Five reasons the New XPENG G6 belongs on your EV shortlist

If you are shopping for an electric SUV this year, you likely already have several new nameplates on your list, and XPENG’s New G6 is one of the newer names in that mix. That is the part worth your attention: XPENG has arrived with the technology to make an immediate impression. Here is the case for the G6, starting with the parts you can check for yourself, before we get to what happens after you buy it.

Any EV shopper’s first practical question is how long they will be standing around waiting to charge. The New G6 runs on an 800-volt high-voltage Silicon Carbide (SiC) platform, enabling 5C ultra-fast charging across the range. A 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes as little as 12 minutes on DC fast charge, under test conditions, and the Long Range variant delivers peak DC charging power up to 451kW, also under test conditions. Charging times will vary with the charger, the battery’s state and the temperature on the day, but those are specific numbers you can check for yourself.

Range is the figure that decides most EV purchases, and the G6’s answer is a WLTP figure rather than a marketing line. The Long Range variant returns up to 525 kilometres on the WLTP test cycle, with energy consumption from 16.6 kilowatt-hours per 100km (16.6kWh/100km), under test conditions. The rest of the range sits between 480km and 510km on the same test cycle, depending on variant (see pricing below). WLTP is a standardised test guide and real-world range will vary with driving style, conditions, weather and accessory use, but it is the same yardstick every EV on your shortlist is measured against.

Charging and range earn the G6 a look. What is likely to keep it on the shortlist is what happens once you are behind the wheel. XPILOT Assist, XPENG’s driver assistance suite, includes:

On Australian-specification vehicles, with availability subject to final local specification. XPILOT Assist is a driver assistance system designed to support the driver, not replace them; the driver remains responsible at all times.

Inside, the cabin is built around a 15.6-inch central touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital driver display, running Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through an 18-speaker XOPERA sound system. Dual wireless charging, a Nappa leather-appointed interior, and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats are available depending on grade.

Where the G6 makes its real case is over time. XPENG builds its cars around over-the-air software updates, so the vehicle you drive in year one keeps being refined rather than staying exactly as it left the showroom.

“The New G6 reveals more of itself the more you drive it. The performance, charging speed, technology and driver assistance all work together in a way that makes the car feel more natural, more considered and more rewarding over time,” says Damian Royce, Head of Marketing at XPENG ANZ.

The G6 also offers Vehicle-to-Load capability up to 6kW, letting it power equipment and essentials directly from the car – useful for tradies, campers or anyone who wants their EV to double as a generator on a job site or at a campground.

None of the above matters if the ownership experience does not back it up. The New G6 is covered by:

Book a test drive and see how the charging, the cabin and the ownership terms come together in person.

The New G6 launches in Australia as a four-variant range, priced GST-inclusive and excluding on-road costs.

*Drive-away pricing, including applicable on-road costs, is available through the configurator at xpeng.com/au and may differ from the figures above.

XPENG arrives in Australia as a smart, credible challenger, and the New G6 reads like the opening chapter of a broader intelligent EV line-up. The way to test whether that holds is to see it in person: book a test drive, or build and price your own G6 at the configurator to see how the variants and running costs stack up against your budget.