Unless you have been living without a care for the automotive world in the past few years, you would probably would have heard of Xpeng. The brand that specialises in electric vehicles is one of the biggest and most popular to come out of China in recent years. Perhaps as big as Tesla to some
Unless you have been living without a care for the automotive world in the past few years, you would probably would have heard of Xpeng.
The brand that specialises in electric vehicles is one of the biggest and most popular to come out of China in recent years. Perhaps as big as Tesla to some degree.
Tesla has built a cult like following in the past few years and so has Xpeng. Its cars are equally as high-tech as the American and apart from the vast network of chargers and gigafactories that sets Tesla apart from the rest, there is nothing that Tesla can do that Xpeng cannot.
The Xpeng brand landed in Malaysia in the second half 2024 under the stewardship of Bermaz Xpeng Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Bermaz Auto Bhd.
Since then, the brand has grown by leaps and bounds and now has two models and multiple variants available for the Malaysian market.
What sets Xpeng cars apart from others is its clever use of tech and artificial intelligence in a way that rivals Tesla and even surpasses some of the other brands coming out of China.
The company has somewhat positioned itself as a “AI-first” car company, with a firm eye on autonomous driving. That is not all though, Xpeng is also delving into developing intelligent humanoids, robotaxis and is also delving into flying cars. So, no, Xpeng is not your regular carmaker.
But you may be thinking that Xpeng is not the only company to have announced such grandiose plans. What sets them apart from the rest is its use of self-developed AI chips and software. There is no third party involved here. Xpeng does it all by itself.
The company’s proprietary Xpeng Turing AI chips for example is said to offer 750 Trillion Operations Per Second (TOPS) of “effective computing power”. This is able to support computing models with up to 30 billion parameters. In regular layman words, this is a big step to level four autonomous driving. Which means that little to no human intervention will be needed.
In fact, some reports suggest that Xpeng’s AI chips are capable of handling 3,000 TOPS. That is mega computing power in a single chip.
Its software too has been recognised by industry peers. Volkswagen for one is using Xpeng’s driver assistance system called XNGP for autonomous functions. This will be available in some of its electric cars sold in China.
These technologies are just some among many others that make Xpeng such a big deal in the automotive business, so when Xpeng launches a new car, you should pay attention.
Enter the Xpeng G6 Long Range.
The G6 was Xpeng’s first model in Malaysia, and though it was well received from the get-go. It was far from perfect; the lack of a proper keyless entry system, overly complicated air-conditioning vents and some other weird features made it an odd ball.
Not anymore though.
The newly refreshed Xpeng G6 fixes all the unnecessary complications, offers some key design updates, and simply said, is much better than it has ever been.
It is also available in three variants, there is the all-wheel-drive performance version, which is priced at RM190,708. And then there is the black version which is basically the performance version but with everything blacked out and that costs RM194,708.
Capping off the variants is the car you see in the photos here, the long-range version, and it is priced at RM179,708. Which is about RM10,000 cheaper than the pre-facelift model.
In terms of design, the new G6 is a clear evolution over its predecessor. The front is distinguished by a full width light bar called the Starlight Wing with integrated turn signals. To accommodate this, the Xpeng logo had to be repositioned to sit on top of the bonnet.
Just like before, the main headlight cluster sits underneath the light bar.
Capping off the new design is a ducktail at the back, body coloured wheel arches and new 20-inch wheels.
The real update though is underneath the car.
Whenever a car maker updates a model, the usual thing to do is to give it an upgrade over the model that it replaces.
So, when Xpeng announced that the new G6 long range has a smaller battery, some were left scratching their heads.
The pre-facelift model had a bigger 87.5kWh battery. The new one has a smaller 80.8kWh battery. So naturally with a smaller battery, range takes a hit. The previous model could travel 570km on the WLTP cycle while the new model does 525km.
But the difference here is that the previous battery was made of nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) while the current one is lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
So, while you may lose overall range, you also gain because the LFP battery has been described as the “workhorse” of EV batteries. It is more durable, lasts longer, and can be charged up to 100% more frequently than the NMC battery, which prefers to be charged up to 80% most of the time.
But interestingly, the new model gains more power. The new G6 long range boasts 296PS while the previous model offered just 259PS, though both variants offer the same 440Nm of torque.
The new models also offers a slightly higher top speed of 202km/h as compared to the 200km/h of the previous model.
But while the performance margins are not that great, you do get better charging capabilities, which is one of the hallmarks of the Xpeng because it is built on an 800-volt architecture.
What does that mean though?
The Xpeng G6 is one of the few cars at this price range that is built on an 800-volt architecture. That may sound like gibberish to you but let’s use general home plumbing as an example.
In a regular home, the smaller the plumbing pipes around the home, the lower the water pressure. You could add a water pump but that would just blow the pipes eventually.
What if you had bigger pipes? That means that more water could pass through them and thus giving you better pressure throughout your home.
That is the same principle here. An 800-volt architecture allows more power to run through the cables of the car and lets you recharge the car quicker.
So, the Xpeng G6 can accept up to 451kW of DC charging, which will take you from ten to 80% in just 12 minutes.
It also gives you better AC charging, 11kW to be exact, and that will take you from five to 100% in a little over nine hours.
This is all very important because it directly affects the day-to-day practicality of the car. Which is something I experienced first-hand when reviewing the car.
The real-world test.
Xpeng says its current G6 long range can travel 525km in the real world. Car makers often like to claim mammoth numbers hoping that no one would ever test them.
But the world is changing, and no one ever takes anyone’s word at face value. So I decided to put it to the test by undertaking a real-world test – by driving the new Xpeng G6 long range to Ipoh and back.
I began the journey from KL at 96% state of charge (SOC) and reached Ipoh at 62% SOC. I drove at a speed of between 80 to 120km/h because of the weekend traffic.
I could have made it back to KL without recharging but because I had my five year old son in the car with me and did not want to take the risk of waiting in queue for a public charger, I decided to recharge the car back up to 89% before leaving Ipoh.
The return leg was not as busy and that allowed me to drive at a higher speed. I reached KL with 48% SOC left. All in all, I spent about RM120 on charging, but I know that I could have made the journey back without recharging at all.
The interior of the new G6 has been redesigned. The infotainment screen is an inch larger at over 15-inches now and the ultra-annoying electronically controlled air-conditioning vents have been replaced with your traditional, manually operated vents.
The seats deserve a special mention as they are both wide and comfortable and are wrapped in Nappa leather.
Refinement deserves a mention too because you barely hear anything of the world outside even at speeds of above 140km/h. Achieved partially with the use of double-glazed windows that absorbs sounds and vibrations before they intrude into the cabin.
I must admit though that I was particularly surprised that the infotainment system allowed the passengers to watch YouTube while the car was on the move.
That may not sound that good, but it kept my five-year old entertained all the way to Ipoh and back. He usually does not get that much screen time, but for the sake of real-world automotive journalism, I let him try it.
The conclusion?
Car makers often claim extraordinary things with their cars, but few are able to back up their claims. The fact that the new Xpeng G6 long range can travel exactly as what the manufacturer says it can do is exemplary.
The G6 is quite easily the most comfortable, well-built and high-tech EV of its price range today, but it is something that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.
It has worked on and fixed the flaws of the previous model, and right now it is quite possible the best EV you could buy at RM180,000, and is quite surely a better alternative to the more expensive Tesla Model Y.
Specifications:
Motor: Single, rear-mounted
Battery: 80.8kWh LFP
Power: 297PS and 440Nm
Charging: 451kW DC / 11kW AC
Price (as tested): RM179,708