XPeng G6 review

Type ‘G6’ into Google, and the first thing that comes up isn’t this XPeng G6, but a song called ‘Like a G6’ by American hip hop band Far East Movement. No, we hadn’t heard of them either, but the fact that they’re not exactly a household name is perhaps appropriate, because neither is XPeng – at least, not yet.

Named after its founder, He Xiaopeng, it’s based in Guangdong province in southern China, and only arrived in the UK in 2024. However, some other Chinese car brands – including BYD, Jaecoo and Omoda – have quickly established themselves here, and XPeng is keen to follow suit.

The G6 is its sole offering for now, and is an electric family SUV that competes with the very popular Tesla Model Y. Meanwhile, other rivals include the MG IM6, Renault Scenic, Skoda Elroq and Smart #5. So, how does it stack up?

What’s new?

February 2026 - We drive the revised G6, which is said to feature more than 20,000 incremental changes, including tweaks to the suspension, steering and electric motors that are designed to make it better to drive

April 2025 - The G6 electric SUV goes on sale in the UK with a range between charges of up to 354 miles

July 2024 - XPeng makes its UK debut, showing the new G6 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

How fast is it and which motor is best?

There are three versions of the XPeng G6: the RWD (rear-wheel drive) Standard Range, the RWD Long Range and the AWD (all-wheel drive) Performance.

The Long Range produces 292bhp and feels properly fast. And, while we’re yet to try it, we doubt the Standard Range will be even remotely sluggish, despite making do with 248bhp.

As for the Performance, this adds a second electric motor for a total output of 480bhp and a hot hatch-rivalling 0-62mph time of 4.1 seconds.

If you’re playing Top Trumps, the MG IM6 Performance (742bhp, 3.5sec) and Tesla Model Y Performance (618bhp, 3.7sec) still have the G6 Performance beaten.

Back in the real world, though, we’d actually stick with the Long Range; it’s more than quick enough and, as its name implies, has the longest range of any G6. But more on that a little later.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

Despite the changes to its suspension for 2026, the body control of the G6 remains poor. This is not only reflected in considerable lean through corners but, more annoyingly, a tendency to bounce its occupants around when the road surface is anything other than super-smooth.

Even at speed, the ride never really settles down. Meanwhile, steering that’s inconsistent weighting and horribly vague further undermines the driving experience.

In short, the MG IM6, Renault Scenic, Skoda Elroq, Smart #5 and Tesla Model Y are all more comfortable and confidence-inspiring choices.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

There are four levels of regenerative braking, although it’s annoying that you have to use the car’s infotainment touchscreen to switch between them.

More positively, the strongest setting can slow the G6 down to crawling speed (although not to a complete stop). And when you do feel the need to touch the brake pedal, its responses are reasonably consistent – unlike those of the Scenic.

In fact, the G6’s refinement is pretty good full stop, with motor whine well masked, and wind and road noise kept down to an acceptable level. Only the fairly frequent thumps from the suspension disturb the peace.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The G6 can travel a respectable distance between top-ups – especially if you go for the Long Range version, which can officially cover 326 miles after a full charge.

Plenty of rivals can go farther, though, including the Skoda Elroq (up to 360 miles officially), Smart #5 (366 miles), Renault Scenic (379 miles) Tesla Model Y (387 miles) and MG IM6 (388 miles).

It’s a different story when it comes to charging speed, with the Long Range and Performance versions of the G6 able to accept a higher rate than any other electric car on sale: 451kW.

The only problem – at least for now – is that there are currently very few public charging stations in the UK capable of exceeding 350kW. 

“I’m not a fan of the steering in general, but Sport mode really accentuates how unnaturally heavy it can feel at times.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The dashboard of the XPeng G6 has a modern, minimalist design. What’s more, material quality is mostly good, with plenty of soft-touch materials and faux-leather padding on the doors, upper dashboard and centre console.

Sure, it’s no match for the Smart #5, because there are some harder plastics lower down, but build quality is still comparable with the likes of the Renault Scenic and Skoda Elroq.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

It’s easy to get settled, thanks to a six-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat that offers a good range or movement. Meanwhile, four-way lumbar adjustment helps to keep you ache-free even after a long stint behind the wheel.

