XPeng G6 review: Can a Tesla lookalike beat the EV benchmark?

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng is one of the latest new brands to enter the Australian EV market, opening their first flagship store in December 2024 and commencing deliveries of the mid-size G6 SUV shortly after. 

We can’t know for sure how the car has gone down with customers because XPeng has not yet reported G6 sales figures in Australia through official channels.

However, early indications from vehicle registration data obtained by Carloop shows the XPeng G6 is selling reasonably well, and is ranking somewhere between 10th and 15th position on the EV sales charts this year, which would be in the order of 500 units or more.

XPeng the brand has been around for over 10 years now, originally founded in 2014 by Henry Xia who has openly admitted Tesla was a big inspiration behind his decision to start the company, particularly when Tesla open-sourced all of their patents for other EV makers to use.

So it’s no surprise that the G6 is a mid-size SUV with nearly identical dimensions to a Tesla Model Y, but the similarities don’t stop there. The interior and infotainment system are also heavily inspired by Tesla vehicles, so it only seems fair to compare the two brands throughout this review. 

XPeng undercuts the Model Y on price, with a base model G6 Standard Range coming in at just under $58,000 driveaway in NSW vs slightly above $64,000 for the base Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive. XPeng does not charge extra for different paint colours either, whereas a non-white Tesla costs another $2,500 on top.

Long range versions of the two cars are even further apart, with the G6 Long Range costing roughly $63,000 driveaway in NSW compared with $74,600 for a Long Range Tesla. The long range Model Y is all-wheel drive rather than rear-wheel drive in the G6 Long Range, although a more performance focused all-wheel drive G6 is expected in the future.

Sleek design leads to efficiency

First impressions walking up to the XPeng G6 is of a very sleek exterior design, featuring rounded off edges everywhere, clearly designed to maximise aerodynamic efficiency. The rounded exterior lends itself to blending in, meaning the G6 looks a bit generic in my opinion, and might be considered boring by some.

If you squint however, I think the rear end looks like a Porsche Macan, particularly in the Fiery Orange colour pictured above. The loan car XPeng gave me was Artic White, so it didn’t stand out as much as that bright orange one I saw parked at XPeng in Mascot. 

Getting inside the G6 requires a press of the keyfob unlock button before the recessed door handles present themselves. Having to press a physical unlock button feels very dated these days, after driving a car with keyless entry for years, and especially for such a tech-laden car.

XPeng staff confirmed the phone app allows the car to be unlocked as you approach it, and locks it automatically when you walk away. I did not get the chance to test the app myself, but a quick read of some reviews on the app stores and forums shows mixed feedback, with some people reporting bluetooth connection issues.

Boot space in the G6 measures 571 L with the rear seats up, expanding to 1,374 L with the seats folded down. Space with the seats up is larger than competing SUVs like the Kia EV5 (513 L), BYD Sealion 7 (500 L), BYD Atto 3 (440 L) and Geely EX5 (410 L) although less than the Model Y (854 L). 

Features in the boot are limited to a single 12 V socket, with no net or hooks to tie things down, and only a shallow additional compartment located underneath the boot floor. There is no frunk in the G6 either, although there appears to be room for a small one if XPeng wanted to include one.

The slippery shape and rounded corners of the vehicle do result in the G6 being very efficient. During the highway portion of an AEVA trip to Narara Ecovillage north of Sydney, I consumed 14.2 kWh/100 km. In the city it fared even better, recording just 10.1 kWh/100 km. 

This 4 kWh spread between highway and city consumption is larger than I normally observe with other EVs, something I don’t have a good explanation for. Once averaged out however, the efficiency I saw with the G6 is in the same ballpark as what Giles Parkinson, Riz Akhtar and myself all found with the new Model Y, which is impressive.

Charging the G6 during a road trip should be fast too, with an 800 V architecture and quoted 10 – 80% charging time of only 20 minutes. Maximum charging speeds are 215 kW and 280 kW for Standard Range or Long Range variants respectively, so keep this in mind when planning charging stops.

Also note that XPeng G6 vehicles are unable to use the Tesla Supercharger network at the moment due to compatibility issues. XPeng says they are working on an over the air software update to resolve the issue so hopefully that starts rolling out soon.

Tesla-inspired interior, with some extra features and quirks

As mentioned above, the interior of XPeng’s G6 is heavily inspired by Tesla’s lineup of vehicles too, with minimalist designs and infotainment system features that will feel familiar to Tesla owners. 

For example, almost everything is controlled through the central 15-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen, from adjusting the air vents to opening the glovebox. Scroll wheels and buttons on the steering wheel control audio functions and XPilot Assist, XPeng’s version of Autopilot cruise control.

These steering wheel buttons are on opposite sides compared to a Tesla, and the XPilot section doubles for changing the fan speed and temperature when XPilot is not in use, which is a nice addition but I personally would prefer the user interface remained consistent.

A 10-inch digital instrument cluster is located behind the steering wheel, which displays key statistics such as speed and range as well as XPilot visualisation, much like Tesla’s Autopilot visualisation. Two stalks are present on the G6 steering wheel, matching the features found on pre-refresh Model 3/Y vehicles before the stalks were removed. 

Diving into the settings reveals many features that will also feel familiar to Tesla drivers, such as dashcam and sentry mode. Some things you won’t find on a Tesla though, like the WiFi hotspot function and XPeng’s AI assistant that responds to “Hey XPeng,” saving you a button press before asking for something.

