XPeng G6 Standard Range 2025 Review

XPeng is promising a whole family of models for Australia including the G9 large SUV and X9 large people mover, but for now just one model – the G6 – is available, in a simple two-variant offering.

A high-performance twin-motor version is on the way, but the officially named Long Range is the most expensive G6 for now with a starting price of $59,800 plus on-road costs (ORCs). Here we’re examining the entry-level Standard Range, which is priced at $54,800 plus ORCs.

That compares with Australia’s most popular electric vehicle – the Tesla Model Y – which starts at $58,900 plus ORCs and offers a similar level of features including range, power and rear-wheel drive. 

Even with a recent $4500 price chop, the recently updated Model Y doesn’t compete on price with the G6.

Other rivals include the freshly introduced Cupra Tavascan, which is also available as a rear-drive version costing $60,990 plus ORCs, or perhaps the Hyundai Kona electric which is smaller, front-wheel drive and starts at $54,000 plus ORCs.

Keeping things simple, the XPeng is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of a car with everything included in the asking price. Options are limited to a small range of accessories including a tow bar ($1880) and, our favourite, an air mattress that transforms the rear of the G6 into a double bed. Well worth the $350.

The XPeng G6 presents with a choice of five exterior colours and two interior tones, all of which are included in the price. The only key difference between each of the two variants concerns the batteries: the Long Range has an 87.5kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, while the Standard Range gets a 66kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit.

Beyond that, both cars are identical in specification and come with 20-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, a 15-inch touchscreen, smartphone mirroring, a 10.2-inch digital cockpit, synthetic leather upholstery, panoramic glass roof, dual-zone climate control and an 18-speaker sound system.

Other inclusions comprise six-way power adjustment for the front seats with heating and ventilation, a 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, adaptive cruise control, heaters for the steering wheel and rear seats, powered tailgate and rain-sensing wipers.

A major technical point of difference is the G6’s 800-volt main electrical system, which is only matched by a handful of other manufacturers including Porsche and Hyundai with its Ioniq range. The high-power technology allows very fast charging – XPeng claims you can charge from 10 to 80 per cent battery capacity in just 20 minutes, provided you have access to high-power charging infrastructure.

Officially, the XPeng comes with a five-year/120,000km warranty and an eight year/180,000km deal on the battery, but both can be extended to 10 years for an additional $4980. That said, the company is offering a deal until June 30, 2025, which includes the extended guarantee for no extra cost.

The G6 also has long service intervals of 20,000km (or 12 months) and relatively cheap servicing costs, thanks in part to the simplicity of its electric drivetrain. Servicing XPeng models has been contracted to UltraTune nationally with each scheduled visit costing $238.

XPeng has clearly learnt from the mistakes of other challenger brands in Australia and is not risking the mire of potential customers who feel safety can’t be compromised – even in the name of cash savings. That’s why a whole lot of passive and active safety gear is included for the price.

To that end, XPeng’s XPilot suite includes adaptive cruise control, dynamic lane keeping, active lane changing, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking assistance (which can even help you pick a spot), 360-degree camera with selectable views (including a cool ‘transparent chassis’ feature), remote parking, autonomous emergency braking, and automatic headlights, to name a few highlights.

You’ll also find 12 cameras scattered about the G6 including one for driver monitoring.

For the main part, the XPilot features are on a par with other mainstream manufacturers in function and innovation, but don’t let the marketing hyperbole fool you. You might find feature menu items like ‘Real-time VR Assist’ and ‘Global Perception Intelligent Co-driving’, but they are just fancy names for technology already found in many modern and safe vehicles of all brands.

Furthermore, we’re not sure of the value of the digital cluster feature, which presents a graphical image of other vehicles and road users in the vicinity when you can simply look out of the windows and see them.

Perhaps it’s a bit of a gimmick, with the real value being in how the vehicle can use this information for its driver assistance and active safety tech.

Except that, on at least one occasion, it didn’t, when a truck turned dangerously across the path of the XPeng, requiring a sudden lane change and braking to avoid a near miss (or worse). During the incident the electronics remained completely impotent, providing neither a warning nor intervention.

The 360-degree camera works well and the transparent chassis feature offers a useful view of the surroundings – even the stuff under the car. We particularly like how the actual clearance is displayed in centimetres, which brings a sense of trust to what the distance warning feature is saying.

When tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) in 2024, the G6 received the highest five-star rating. It received praise for a high level of protection for all road users inside and out of the vehicle, including an 88 per cent score for adult occupants.

Technology is something XPeng would like to become closely associated with in the Australian market and the brand is pushing high levels of standard kit as its unique selling point. As such, you’ll find a 15-inch central touchscreen in the G6, although it’s accompanied by a smallish 10.2-inch digital instrument screen and no head-up display.

There’s also wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with a pair of wireless charging pads, over-the-air software updates, a mix of proprietary and third-party applications, an 18-speaker sound system with digital radio, and remote connectivity via XPeng’s smartphone app.

For a car that’s so tech focused, it’s surprising to find keyless entry is not featured even though the vehicle self-starts when it senses the ‘key’. XPeng says the vehicle is equipped with the function but it didn’t work for us. Perhaps the operation is buried in a menu somewhere, but we can’t imagine for a minute why any owner would want to deactivate this feature.

While the level of technology is generally high, a lot of its operation and customisation is confined to menus in the touchscreen rather than physical switches and buttons, somewhat reminiscent of early Tesla models. It has resulted in a clean and uncluttered cabin but functionality suffers – as it did in those early Teslas.