We do wish, though, that there was more side bolstering to hold you in place through corners – particularly given the G6’s poor body control.

As in the Tesla Model Y, you sit quite high relative to the dashboard and the windscreen pillars are slim, so there’s a good view forwards. However, the low-slung bonnet makes it quite difficult to judge exactly where the front of the car is.

Fortunately, every G6 comes with plenty of parking aids, including front and rear sensors and a 360-degree camera. And to compensate for the small rear window, RWD Long Range and AWD Performance models get a digital rear-view mirror that can switch between a proper mirror and a camera feed.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

A 15.6in touchscreen with sharp graphics and quick responses dominates the middle of the dash. But some of the icons are rather small and therefore distracting to operate while driving.

Having some separate, physical controls would improve things, although you could say the same of many of the G6’s rivals. And, to be fair, the Tesla Model Y is even more reliant on its touchscreen, because at least you can adjust the direction of the G6’s air vents manually.

The G6 also has an AI-powered virtual assistant, which is represented by a small robot avatar that pops up when you say “Hey XPeng”. Unfortunately, we found it didn’t always understand our commands.

The 10.25in digital driver's display could also be better, because it’s not very configurable. Still, the fact that there’s a second screen at all is an upgrade on the Model Y, which forces you to look across to its touchscreen to see what speed you're doing.

“I was impressed by the sound quality of the XPeng G6’s stereo, which is an 18-speaker, 960-watt Xopera system.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

How much space does it have for people?

This is an area where the XPeng G6 scores well because it offers acres of head and leg room for up to five people.

It’s particularly impressive in the rear, where a six-footer will have loads of space behind a similarly tall driver. What’s more, the seat backs can recline and there’s plenty of room for everyone’s feet thanks to a completely flat floor.

How much room is there for luggage?

It's a little disappointing that there’s no glovebox, but you do get two large cupholders, a big central storage cubby and wide door bins.

The boot, meanwhile, has a 571-litre capacity, which is about average for the class. It’s more space than the Skoda Elroq (490 litres) and Renault Scenic (545 litres) offer, but the Smart #5 has 630 litres and the MG IM6 665 litres.

Unlike the Scenic and Model Y, which have 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, the G6’s seats split in only two parts.

“One of the G6’s most unusual features is front seats that fold flat backwards to create a bed. I guess this is so you can take a nap while you wait for it to charge – though that shouldn’t take too long.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

In entry-level form, the XPeng G6 costs less than an equivalent Tesla Model Y and about the same as Smart #5, although it isn’t as affordable as a Renault Scenic or Skoda Elroq.

It’s also worth noting that resale values are an unknown quantity due to the brand’s lack of history in the UK.

What you can be sure of is that you’ll get a lot of equipment for your money, including 20in alloy wheels, faux-leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, a wireless phone-charging pad and a panoramic glass sunroof. And breathe.

Is it reliable and how long is the warranty?

We don’t have any reliability data for XPeng, and you could face quite a trek to get your car to a dealer due to the brand’s limited coverage in the UK.

More positively, though, XPeng provides a five-year/75,000-mile warranty, which is better than Renault, Skoda, Smart or Tesla's. And, as is the norm these days, the battery gets a separate eight-year warranty.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The G6 scored five stars out of five when it was safety tested by the independent experts at Euro NCAP and comes with lots of safety kit as standard that’s designed to help you avoid an accident in the first place.

That includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and a driver monitoring system. Meanwhile, an alarm is also included.

“When I took a closer look at the G6’s safety scores, I found it didn’t just get five stars overall, but performed well in all of the areas Euro NCAP looks at: adult occupant, child occupant and pedestrian protection, plus safety assist technology.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

Buy it if…

- You regularly use public chargers and want to minimise the time you’re stationary

- You sometimes carry tall adults in the back of your car

- You’re looking for something that comes loaded with equipment

Don’t buy it if…

- You transport children (or adults) who are prone to travel sickness

- You live in a part of the country with winding roads

- You find touchscreen-based controls fiddly and frustrating

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