XPeng M2026 – First Impressions
Exactly what driving and mobility will be like in future is still uncertain, but for sure, Chinese brand Xpeng aims to be part of it. Robin Roberts (WheelsWithinWales) explains…
Like US rival Tesla, Xpeng has roots in technology, software and brainpower rather than horsepower, and it also set its sights on the sky and has produced not a spaceship but a flying car complete with its own land aircraft carrier.
Orders for the Xpeng Land Aircraft Carrier and flying car have been piling into the company and it hopes to announce production plans this year.
Meanwhile, down to earth it has turned its attention to updating the Xpeng G6 hatchback it launched in 2025 and a staggering 20,000 changes have created the 2026MY as it goes on sale now.
Working with Volkswagen in China, Xpeng has this year introduced a twin-motor all-wheel-drive Performance model for Europe to join the updated Long Range and Standard models which went on sale 12 months ago.
The European and British market models are assembled in Austria by a specialist contractor previously used by some of the major premium brands so the finished quality is very high.
They are sold through 17 UK retailers backed up by 24 after-sales centres and you can expect these to organically grow in future. Xpeng UK has a 5 years/ 75,000 miles warranty on the car and 8 years/ 100,000 miles on the battery pack.
The previous, or launch generation, of Standard and Long Range cars get the exciting addition of the Performance version this Spring and it’s expected to become the best seller but as buyers choose between smiles or miles for their money Xpeng is not predicting sales percentages.
What it has said is the Performance version will cost just under £50,000, the Long Range about £45,000 and the Standard will be under £40,000. More models and sizes will follow as the company expands its portfolio.
Since its UK introduction, the Xpeng G6.2 has come in with revised styling both ends, new interior treatments including a digital rear-view mirror and dazzling 250 choices of ambient lighting around the cabin at waist level.
Most significant is the fitting of a new 80.8 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery which permits faster recharging and with a massive 400 kW booster it will hit 80% in 12 minutes. But you will probably take more than that time to locate the really high-power point on an appropriate app., but any phone integrates with the system.
Top speed is close to 125 mph and depending on model the 0 – 62 mph time is approximately 7 secs, but the Performance slices this to under 4.2 secs. Again, depending on how driven the range is technically about 300 to 330 miles, but in reality expect 15% less.
The full width light bar across the front sees the distinctive X-badge move onto the bonnet from the grille and there are subtle changes to the lower apron and the addition of a bootlid spoiler at the back.
But it’s inside that the Xpeng G6 really impresses with a very upmarket look to the seats and soft-feel surfaces and the large 15.6-inch multi-purpose infotainment screen, 10.25-inch driver’s dashboard screen and a 9-inch electric/ glass rear view mirror. Front seats are powered and top models have a massage facility with various settings, and are heated. In the back, the passengers can recline their seats.
Boot space rises from a nominal 570 litres (20.13 cu.ft) to 1,374 litres (48.52 cu.ft) but there is a great deal of oddments space in the cabin for on-journey items. An optional front boot can be specified to extend capacity.
Access to the boot and cabin is very good and inside there is a lot of head and legroom.
First impressions
The G6.2 revisions have externally refreshed the car but the overall shape remains fairly anonymous and not particularly distinctive when lined up against rivals in this class.
Inside it’s a different story with an interior in both Long Range and Performance models we tested looking very upmarket and competitive with the best marques from Germany and the UK.
The technology at your fingertips is a computer geek’s delight with an enormous array of menus opening at a flick and prod and backed up by an AI graphic assistant who can carry out almost any command if the accent is understood and phrasing matches its algorithms and programming. We did catch it out a couple of times and had to resort to the manual swiped icons.
The new glass/ camera screen rear view mirror was far less pleasing however. It worked as expected in normal glass mode but change to the camera view and the rear images became distorted and doubled up so a following car appeared simultaneously behind and overtaking our car, which was disconcerting and unexpected.
Performance is good in the rear-wheel-drive Long Range but the ride is unsettled and sometimes too firm for our liking while it felt better planted on the road and agreeably softer in the more powerful AWD Performance, possibly due to better weight distribution and different suspension settings.
Both models had very strong retardation ability, reassuring brakes and very tight turning ability for in-town parking.
As with most electric cars, the lack of mechanical noises meant their road and tyres noises were more pronounced but wind wuffle was low thanks to the sleek profile and seamless panel fit.
VERDICT
As it sits now, the Xpeng G6 is a very worthy rival to other brands’ products and the Xpeng X9, arriving mid-year as a seven-seat flagship luxury product, will expand choice for families and businesses.
It could become the car of choice for many limousine and taxi services and it may be that this brand is exactly what they want for future mobility services.
© WheelsWithinWales