Car review: Xpeng G6 facelift exceeds expectations

SINGAPORE – Japanese carmaker Toyota popularised the concept of “kaizen”, or continuous improvement. And now, electric carmakers are doing the same, and at an unprecedented speed and scale.

After launching the G6 electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) just 14 months ago, Chinese brand Xpeng has upgraded the car, both inside and out.

Besides lightly refreshing the exterior, the Tesla Model Y rival has also been given a thoroughly updated cabin and tweaked chassis.

Xpeng also, almost casually, introduced its G6 Performance variant, which has 70 per cent more power than the standard model. This version is capable of going from 0-100kmh in 4.1 seconds, which is as fast as a BMW M2.

The front LED strip on the updated G6 runs across the entire width of the car, instead of having a break in the middle to fit the Xpeng emblem. At the back, the edge of the rear hatch has a kick-up to serve like a spoiler. The sides of the bumper near the wheels arches have a bit more sculpting.

The design of the 20-inch wheels is also new, with five petal-like spokes.

While the electric vehicle (EV) has not shed its rather generic electric SUV silhouette, the tweaks do make the G6 look more chiselled and less bulbous.

The cabin has been more extensively remodelled and the single most significant change is the appearance of small plastic tabs on the air-conditioning louvres. They replace the electric motors in the pre-facelift car.

So, instead of having to poke and swipe the infotainment screen just to point the chilled air away from their faces, occupants can simply use their fingers to push the tabs.

Hopefully, more car companies will follow suit and stop using motorised air-conditioning vents because they are nowhere as cool as the carmakers imagine them to be.

The dashboard design is now more stylish than the 2024 model, with a deeper deck for the faux wood inlay. The driver’s digital display looks more prominent now because it stands on the dash instead of being within a recess.

The centre infotainment touchscreen is, as one would expect, big. The rearview mirror is now digital, although the screen can be switched off easily and become a conventional mirror.

The two-tone door panels feature an elegant curve to separate the light-grey leatherette material from the darker and rougher surface nearer the windows. It is a more sophisticated design than the simpler, almost slab-sided door panel design before.

The front seats seem to have a more elaborate menu of massage options, from one to relax the lower back to another that energises the upper body. The upholstery is smooth and soft, reinforcing the car’s premium positioning.

The rear bench is broad and deep. Along with the generous amount of legroom, the car is more than capable of fitting three adults with a bit of room to spare. The boot should be spacious enough, although the subwoofer fitted to the side reduces the width of the loading area.

At 1,920mm wide, the G6 is nearly as broad as a Lamborghini supercar and identical to the Tesla Model Y.

On several occasions with the automatic parking function, the car called out – in a pleasant but synthesised voice – that the intended parking space was a bit narrow.

Instead of giving up, the G6 soldiered on, but only after it announced that it would be folding its wing mirrors to make itself a bit slimmer. It then backed itself smoothly into the spot without incident. It works really well, even with angled spaces.

With the smartphone app, the car can do the parking without anyone sitting inside. However, the system is a bit like a needy child – the driver has to be standing near enough to the car and the button on the app has to remain pressed throughout.

Otherwise, the process will be interrupted, and the car will stop at some point during the process, unless the driver walks beside the car as it does the parking.

The suspension bushings are said to be stiffer than before. The ride of the test car, which is a dual-motor G6 Performance, seems as soft and cushy as the pre-facelifted rear-wheel-drive version tested in 2024, but it does not float as much when driven over uneven roads.

Instead, it feels more connected on the road, especially at expressway speeds.

The G6 Performance has plenty of instant oomph. The car seems capable of converting electricity into acceleration at an alarming pace, all while remaining refined and calm.

Other than the surrounding scenery suddenly going in hyperdrive, the only other difference during harder acceleration is a slightly higher-pitched sound coming into the cabin, like the car Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan drove in the 1981 film The Cannonball Run.

There is always plenty of grip during cornering and braking, but the driver never really gets plugged into the action. This makes the G6 Performance more of a very comfortable and rapid cruiser than a sports car, which should engage the driver’s senses as the pace picks up.

To be fair, other than bragging about its 0-100kmh capabilities, Xpeng does not talk up the Performance as if it is a supercar-slayer.

The only visual difference on the Performance, which commands a $30,000 premium over the single-motor G6, is a tiny badge on the hatch. There are no extra spoilers, no bigger wheels and no oversized brakes – nothing to hint at the car’s pace.

Charging technology onboard the G6 has undergone a significant upgrade. While the regular AC charging speed remains capped at 11kW, the DC charging speed now maxes out at 451kW.

This is a big leap from the 280kW on the pre-updated G6 Long Range model and beats the Tesla Model Y’s 250kW.

Xpeng claims that a 12-minute charge will yield more than 350km of driving range. That assumes that the car has access to an EV charger that is powerful enough to make the most of the capability.

While they do exist in China and elsewhere, Singapore’s EV chargers that Xpeng owners can plug into are no quicker than 200kW today. Even the Tesla Superchargers, which are exclusive to Tesla cars, max out at 250kW.

However, speedier chargers are expected to be available in Singapore, according to charging service operators.

But given the pace that Xpeng and other Chinese carmakers are improving their products, who knows what else they will come up with in another 14 months.

Xpeng G6 Pro AWD Performance

Price: $280,999 with certificate of entitlement (COE) before discounts
Motor: Dual permanent magnet synchronous with 80.8kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Power: 358kW
Torque: 660Nm
0-100kmh: 4.1 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Power consumption: 18.4kWh/100km
Charging capacity: 11kW AC; 451kW DC
Agent: XPremium BEV
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Comparable considerations

Tesla Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive ($130,626 without COE, $267,516 at latest COE price)
The facelift of the Tesla Model Y is arguably even more extensive than the G6’s, with a more dramatic visual makeover as well as a significant upgrade to the build quality. As it stands, the dual-motor Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive is a whisker slower, going from 0-100kmh in 4.8 seconds compared with the G6 Performance’s 4.1 seconds. But Tesla does offer a Model Y elsewhere that is capable of doing the century sprint in 3.5 seconds.