seconds. The suspension and chassis can handle all this power smoothly, and the Xpeng feels utterly stable at high speeds and also in fast corners, with some noticeable body roll however. Top speed is electronically limited to 202 km/h, wind and road noise are virtually absent at high cruising speeds.

The Xpeng is comfortable, but its body sways gently over long road irregularities and all this does rather invite you to adopt a more restful driving style, despite its excellent stability and performance. Remember, this is a heavy car that weighs over 2.2 tonnes.

You can adjust the steering “feel” and responsiveness via the central screen and it also changes in function of the chosen driving modes. It transmits adequately the road surfaces, but again does not invite you to do some sharp and fast cornering. Just enjoy the smoothness and comfort, this is what the Xpeng engineers clearly had in mind when fine tuning the steering and suspension. The comfort at boulevard speeds in the city is therefore admirable. The long wheelbase indeed also brings extra smoothness.

The brakes are eminently up to their task, and indeed the 20 inch wheels add to the overall safe handling of the G6. Of course the G6 has ESP and boasts among many driving aids, even hill descent control.

Indeed, for the manufacturer, safety is paramount.  Xpeng therefore installed its ‘full scenario’ XPilot 2.5 driver assistance technology package in the G6, which is made up of a network of 29 cameras, radar transceivers and ultrasonic sensors. Did you know that all the data output is then monitored and processed by a special Nvidia processor?

You see the result on the large central screen, which all the surrounding traffic, bikes and pedestrians clearly shown. Indeed, this is a car made by a high-tech company, and this results in a wonderful and restful experience behind the wheel. Driver assistance systems are there in abundance, from lane assistance coupled with adaptative cruise control to parking and a lot more, it is all there.

Within the plethora of 29 cameras, you also have a camera which monitors whether you keep your eyes on the road. Fortunately, you can control its sensitivity via a menu on the touchscreen, so it does not interfere overwhelmingly when driving.

Refined and elegant interior…

With the facelift, the G6 had its interior upgraded with better ambient lighting and improved panel finishes. We liked the large wooden panel spanning across the dashboard. Besides the large and eminently readable 15,6 inch central screen, there is also a so-called digital 10,25 inch dashboard screen in front of the driver, and this gives you all the essential information right in the line of your vision.

Both front seats are adjusted electronically, and you can (pre)program your ideal individual seating position. The nappa leather seats (reserved for this performance version) are not only heated, they also have a massage function…

The wide central console allows you to charge TWO phones simultaneously, with up to not less than 50 W charging power.  

Climate control is also top notch with automatic air conditioning and a heat pump;  

All the main functions of the car, like heating/ventilation, opening/closing, navigation can be controlled using a mobile app. There is also an “Hey XPENG” speech assistant: 4 zones (also from the rear seats) , full scenario with intelligent suggestions and advisory remarks. You have also an App Store connection for music, video, social media, etc.

When you change lane or take a right or left turn, a camera view flashes up in this screen to show any upcoming traffic in the chosen lane. Indeed, you are definitively spoiled with a wide array of high-tech safety features.

These is of course an excellent DAB/FM radio, using a 16 speaker XPENG XOPERA 2.0 Surround Sound System, with two speakers in the front seat headrests…classic music buffs as we are, we greatly enjoyed each trip…

All this to say that sitting behind the wheel of this Xpeng one definitely gets a premium feeling, not in the least because of the excellent finish and the quality of the materials used.  

There are a lot of practical storage possibilities in the cabin, and luggage space is also quite adequate with 571 liters (1374 liters with rear seat backrests folded).

And what about consumption and range?

We noticed during our test a usable practical range of some 370-400 kilometers, with a 60/40 mix of motorway and city driving. Of course, in winter driving the heating/ventilation systems take also their toll, and we find this range therefore quite reasonable for a 2,2 tonne 487 HP car. When driving with some restraint, a consumption between 17 and 20 kW per 100 km is quite realistic. The manufacturer quotes 18,4 kW/100 km, and announces a WLTP range of 510 km.

Conclusion

This Xpeng G6 ticks many boxes, certainly taking into account that it offers impressive value for money. At the moment of writing, this 4WD Performance version is available for 51.990 Euros, and as we said earlier, in this price range, there is no other car that offers this charging capacity. Add to this the stylish exterior, the elegant, roomy, and fully appointed cabin, the comfortable ride, and safety-oriented stability combined with excellent performance, and you will agree that this Xpeng G6 deserves a long hard look when you consider buying a mid-size SUV.

Hans Knol ten Bensel