The Beijing Auto Show is always full of surprises, but this year, a giant took the stage. XPeng has officially pulled the covers off its newest flagship SUV, the XPeng GX. This big vehicle is designed to be the best of the best for the Chinese company. With a starting price of RMB 399,800, which is about £42,200, it is not a cheap family runaround, but it offers a lot of features that usually cost much more in other electric cars. This six-seater has more computer power than many professional workstations. XPeng wants to prove that its cars can be as luxurious and advanced as the top-shelf offerings from famous luxury brands from Europe.
When you first look at the XPeng GX from a distance, you might think you are seeing a Range Rover. It has a similar boxy, strong look that many luxury buyers love. But the GX is actually longer than the British classic. It measures 207.3 inches from front to back. The wheelbase is a roomy 122.6 inches. But even though it is a giant SUV, it moves through the air very easily. It has a drag coefficient of 0.255 – better than many small, sleek cars. It sits on large 22-inch wheels that help it stand tall and look expensive.
Inside the car, the space is the real star. Most SUVs with three rows of seats feel like a cardboard box in the very back. The XPeng GX uses a layout with two seats in each of the three rows. The doors close themselves softly, so you never have to worry about slamming them. XPeng says this is a car built for families and it isn’t wrong. The trunk is big enough to hold six large suitcases, even when every seat is full. There is a fridge that stays quiet while it keeps your drinks cold. The front passenger seat can even lean back 180 degrees for a nap. If you want some privacy, the glass can dim itself using AI technology.
There are two versions of the new GX available – the first is a pure electric option. This model uses an 800V system that allows for very fast charging. XPeng calls this 5C supercharging. On a full charge, this version can travel 466 miles. It uses two electric motors for all-wheel drive to make sure it has plenty of grip on the road. This makes it one of the long-distance leaders among modern EVs.
The second version is an extended-range EV. This model can go 267 miles using just its battery. It also has a small gas engine that acts like a generator, and when you use both, the total range jumps to 985 miles. That is a serious distance for any vehicle. You could drive for days without needing to stop for fuel or a charge. Like the pure electric version, this one also comes with all-wheel drive as standard equipment.
XPeng calls the GX its first “robotaxi-ready” car – it has the hardware to drive itself in the future. It uses four special AI chips designed by XPeng. These chips are very powerful and can think much faster than a human. To help the car steer, XPeng worked with Bosch to build a steer-by-wire system. This means there is no metal rod connecting the steering wheel to the tires. Instead, the car uses wires and computers to tell the wheels which way to turn. This allows the AI to steer faster and with more precision.
Safety is another area where XPeng is showing off its strengths. The company says the XPeng GX has “aviation-grade” safety – it has backup systems for everything, just like a commercial airplane. If one system for steering or braking fails, there are five more layers of backup to keep you safe. The car can also stop itself automatically if it sees a crash coming. It can do this at speeds up to 93 mph. It even works on ice and snow, which is usually very hard for computers to handle.
But this is not the first time XPeng has tried to sell a luxury car. They tried it once before with the G9, but it did not go very well. Now, the GX has to fight against other popular Chinese EVs like the Li Auto L9 and the NIO ES8. Pretty much anywhere in the world, a car with all these features for £42,200 would be an instant hit. But in China, the competition is so tough that some people think the price is a bit high.
If you want to spend a little more, you can get a special paint job called “Kunlun Cloud Realm.” This paint is put on in 15 different layers, with each layer 230 micrometers thick. This makes the car look like it was painted by hand by an artist. It gives the GX a lustrous, deep look that you usually only see on cars that cost in excess of £150,000. XPeng is trying very hard to make sure this SUV feels like a true luxury product from top to bottom.
XPeng is changing from a car company into an AI mobility company. They are already making robots, eVTOL aircraft and are working on robot taxis. The XPeng GX is a big part of this new plan. If the self-driving technology works as well as they promise, the high price might be worth it. People might be willing to pay more for a car that can handle the boring parts of driving for them. For now, the cars are already arriving at stores in China.