Having to hit four or five ‘buttons’ on the touchscreen to switch on heated seats is one such example that could be improved with a small pushbutton, which we’re confident wouldn’t offend anyone.

Native navigation is offered and it’s a lovely system with smooth graphics and a pastel colour palette, just like the rest of the operating system. It’s a good user interface experience with a fast refresh rate and an intuitive layout.

Regardless of the battery size (and the resulting difference in range), all G6s for now are powered by a single rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor with rear-wheel drive.

There’s 440Nm available in each model, although performance varies. The Standard Range has 190kW and sprints to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds, while the 210kW Long Range reaches the same speed in 6.2 seconds.

There is no multi-speed transmission or simulated gear shift, with a single-speed reduction sending power to the rear wheels.

Even though the XPeng G6 Standard Range has the smaller battery, it still has a respectable range and can manage a claimed 435km on the WLTP cycle. Need more? The Long Range ups this figure to 570km, says XPeng.

However, while many electric vehicles rely on a 400V main electrical system, the XPeng uses a more advanced 800V system, following the lead of Porsche and Hyundai’s advanced Ioniq family, for example. This high power approach has performance advantages but, in the case of the XPeng G6, it delivers mostly charging benefits.

Maximum AC charging takes 7.5 hours from near empty to fully charged, but it’s the DC charging that’s particularly impressive.

Supporting DC fast charging of up to 215kW, a 10 to 80 per cent change takes just 20 minutes, says XPeng.

If you’re wondering, it’s the same charge time for Long Range. The Long Range can charge at up to 280kW on a DC fast charger, although its AC charging is slower given the larger capacity battery.

However – and it’s a big however – the updated and facelifted G6, which is due to arrive in Australia later this year, has an upgraded electrical system. This cuts the 10-80 per cent charge time to a lightning 12 minutes or, to put it another way, 450km of range can be added in just 10 minutes.

Some EV driving experiences are memorable, either leaving the driver a little rattled through enormous performance or a little challenged thanks to aggressive regenerative braking. Others EVs have a thumping ride quality, the memory of which also hangs around for the wrong reasons.

The XPeng, however, is most memorable for its extraordinary normality – and this is intended very much as a compliment. Its ride is certainly typical of many EVs, with a firm spring rate to counter its hefty kerb mass, but it’s still supple and comfortable.

Fast charging options will be a bonus to the driver who covers long road trips with less time spent at public charge points, while the efficiency will also please the frugal owner. In our time with the G6, it reported an energy usage of just 11.9kWh/100km – significantly better than the claimed average of 17.5kWh/100km.

The company makes a point of highlighting the G6’s high-rigidity Sepa 2.0 construction which, it says, is 83 per cent stiffer, as well as safer and lighter, than the previous platform. While there’s no comparison available in Australia, the result in isolation is a vehicle that is easy to drive and fun when prodded a little.

Performance is also good but not exceptional amid a swelling field of EV options, and the G6 leaves you with a relaxed sense of adequacy not excess – exactly what owners will appreciate day to day.

Its steering is light and a little disconnected but effortless, cabin noise is exceptionally low even by EV standards, while the dynamics are enjoyable if not incendiary. In short, the G6 will appeal to car owners who regard their cars rather like a lawn mower – a machine that’s intended to do its job with maximum convenience and minimal fuss, and without unnecessary flashy extras.

It’s much the same story on the inside, with a cabin that’s been created to impress not the hardcore motoring enthusiast but the consumer majority who want space, practicality, and ease of use.

Electric-popping doors are a cool feature but the lack of any mechanical override is slightly concerning, while the lack of a conventional glovebox is the only black mark against storage.

Otherwise there’s space everywhere, with a huge second row, a light-filled cabin thanks to the large and dark-tinted glass roof, and a boot that’s big for the segment at 571 litres, or 1374L with the rear seats folded.

But don’t you dare let a toddler anywhere near the car with a handful of crayons if you’ve opted for the no-added-cost white interior!

With no transmission tunnel to get in the way, there is more foot room at floor level. This means accommodating a third person in the back is a realistic proposition, while you’ll find more storage in the large centre console with its raft of device charging options.

The XPeng offers the ultimate EV convenience party trick, vehicle-to-load (V2L) power option. So you can plug in any household electrical items, and is the perfect complement for the optional inflatable mattress on spontaneous camping trips.

There’s also no under-bonnet storage, or ‘frunk’, even though there’s a lot of airspace in there, although we suspect that’ll be filled with an extra drive motor and transmission when the high-performance all-wheel drive G6 arrives later in the year.

On recently finding ourselves being chauffeured in the city in a premium electric German car (tough gig, I know!), our driver told us with great excitement that he had recently ordered an XPeng G6 for his chauffer business. While he loved the German car, he could no longer justify its price and was after a more palatable alternative.

And that’s where the XPeng is finding a foothold. It mightn’t have a prestige badge, gorgeous design, or visceral performance, but it does everything you’d expect from an everyday EV, whether you’re a driver or business owner in the front seat or a customer or passenger in the back.

While brands like Tesla manage their own challenges and premium brands tussle for the top money, models like the G6 are making a convincing case for affordable and honest EV all-rounders.

It’s funny to think that if the XPeng G6 had arrived on Australian roads 10 years ago it would have been one of the most revolutionary and disruptive vehicles money could buy, but amid a growing number of Chinese EVs in 2025, it’s the G6’s benign nature that makes it so good.

2025 XPeng G6 Standard Range at a glance:
Price: $54,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 190kW/440Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 66kWh lithium-ion
Range: 435km WLTP
Energy consumption: 17.5Wh/100km WLTP
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2024)

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