The Xpeng GX is the new flagship SUV of the Xpeng brand. I went to my favorite Xpeng shop in Beijing to check it out. First impression: it is huge, and it looks less like a Range Rover in person than in the earlier media photos. The Xpeng GX is actually quite a good-looking machine, with a comprehensive overall design and a streamlined body. There’s much to tell:
The Xpeng GX SUV
The shop had one Xpeng GX on display, standing in the center of the showroom. It is a GX Ultra EV model, painted in Danxia Red with a Platinum Brown interior – a very nice combination of colors. The GX looks high-tech from every side.
That’s a fantastic alloy wheel design! 20 shiny spokes with a large hub cap with the Xpeng logo in the middle. It stands on extra-large Michelin Primacy 5 Energy tires, sized 284/40 R22.
At the front, it has wide LED daytime-running light bars with blue ADAS lights. These lights switch on automatically if the vehicle drives in autonomous mode. The stacked headlights are positioned low in the bumper section. Below the license plate is an active aero unit, with flaps that open when the car needs extra cooling. The text in the sign reads: “AI新豪华大六座SUV旗舰”, literally: “AI new-luxury flagship large six-seat SUV.” AI is hot in China, so every car brand puts “AI” in front of everything. There are even AI-powered fridges nowadays.
The interior of the Xpeng GX
Xpeng’s interiors are clean but not overly minimalistic, featuring lots of luxury and high-end materials. It has comfy Nappa-leather seats, leather trim, wood trim, and aluminium details. The center console is wide and fitted with two 50W wireless chargers and two heated & cooled cup holders.
The centerpiece of the dashboard is the 17.3-inch 3K touch screen. It also has an 8.8-inch driver’s display and an 88-inch AR-HUD. Xpeng has designed a cool twin-spoke steering wheel with small scroll wheels and a flat bottom. The drive selector sits on the steering wheel column.
The best seats are in the second row, featuring leg rests and a tray table. The seats are heated and ventilated, with a 10-point massage system. There are two screens in the back: an 8-inch screen between the front seats and a fold-down screen in the ceiling, which isn’t deployed here. The sunroofs create an airy atmosphere. Together, they measure exactly 1.251 m².
The Xopera sound system has 33 speakers and a 2032-watt output. It uses a 7.1.6.8-channel configuration, with separate front/rear sound zones and a dedicated amplifier. The Xopera-branded speakers are a work of art, shaped as Chinese traditional hand fans and finished in metal.
The Xpeng GX is a six-seat car. However, in this demo car, the dealer had folded the rear seats down. The seats in the middle row are fixed in place. The fancy neck pillows are standard. However, they partially block the headrest speakers. The luggage space measures 673-1748 liters, and the frunk adds another 109 liters.
Specifications of the Xpeng GX
The rear is almost empty, with flat surfacing and only the light bar to break up the large expanse of bodywork. The Xpeng GX is a full-size SUV, based on Xpeng’s SEPA 3.0 platform, with an 800V architecture. The dimensions are 5265/1999/1800, with a 3115 mm wheelbase. The GX Ultra EV model has a dual-motor AWD powertrain. The output is a massive 430 kW and 695 Nm. Front motor: 160 kW/230 Nm. Rear motor: 270 kW and 465 Nm. Xpeng claims a 0-100 in 4.28 seconds. The top speed is 200 km/h.
Speed is nothing without range. Happily, Xpeng thought about that, too. Below the floor lies a CALB LFP battery with a 91.9 kWh capacity. The Xpeng GX is a little heavy, with a 2690 kg curb weight, but its low 0.255 Cd drag coefficient partially compensates for the extra weight. The electricity consumption is a very decent 15.2 kWh/100 kilometers, which makes for a CLTC range of 665 km. Charging is fast: 6C, 10-80% in just 12 minutes.
Price of the Xpeng GX in China
The Xpeng GX Ultra EV costs 319.800 yuan in China, and that’s $47.5 K. A very good deal for such a big SUV with so much horsepower and technology. However, the competition is fierce, as always. In every segment of the market, rivals come from all corners. Examples of direct competitors of the Xpeng GX are the Aito M7, the Denza N8L, the Tesla Model Y L, and the Volkswagen ID. Era 9x.
Another new car: the Xpeng P7+ EREV Max. The RWD powertrain combines a 110 kW 1.5 turbo with a 180 kW/450 Nm electric motor and a 49.2 kWh LFP battery. Xpeng claims a combined range of 1550 km (note the sticker on the front door), and an electric range of 430 kilometers. It costs $28 K.
Outside, I found one of my favorite Chinese cars of all time: the Xpeng P7 fastback sedan, with a cool white racing stripe over the hood. What a brilliant design! Sadly, it is a bit too extreme for Chinese consumers, and sales have been very slow. More Xpeng cars soon!