XPENG G9 review 001 front trackingXPENG G9 review 001 front trackingIntroductionThe biggest question for most EV buyers when researching a new car is how far it can go between charges. The Xpeng G9 is hoping to get potential suitors to think differently: not how far it can go but how fast it can recharge. The G9’s 336-mile WLTP range is pretty strong. But its charging speed of 525kW is industry-leading (and faster than any charger you will currently find in the UK). AdvertisementAdvertisementA 10-80% fill up takes 12 minutes and the battery is mahoosive. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re already talking about charging speeds while many of you might still be thinking: ‘What on earth is an Xpeng?’This Chinese car maker was founded in Guangzhou in 2014 by two former senior executives from GAC, and it has always billed itself as a tech company that makes vehicles. Its other business lines are robots and ‘flying vehicles’, and its shares are traded on the New York and Hong Kong stock exchanges. Autocar first wrote about Xpeng in 2014 and it brought its first car, the Xpeng G6, to the UK earlier this year. It’s on track to bring us an extremely high-tech MPV, called the X9, sometime next year, along with this, the G9. But perhaps not the exact G9 you see before you. It might be this one, or it may even be an updated version. Things really do move that quickly in China. Design & stylingXPENG G9 review 002 front trackingThe car we have here is 4891mm long and 1937mm wide. It is big, but it remains a five-seater, so more of a BMW iX competitor than a Kia EV9 rival. AdvertisementAdvertisementTo look at, it’s a touch anonymous: it has the squarejawed, masculine lines of a BMW X7 but with a rounded front complete with full-width light bar for that 2025 Chinese electric car experience.InteriorXPENG G9 review 009 interiorInside it’s vast. The infotainment is split into twin 15in screens. Essentially one for the driver and one for the passenger, much like what you would find in an Audi or Mercedes. The driver’s screen is primarily for navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and driving settings (more on that later), while passengers can watch Netflix or YouTube. The seats are nappa leather, there’s a huge panoramic sunroof and the rear pews can recline and are also air conditioned. AdvertisementAdvertisementYou have to search pretty hard for cheap-feeling plastic, although I did find some – apologies to the foldable cupholders in the rear armrest.The 660-litre boot can expand to 1,576 litres with the seats folded and the front-boot can hold an additional 71 litres.Engines & performanceXPENG G9 review 020 front trackingThis one is the full-fat AWD Performance model with 567bhp. It’s bloody quick: 4.2sec from rest to 62mph in something weighing close to 2.5 tonnes is pretty impressive considering this otherwise has to be one of the least sporty cars on sale. The brakes are very intuitive. It can go from 62-0mph in less than 40 metres, tooThe complete lack of sporting pretences is a conscious decision by Xpeng. The relaxed characteristics manifest most clearly in the steering and ride.Ride & handlingXPENG G9 review 021 rear trackingThere’s a great deal of customisation to the dual-chamber air suspension, steering, braking and power delivery systems, but no matter what you do it is very easy-going. AdvertisementAdvertisementSet the suspension to Comfort+ and you’ll find its squidgiest setting. It’s not quite like a Cadillac Seville, but it is close. I liked Comfort mode the best because it has that added bit of tight body control. Sport is a little stiffer and a touch more knobbly at motorway speed but basically fine. Broadly the ride is lovely, though. There’s a good bit of roll to it, but it wears it well. You can change the weight of the steering – from light to less light. It feels a touch disconnected from the wheels but that’s in keeping with a car predicated on delivering an easygoing experience.MPG & running costsXPENG G9 review 001 front trackingAWD models like the one we’ve tested come with a huge 93.1 kWh battery. It’s made with lithium iron phosphate which is free from rare minerals such as cobalt.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt sits on an 800V architecture and can charge at 525kw. Official figures put the efficiency at 3.1mpkWh and 336 miles of range.During our time with the car we achieved 3.0mpkWh and we imagine 3.1 is very doable. We didn’t manage to charge at 525kw because we couldn’t find a charger capable of doing so. But it pulled in an easy 360kw average from a 400kw set.VerdictXPENG G9 review 022 front staticThe G9 has two key, easy-life draws: strong range from a punchysized battery and an absolute haymaker of a charging speed. In Germany this AWD model costs around £65,000. That’s not cheap in isolation, but it’s around £10,000 less than a BMW iX. Which feels about right.]]>