XPENG: another Chinese brand arriving in Spain that will surprise you

Another one. And it won’t be the last. XPENG is arriving on the Spanish market aiming at the upper-mid segment, initially with a range of three 100% electric models that stand out, above all, for their high technological content and, I would even dare to say, for their design, which, incidentally, was signed by a Spaniard, Juanma López, the brand’s head of design, formerly of Ferrari or Lamborghini.

But before going into more detail on the models with which XPENG lands in Spain, allow me a few brushstrokes about this young Chinese brand, which was born barely 10 years ago as a start-up dedicated to “transforming mobility through technology”. Today, XPENG, whose headquarters are in Guangzhou (China), not only designs, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, but also flying cars and robots, and is a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence to mobility.

XPENG, which has more than 15,000 employees worldwide, has R&D centres in San Diego and Silicon Valley, European headquarters in Amsterdam, a competence centre in Munich, and its shares are listed on the New York and Hong Kong stock exchanges. Its three factories located in China have a combined production capacity of 600,000 vehicles per year. The Spanish market is not the first one they have reached in Europe: their cars are already sold in Germany, France, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden.

In Spain they are starting with 10 dealerships in 2024 in the main provincial capitals, with the aim of reaching 16 dealerships in 2025. They already have a spare parts warehouse in Madrid, and their plan is to go “step by step”, with the goal of selling around 300 units for the rest of this year with their three models, reaching 1,600 in 2025, and moving around 2,500 units in 2026. These are the launch models:

XPENG G6: the coupé-style SUV

It will be the brand’s best-selling model, a coupé-style SUV 4.75 metres long with a large 570-litre boot, a very spacious cabin and, naturally, a dashboard where the screens are the true protagonists: 10.2 inches for the instrument cluster, and almost 15 inches for the multimedia system. A tough rival for the Tesla Model Y. There are three versions:

• G6 RWD Standard Range: it has rear-wheel drive, a 255 CV motor and 440 Nm of maximum torque, and a 66 kWh LFP battery that allows a homologated WLTP range of up to 435 km. Its price is 44,990 euros, without the MOVES plan.
• G6 RWD Long Range: the electric motor’s power rises here to 280 CV, keeping the same maximum torque. The battery in this case is lithium-ion, with 87.5 kWh of capacity, which takes the range up to 570 km. The price starts from 49,990 euros.
• G6 AWD Performance: the sportiest version has two motors and a system power of 470 CV, with a maximum torque of 600 Nm. The 0 to 100 km/h acceleration of this version is just 4 seconds. With the same battery as the RWD Long Range, the range is 550 km. The price starts from 56,500 euros.

With a 800-volt architecture, the G6’s maximum fast-charging powers range from 215 to 280 kW depending on the battery, which allows going from 10 to 80% capacity in about 20 minutes… but as you know, that is always under ideal conditions, which are not easy to achieve. In any case, these are high charging powers.

XPENG G9: a luxury SUV for the premium segment

The XPENG G9 is clearly positioned higher, aiming at the large luxury SUV segment. It measures 4.9 metres in length, and the interior is quite a spectacle, with not one but two 15-inch screens on the dashboard, one for the driver and one for the passenger, magnificent finishes and exquisite equipment, which includes an XOpera sound system with 22 speakers. In this case there are also three versions:

• G9 RWD Standard Range: with a power of 313 CV and a maximum torque of 430 Nm, a 78.2 kWh LFP battery and a range of up to 460 km. It is the only G9 version that can benefit from the MOVES Plan. Its price without purchase subsidies starts from 58,970 euros.
• G9 RWD Long Range: it has the same motor as the Standard Range version, but the battery is lithium-ion with 98 kWh of capacity, raising the homologated range to 570 km. The price starts from 62,990 euros.
• G9 AWD Performance: with two motors and all-wheel drive, the system power reaches 551 CV, with a maximum torque of 717 Nm, which allows a surprising 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds. The battery is that of the Long Range, and the range reaches 520 km. The price starts from 72,550 euros, and among many other features it comes with standard air suspension.

The maximum charging power in this case is up to 260 kW for the Standard Range, and up to 300 kW for the variants with the large-capacity battery, maintaining those 20 minutes as the reference time to go from 10 to 80% charge, again, under ideal conditions.

XPENG P7: the sports saloon

As for the P7, it is a four-door saloon 4.89 metres long with one particularity: in the Wing Edition version the front doors open in “gull-wing” style. As with the SUVs, there are three versions here too:

• P7 RWD Long Range: with a power of 276 CV and a maximum torque of 440 Nm, the range reaches up to 576 km. It is available from a price of 51,990 euros.
• P7 AWD Performance: it has two motors and a system power of 473 CV, with a maximum torque of 757 Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and can travel up to 505 km on a single battery charge. The price is 59,990 euros.
• P7 Wing Edition: with the same drivetrain and the same battery as the Performance, it differs in its exclusive equipment and its gull-wing front doors. This exclusivity comes at a price: it costs 69,950 euros.

In the case of the P7, the maximum charging power is up to 175 kW, which is not bad at all, allowing it to go from 10 to 80% battery capacity in barely half an hour.

In our market, all its models will come with a 5-year or 120,000 km warranty, and 8 years or 160,000 km for the battery. The impression they made on me at the brand’s presentation to the press, seeing them up close and “poking around” a little in their interiors, is excellent. We will soon tell you what we think after driving them.

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadXPENG G93 versions · from 60,600 €