The AI assistant worked fairly well in my experience, enabling you to control certain car functions including the drive mode without needing to navigate through the touchscreen. If navigating somewhere presents you with multiple options, the assistant will respond correctly to “the first one” which means you can keep your hands on the wheel.

Overall, I found the XPeng infotainment system worked reasonably well, but there were a few quirks during the week I drove it. The frame rate of the XPilot visualisation and blind spot cameras when they pop up is low and very grainy in the dark, but the reversing camera itself is fine. 

Several other problems should be simple software fixes for XPeng, such as the search bar disappearing from the map altogether when in split screen mode or confusing menu items like one that simply says “Door lock” without any explanation under the windows and doors menu.

In terms of the actual space and comfort in the G6 cabin, it is excellent throughout, with lots of room and soft cushioned seats to keep the driver and all passengers comfortable on long journeys. The rear seats can also recline which is a welcome feature.

Two 50 W wireless charging pads, plus a 60 W USB-C, 10 W USB-A port or 180 W 12 V outlet can be used to charge devices up front, as well as 2x 15 W USB-C in the rear. The G6 supports vehicle to load (V2L), although it requires an external charge port adapter as there is no internal 240 V socket to plug devices directly into.

Above average driving except for low speeds

Setting off in the XPeng G6 is quick and easy, with no start/stop button and a flick of the gear selector on the right-hand stalk. Just like older Tesla vehicles, the gear selector also enables adaptive cruise control with 1 pull or XPilot Assist with 2 pulls down.

XPilot was something I was keen to test, given XPeng has been working on their advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems for several years. XPilot Assist is currently a level 2 autonomous system, meaning drivers remain in control and must hold the steering wheel at all times. 

On the highway, I found the XPilot system worked well, with no issues adjusting to surrounding traffic or keeping centred in the lane. It does have a tendency to slow down around corners where other systems will happily cruise at the set speed.

I also tested Autopark in the G6, both perpendicular parking in a shopping centre a few times and parallel parking on the street. It worked flawlessly and was quicker than Autopark on my Model 3, which I never use because I find it frustratingly slow plus the car isn’t hard to park anyway.

The price for autonomous driving is another area where XPeng beats Tesla, as all of the XPilot features are included as standard in the G6, as opposed to some of them being reserved for optional software packages that Tesla charges either $5,100 or $10,100 for.

Driver aids in the G6 were not too intrusive on the whole, with two exceptions. The alert telling you the car in front is moving happens almost instantly, rather than giving you a moment to get moving. A single yawn is enough to set off the drowsiness warning too, luckily a button to disable the warning appears at the same time if it annoys you.

XPeng has done a decent job with their suspension and handling in the G6, giving it a ride that errs towards comfort and cushioning over bumps. It felt safe to drive too, including through some torrential downpours we had in Sydney recently that resulted in plenty of puddles and water on the road. 

Lots of rain gave me the chance to thoroughly test the automatic wipers, which I found were just not sensitive enough, even on their most sensitive setting. This meant I had to switch over to manual high or low settings to clear the windscreen sufficiently. Funnily enough, it’s the opposite on my Tesla, with the wipers often seeing phantom rain when it is completely dry.

My biggest issue with the XPeng G6 driving experience was at low speeds, mainly because the G6 does not offer full one-pedal driving, despite selecting the strongest X-Pedal mode. The car will continue to roll forwards, or backwards if going uphill, until you press the brake when coming to a stop. 

Auto hold partially solves the problem, holding the car still after you press the brake pedal firmly. However, auto hold sometimes requires more force on the accelerator pedal than expected to overcome, causing jerky takeoffs. 

Parking and 3-point turns in the G6 are also more cumbersome than they should be, as you need to touch the brake pedal before the car allows gear changes, even if you are hardly moving. It would be smoother if you could keep your foot resting lightly on the accelerator while using the gear selector which is possible in most other cars.

I realise one-pedal driving is a preference that not everybody shares, so XPeng offers low, medium and high settings as well. X-Pedal may also be improved with future over-the-air software updates, with some online suggesting it will be available in XOS 5.6, although XPeng does not mention regenerative braking at all in their announcement for this version.

Conclusion

There is a lot to like about XPeng’s first model to arrive in the country, from confident driving and a comfortable, spacious interior to a feature packed infotainment system. Some rough edges start to appear beyond the G6’s sleek exterior when it comes to software refinement and low speed driving situations though. 

If you can forgive these rough edges, or are happy to wait and see if XPeng resolves them with future software updates, the G6 comes well packaged for a good price. The value proposition increases further when you take into consideration Tesla’s optional software packages and XPeng’s complimentary 10-year warranty offer available until June 30, 2025.

Overall, I think the Tesla Model Y still offers a more polished driving and ownership experience than an XPeng G6, especially when comparing the refreshed Model Y that raises the benchmark higher, while addressing common complaints of the outgoing model such as overly firm suspension.

One final thing to consider is the new version of the XPeng G6 that has already been released in China, although we won’t see this arrive in Australia until early 2026 according to the FAQ page on XPeng Australia’s website. Highlights for the new version include even faster charging, improved interior and potentially cheaper prices.

Table of key specifications for the XPeng G6