Xpeng P7 (2023) review: rookie from China washes the ears of major electric car brands

What is striking about the Xpeng P7 (2023)?

pats. Boom. The Xpeng brand is suddenly there. It was founded in 2014 by three Chinese entrepreneurs, the first model appeared in 2018 and now it is exploring the Dutch market with the P7 and G9. An electric sedan and a large electric SUV. For your imagination: the Tesla Model S appeared in 2012 and is therefore older than all of Xpeng.

As a new Chinese car brand, you should actually have something that makes your models unique. For example, MG is the king of affordable EVs and Nio is known for its battery exchange stations. But with Xpeng’s models you can’t point and say anything; that is typical Xpeng. Okay, the P7 is available with gull-wing doors, but that’s more of a gimmick than a unique selling point.

Of course, Xpeng sees it differently and boasts with its four pillars: performance, design, quality and value for money. The latter is certainly true, because all versions are luxurious, always with an extensive package of driver assistance systems and an energy-efficient heat pump.

The performance is also impressive: the entry-level P7 is 276 hp and 440 Nm strong, and sprints to one hundred in 6.7 seconds. The version with AWD (473 hp and 757 Nm) does that in 4.1 seconds. Top speed: 200 km/h. Fast charging takes place at 175 kW and the battery is 82.7 kWh (net). Good for 576 kilometers of range. You can judge the design yourself, we discuss the quality below.

What are the advantages of the Xpeng P7 (2023)

I am allergic to infotainment systems with bad menus. It is often the Chinese car brands that fall short in that area. But not Xpeng. The menus are reminiscent of those of Tesla: simple design, clear icons and fast. There are physical buttons on the steering wheel and we are happy with that, but for the rest you have to rely on the central touchscreen. Also for mirror adjustment and climate control.

The Xpeng P7 drives well. And we don’t mean ‘good enough for a car from China’, but good for European standards. The handling, the seating position, the suspension comfort, the silence on board – we are immediately pleased. The controls are initially too light, but that can be remedied with a button on the touchscreen. The use of materials and the finish also show that Xpeng has only just arrived.

Xpeng has the development momentum and that gives us confidence that some of the negatives mentioned below will be fixed with a software update. Precisely because it is such a young brand with a major focus on software. We would rather have a new home internet router installed by our bright nephew than by our uncle from Wolfsburg.

What are the negatives of the Xpeng P7 (2023)?

At first it was only the Chinese cars that beeped at you, nowadays almost all new cars do. They are obliged. And so you immediately turn off the warning beeps for speeding and the driver’s attention after boarding. And you should not forget that, because in the Xpeng P7 that we are introduced to, this is not possible while driving. The transmission must be in P.

And Xpeng secretly gets a kick out of crazy noises. If you put the Xpeng assistant – a robot puppet on the screen – in a different outfit (does anyone like that?), a futuristic sound effect sounds. And it’s extra frustrating that you can’t turn off the beeps you hear when you drive 51 km / h where you are allowed 50 km / h while driving, but your virtual assistant can put on a different T-shirt.

We are also surprised that the navigation system does not schedule charging stops on the route. It does warn that you will not reach the entered destination with the available power supply, but that is about it. Xpeng will get to work on this. The cars that will soon be delivered to Dutch customers will receive fewer warning signals (adjustable) and the scheduling of charging stops will be added with a software update.

Then the trunk of the Xpeng P7. Even for a sedan, the boot opening is remarkably low. A bit like the slot in a mailbox. And no storage compartment has been created for the charging cord under the loading floor.

When will the P7 come to the Netherlands and what is the price?

The Xpeng P7 will appear on Dutch roads in July and there are three versions to choose from: RWD Long Range (49,990 euros), AWD Performance (59,990 euros) and AWD Wing Edition (69,990 euros). In all cases, 1198 euros in delivery costs are added.

But even if the actual base price is 51,188 euros, that is still a great price. Because the battery pack is included in the price. This is different with the Nio ET5: then you pay 50,700 euros for the car and the battery is added (12,000 euros or 169 euros per month).

This is a hard-fought price point anyway, because a Tesla Model 3 Long Range costs 50,993 euros. In terms of range, it is comparable to the P7, but the ‘middle’ Model 3 has four-wheel drive and beats the entry-level P7 on every sprint. But what’s really sour for Xpeng is that they don’t have a budget P7 of less than 45 grand that qualifies for an EV subsidy. Tesla does have such a Model 3.

The Xpeng G9 comes a little later than the sedan and is scheduled for October 2023. The prices of the three versions range from 57,990 to 71,990 euros.

What do I think of the Xpeng P7?

The Xpeng P7 and G9 are intended for business drivers. When ten percent of the customers turn out to be private buyers, the Xpeng bookkeepers fall off their seats in surprise.

If you are such a lease driver and you can drive a P7 cheaply, then I would take that financial advantage and give Xpeng a chance. You get a well-driving car with a lot of options, a large range and a few flaws that can be remedied with new software.

However, I myself look at consumer prices and, despite the positive initial acquaintance, have not been able to discover a decisive reason to leave a Tesla Model 3 in front of it. Except everyone drives a Model 3.