Xpeng X9

عباس محمد

Aug 24

There’s a car I feel a lot of people have underrated — or maybe just didn’t give it enough attention — and that’s the Xpeng G6. When it first launched around mid-2023, it was one of the first EVs in the local market to come with an 800V architecture and smart driving system. It started at just a bit over AED 200,000, which made it a really solid deal. But whether it was due to limited production or the fact that the suspension was a bit stiff, it never managed to break the 10,000-unit sales mark. The momentum it started with faded quickly, and it’s been hard for it to bounce back. Now, the 2025 model is out, and the design is definitely more in line with current tastes — the body lines are sharper and less rounded, which makes it look better overall. The interior also got a nice upgrade: gone is the homey fabric trim, replaced with sleek, premium-looking leather. Even the small things, like the AC vents, were reworked — they used to be adjusted through the screen, but now they’re manual, which many people find more practical and intuitive. As for space, it’s actually really comfortable. The rear seats offer excellent legroom — around two fists and a bit more — and there’s good headroom as well. The floor is flat, and the backrest reclines for extra comfort. The only downside? The panoramic glass roof doesn’t come with a sunshade. And honestly, with that much headroom, they really should’ve added one. On the smart driving side, the system has evolved. Instead of combining visual cameras with LiDAR like in the older version, they’ve switched to a pure vision system. In most situations — city driving or highways — it performs well. But the few times it does require manual intervention tend to be the more critical moments, which makes it a bit hard to fully trust. So, while the performance is generally good, the pure vision setup is still difficult to judge with full confidence. In terms of performance, it's excellent. All trims come with a rear-mounted motor producing 296 horsepower, and acceleration is in the 6-second range — more than enough. The drive is smooth, and the cabin is well insulated from both road and wind noise. You can tell they worked on softening the suspension, which used to be too firm in the previous model. Now it feels more like you're riding a boat — it glides over bumps and potholes nicely. On the flip side, it loses a bit of stability during high-speed lane changes or when going up uneven ramps. But considering most local drivers prefer comfort over stiffness, this trade-off makes sense. Bottom line? The 2025 G6 offers great value for money — unique design, advanced smart driving, a refined suspension, and solid EV performance. There aren’t many cars in its price range that can match what it brings to the table. From my side, I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a well-balanced, practical