Xpeng G6 Review: Tesla Model Y Rival Impresses With Fast Charging but Still Feels a Bit Too Generic

The updated 2026 Xpeng G6, the Chinese automaker's flagship mid-size electric SUV, arrives with roughly 20,000 incremental refinements designed to sharpen its competitive edge against the Tesla Model Y, delivering genuine improvements in charging speed and comfort while still falling short of establishing a truly distinctive identity, according to multiple reviews of the facelifted model.

The G6's headline technical upgrade is its 800V electrical architecture, now standard across the entire lineup, paired with a new 80.8 kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate battery. According to ArenaEV, that combination achieves a peak charging power of 451 kilowatts, with Xpeng claiming the updated G6 can charge from 10% to 80% battery capacity in just 12 minutes, a figure that places it among the fastest-charging electric vehicles currently available in any market.

Xpeng's engineers also substantially reworked the G6's suspension for the 2026 model year, with the explicit goal of making the SUV quieter and more comfortable than its predecessor. ArenaEV found the facelifted G6 features softer suspension tuning and improved damping, helping the vehicle feel more settled on rough roads while absorbing bumps more effectively than the previous model. The outlet noted that handling remains competent and controlled, with a low center of gravity providing a sure-footed feel, though some noticeable body roll appears during sharp turns. The steering, while precise enough for everyday driving, was described as lacking the direct, engaging feel found in the Tesla Model Y.

The Car Expert offered a broadly favorable assessment of the model as a whole, describing it as "a competent first step from this new to the UK brand with its use of technology particularly impressing." The outlet's testing covered both the rear-wheel-drive Standard Range variant, producing 252 horsepower with a 0-to-62 mph time of 6.9 seconds and a range of up to 292 miles, and the all-wheel-drive Performance variant, producing 487 horsepower with a 4.1-second 0-to-62 mph time and up to 316 miles of range. Pricing spans from £39,990 for the entry-level Standard Range to £49,990 for the top Performance trim, according to the outlet's testing.

Not every reviewer came away as impressed. EV Powered's assessment struck a more mixed tone despite acknowledging the scale of the update. "Despite the thousands of changes, the 2026 Xpeng G6 still demonstrates issues that affected the previous model. The user interface is unnecessarily complex and unintuitive, and the ride and handling still don't come close to the best in class," the outlet wrote. Even so, the review concluded the G6 remains "worthy of consideration" as an alternative to the Model Y, citing its strong value proposition, class-competitive range, and unrivaled charging speeds among the model's continued strengths.

Interior refinements for the 2026 model year received a more consistently positive reception. According to EV Powered, Xpeng has improved the quality of the trim materials throughout the cabin, and although the dash insert was described as slightly flimsy, most touchpoints looked good and felt robust. The automaker also added lumbar support to the front seats specifically to improve comfort, a targeted refinement among the broader package of 20,000 incremental updates.

Top Gear's review captured perhaps the most pointed summary of the G6's overall character, writing plainly: "It looks like a premium car and it's very practical, but the G6 is still just a bit too generic." The outlet praised the vehicle's spaciousness, noting it offers more interior room than rivals including the Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Capri and Peugeot e-3008, while measuring nearly two meters wide and more than 4.7 meters long, placing it in territory closer to an Audi Q6 in overall size. Top Gear also flagged frustration with the vehicle's interface, describing the screen and steering wheel button controls as "infuriating," and noting the car lacks a clear unique selling proposition to distinguish it decisively from established competitors.

Auto Express offered a similarly measured, if somewhat more critical, verdict on the G6's overall driving character. "Many Chinese EVs have caused ripples in the market, but the XPeng G6 doesn't quite feel like a groundbreaker. Yes, charging speeds are mega-quick and practicality overall is decent, but it's dull to drive and even duller to look at," the outlet wrote, adding that it remains uncertain whether the G6 represents the right vehicle for Xpeng to build its broader UK brand presence around, while noting the company has additional models, including the X9 MPV and the sleek P7, in the pipeline that could help strengthen the brand's overall positioning.

Autotrader, by contrast, delivered one of the more enthusiastic endorsements among the reviews, arguing the updated G6 may now outperform its most direct rival in several respects. "The G6 has already been through an extensive round of upgrades and improvements since we last drove it, to the point where it might actually be doing a better job of being a Model Y than the Model Y itself, for the fact it's nicer to drive, has loads more kit as standard and actually costs less," the outlet wrote, characterizing the G6 as "a convincing new player on the electric car field."

Xpeng, which positions itself explicitly as a technology company that also makes cars rather than a traditional automaker, has continued investing heavily in research and development, with roughly 40% of its total workforce dedicated to R&D and about half of those employees focused specifically on software and artificial intelligence, according to Top Gear. The company has sold nearly a million vehicles globally since its founding, with almost 400,000 of those sales coming in 2025 alone, according to Electrifying, reflecting rapid growth momentum even as the G6 remains, for now, the only Xpeng model available for sale in the UK market.

With additional Xpeng models, including the X9 MPV and P7+, expected to expand the brand's UK lineup over the coming year, the 2026 G6 facelift appears to function as much as a bridge toward that broader lineup expansion as a standalone flagship, offering genuinely class-leading charging performance and solid overall value, even as reviewers remain divided on whether its driving dynamics, interior technology and overall styling do enough to distinguish it decisively from an increasingly crowded field of mid-size electric SUV competitors.