XPeng G6 Long Range - first impressions

Like it or not, first impressions are what really count. It applies to people as much as it applies to cars. If the car fails to spark your interest in the first 30 seconds, it'll struggle to convince you even with outrageous performance or crazy tricks. If you are buying a car, it has to "zing" with you. And if you don't know what "zing" is, then you've never owned the right car.

There is no other way to put it - Europe and the UK are experiencing a true invasion of Chinese electric cars. Due to many geopolitical reasons, slowing sales in China, and growing demand all over the world, we are seeing more and more brands leaving the Middle Kingdom and taking their first steps on our shores. Some Chinese cars are boring, some are OK, some are literally not worth writing about, but from time to time there is one that stands out.

I did write about XPeng before, in fact - I visited their factory twice already simply because I couldn't believe what they were making there. I went to Germany not that long ago to witness the global launch of the XPeng L03, and after coming back, I was curious how its "older" and larger sibling fares against the competition in the UK. In Europe, the G6 sells like hot cakes, but in the Old Blighty it seems to have struggled off the blocks, and I decided to see why.

XPeng was brave enough to hand me the keys to a G6 Long Range version and told me to have fun with it - literally. I spent the last week with it, taking it through its paces, putting it to the grueling test of everyday routine in Scotland. Now - Scotland is unlike any other place in the world, and EVs tend to have a tough time here. The roads are rubbish, the charging infrastructure feels like it's 2010, and generally speaking - nobody believes they make any sense here. Perfect environment for a road test.

The G6 I got came in optional Graphite Grey finish with white interior - it's a color combo that makes this car look really upmarket. XPeng pulled off an amazing trick here - the G6 looks premium without trying too hard, and it will age really well in that very specific German way that makes older BMWs so desirable.

Parked up, the G6 attracts a lot of attention; people are surprised it is a Chinese car from a brand they never heard of, and once you open the door - everyone is impressed. And I mean everyone - not a single person said a bad thing about the G6's interior. Sure, the white color dazzles at first, but it is the design, the quality that shocks you at first look, and then reassures you at first touch. It's something that Mercedes struggles with, and BMW pulls off just. VW and Audi have very little chance here.

I know, these are big words, but you gotta trust me here - the interior is an absolute shock when it comes to material quality and finish. The Long Range version is priced at £45,000, and it feels better than the $101,900 Mercedes EQE SUV 350+. right after dropping off the G6, I sat in a brand-new Mercedes GLC and honestly, if I was the owner of it, I would have felt robbed.

That was the first shock. The second was the tech - I am a proud Gen X, and I love my buttons and toggles and switches. I am the last person to ever recommend a touchscreen in a car. Have you ever tried using a screen in a car in Scotland? The cars were never designed to be safely operated over here - trying to poke the screen to adjust temperature usually ends in dialing your girlfriend's number while your Mrs is sitting right next to you - touch screens are dangerous.

But XPeng managed to surprise me, because I didn't need to touch the screen at all. It is the first car I have ever tested where the voice control actually works - and this isn't XPeng's latest AI-driven solution. You can operate pretty much any function of the car by speaking to it - open any window, change the temperature, find a destination, put the aircon on, switch the seat heater or massage on, switch the lights on and off, change music….

And then we have the drive itself. This is a large SUV by European standards, and it is quite heavy at that. I was expecting a mediocre performance from a single electric motor, but again - huge surprise. The car felt almost uncomfortably quick, way too quick for the local roads, and way too quick for passengers who were thrown around like shopping bags. The Sport mode in the end became just a party trick, with the car doing really well in its ECO preset.

The suspension dealt with the G6's weight really well, kept it in check, and although it is on the firm side of things, it never felt harsh. Again - it felt very much like a BMW: sorted, composed, sure. I never expected that from a high-riding SUV, but it shows where XPeng spent its money.

And finally, the biggest surprise from the test - the range. The WLTP rating promises 326 miles, and I tried different ways of driving - sticking to speed limits on B-roads, keeping up with the traffic on A-roads, and blasting up and down the motorway. The G6 delivered surprising results every time. What was the real-world range? Sorry, you'll have to wait for a full, detailed review that's coming up shortly. I promise - the wait will be well worth it.