There’s a(nother) new Chinese brand heading to the United Kingdom and Europe with the promise of marvellous technology, toys aplenty, and an approach to electric driving that no other brand can hope to offer.
We’ve heard this sort of thing before. But XPeng promises to be different from the rest. It’s a tech-first carmaker with products that aren’t only affordable but also, crucially in this case, take the fight directly to the Tesla Model Y—a car from a brand that’s not exactly winning right now.
The contender in question is the XPeng G6. And the question is: is this newcomer worth your cash over a Tesla, or any of the other electric options out there?
2025 XPeng G6
XPeng G6: What Is It?
It’s an all-new, all-singing, all-dancing electric SUV hailing from China. XPeng was founded in 2014 and bills itself as a tech company over anything else. That means its cars come with plenty of exciting features that promise magical things like an 800V architecture, an AI assistant that says it’ll predict your needs, and wireless phone charging that doesn’t suck.
The G6 isn’t XPeng’s first car by any means. It’s made sedans, different-sized SUVs, and even an MPV. But this is the model it seems to be pinning its hopes on for a stress-free voluminous launch. Like the rest of the XPeng lineup, it is EV-only, and aims to fill family driveways up and down the nation.
You can’t accuse it of being exciting to look at, but it’s not ugly either. In fact, if you compare it to the latest take on the Model Y, it fares favorably. It still falls into the “egg shape good” trap that ensnares many modern EVs. What’s good for aerodynamics and range isn’t necessarily good for the eyes.
Inside, you’ll find a fairly monotone interior. The outside isn’t feast and neither is the inside. Drivers get a small 10.2-inch instrument screen to keep an eye on the important stuff, and everyone else can clap their eyes on a 15-inch infotainment screen. The keen-eyed among you will spot a double wireless chargepad with built-in fans to keep your phones cool as you glide along. That’s a neat touch.
If you’re after a big SUV—big for Europe anyway, as everything’s relative—with lots of gadgets and smart looks, XPeng has something to show you.
XPeng G6: Specs And Features
You want numbers? The G6 has LOTS of numbers.
The car I had on test was a RWD Standard Range, and there’s a RWD Long Range car for people who want to go a bit further. Those two are the UK’s standard lineup, though a mega-quick AWD car is available elsewhere.
The base car comes with a 258 hp, 324 lb-ft motor powering the rear wheels, while the long-range car will net you the same torque and 286 hp, also driving the rears. Standard range cars come with a 66kWh LFP battery, while the LR cars come with an 87.5kWh NCM unit.
There’s not a huge performance difference between the two cars, with the bigger battery car sneaking 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds to the base car’s 6.6. Not slow, but not so fast you’ll rinse the battery in 30 seconds flat.
The range for the standard car is 270 miles, while the bigger battery will get you 345 miles. When it comes to charging, the entry-level car can take 215 kW chargers, while the top spec can handle 280 kW. Either way, you’ll supposedly charge from 10% to 80% in about 20 minutes.
XPeng G6: How Does It Drive?
It’s big, it’s quiet, and it’s covered in cameras and sensors to make sure you don’t bend it. All of that’s a huge bonus around town, where the roads are doggedly staying the same width and will continue to do so. The sound deadening in the cockpit is stellar, and means whatever’s going on around you won’t ruin your day.
There’s enough grunt to get away from the lights clearly, but you don’t feel like you’re entering hyperspace. XPeng, at least on these RWD cars, recognises that you don’t need supercar pace to have a good time.
Much like its aesthetic, you can’t accuse the G6 of being an exciting car. It’s not a pin-sharp angerbox designed for carving corners. It knows its place, and that’s tooling around posh ‘burbs doing real-life stuff. The steering doesn’t fizz in your fingers, the brakes are easy enough to modulate, and you can see out of the thing (though the rear visibility is, per the norm, not stellar through the rear windshield; there’s a back up camera to take care of reversing) when you’re in tight spots.
What’s Good About The XPeng G6?
While the XPeng has more than its fair share of intrusive safety systems, it’s also got a way to quickly and easily turn them off. Each key cycle turns the whole suite back on, but when you’re on the move when the speed limit bong goes off, or the driver alertness ping fires up, there’ll be an option on the screen to quickly switch it off.
