Xpeng has detailed its new G9L large SUV ahead of an Australian launch next month, confirming the three-row model will arrive with both battery-electric and extended-range electric powertrains and a claimed combined range of up to 1200km.
The 5.12-metre seven-seater, which sits on a 3100mm wheelbase, is positioned against large electric SUVs such as the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90.
The range-extender system in detail
The headline figure comes from the EREV version, which uses Xpeng's Kunpeng Super Electric system: a petrol engine that generates electricity rather than driving the wheels, with an electric motor handling propulsion.
A dedicated 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine acts solely as a generator. The drivetrain is claimed to produce 430kW and 695Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.4 seconds.
The 63kWh lithium iron phosphate battery alone is credited with 287km of electric range on the WLTP cycle. Xpeng says the 800V architecture supports DC fast-charging at up to 5C, taking the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in roughly 12 minutes under suitable conditions.
An energy management system adjusts how the battery and generator work together according to driving conditions, and noise-cancellation technology is intended to mask the difference in sound between range-extender and battery-electric running.
For buyers wary of charging infrastructure, that 1200km combined figure is the pitch: tour on petrol, commute on electrons. The 12-minute 10 to 80 per cent claim is generous, though Xpeng's own caveat about suitable conditions is doing real work there, since 5C charging depends on finding hardware that can deliver it.
A cabin built to justify the price of entry
Xpeng has detailed a seven-seat layout aimed at premium comfort across all three rows.
Front seats are trimmed in Nappa leather with heating, ventilation, 16-point massage and adaptive side bolsters, while the front passenger gets a zero-gravity seat. The second row adds power adjustment, heating, 10-point massage and electric sunshades, and the third row offers power adjustment and heating.
Kit also includes a 26-speaker premium audio system, an integrated refrigerator and multiple passenger entertainment screens.
Massage seats in the second row and a fridge are not standard fare in the EV9 or EX90 at any trim, so Xpeng is clearly using equipment rather than brand cachet to break into the large SUV segment.
What is still unknown
Xpeng has yet to confirm full specifications for the Australian-market cars, including the exact variant line-up, and details of the pure-EV version's range and outputs have not been announced.
Australian pricing has not been revealed either, so buyers will need to wait for local launch specifications before comparing the G9L on cost with the Kia EV9 and Volvo EX90.
The pure-EV version's absence of published figures is the notable gap: the EREV's 287km electric range and 1200km combined are locked down, but the car many buyers will cross-shop against the EV9 on pure battery range alone is still a mystery. Expect those numbers, and prices, at the local launch.