A couple of prods later and the system turns it all off. Competitors make it difficult to turn all that stuff off, but the G6 doesn’t.
It doesn’t pretend to be a sports car and that’s a good thing. So many manufacturers seem to think that giving their cars a billion horsepower and putting a “HYPERMASC” button somewhere that kicks the motor up the ass and plasters you to a seat is a good idea. It really, really isn’t. Most people just want something nice, comfortable, and pleasingly brisk.
The G6 doesn’t pretend to be a rocketship. And it’s all the better for it.
While there are no buttons on the center stack, there are some on the steering wheel. Unless you’ve got other systems activated, you can control the air con through it. A neat solution to a frustrating problem.
The G6 comes with Active Lane Change tech to keep you driving in lane, and it won’t complain if you have your hands on the wheel while it does the hard work for you. Knock the indicator, and it’ll change lanes (mostly) without any trouble. For the ‘mostly’ bit, see the next section.
What’s Bad About The XPeng G6?
Now’s the time for the “mostly” bit per above. Yes, the G6 can use Active Lane Change to move laterally for you on the highway. All you need to do is tell the indicator you want to move and away you go. Though on more than one occasion, it gave up mid-manuever.. On a fast-moving highway that’s distinctly ungood. Still, you get to practise your swearing as you take back control.
On a similar note, it does come with a Lane Centering Control lane keep assist function, which is neat for making sure you don’t stray from your lane if you’re not the sort of driver who pays close attention to such things. But it’s a bit grabby if you know what you’re doing. And that’s annoying.
Everything, pretty much, is done via a screen. It’s a responsive screen, but digging through menus and swapping screens to get around just isn’t IT in 2025. Bring back buttons. Please.
And again, it’s not very exciting to look at. An old friend has a theory that all cars are, very slowly, morphing into eggs. The XPeng G6 is another step on the evolutionary chain to Auto Ovumiens. Especially in white.
XPeng G6: How Is It As An EV?
It’s fine at what it needs to do. Removing any pretense of silly speed has done it plenty of favors as even the standard range car managed pretty stellar efficiency in warmish weather, clocking in at 4.2 miles per kWh over mixed driving—a touch more than its quoted WLTP efficiency should be. That was a pleasant surprise.
It’s quiet, comfy, efficient, and charges fast enough that if you need to splash ‘n dash out in public, you won’t be waiting too long.
XPeng G6: The Verdict
XPeng is a new brand in the UK, and comparatively new in the wider world. You can see the firm’s keen to make the most of all the tech it has at its disposal—that much is clear from all the stuff going on via the center stack—but as a first car for the UK market, it’s a strong start.
It’s aimed squarely at people who want a sensible family ride that won’t do their back in, threaten to tear away if you press the throttle too hard, and won’t eat its battery at a moment’s notice. It’s not going to break the bank either. In fact, the base car is £10 shy of the UK’s luxury car tax threshold, which saves a heap of cash.
Chinese EVs aren’t just becoming a common sight on UK roads. Increasingly, they’re the norm. Legacy brands are holding the top spots for now, sure, but as more and more come onto the market, buyers are drawn in by generous standard equipment, standout design (in some cases), and price points that appear too good to be true compared to the old guard.
We can’t ignore the Tesla issue either. While those cars paved the way for EV acceptance, the lineup is long in the tooth, and the man at the top has (if we put this really politely) courted controversy to the point that sales are tanking all over Europe. Where once only a Californian car would do, China’s efforts are looking more and more appealing. That’s where the XPeng G6 really shines; if you want a Model Y but don’t want the Elon baggage, this has emerged as a very interesting alternative.
Its flaws are annoying, and it’s not the most exciting car to look at, but as a car to simply be A Car… well, it’s pretty good. Legacy manufacturers shouldn’t necessarily be shaking in their boots yet, but they should be keeping an eye open for XPeng.
Gallery: 2025 XPeng G6
Alex Goy is a freelance journalist based in London. He likes British sports cars, tea, and the feeling of the mild peril that only owning a British sports car can bring to your day.
