XPeng P7 Sedan — First Impression

After a 12 months of preparations, XPeng is able to begin deliveries of its autos in Europe. Initially, there was a cautious begin in Norway with the XPeng P7 sedan and the XPeng G9 SUV. Now, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg are subsequent. The remainder of Europe will observe, however in every nation, a gross sales and repair infrastructure have to be organized.

To arrange the launch, plenty of journalists from these international locations have been invited to Amsterdam, the European centre of XPeng logistics, to get acquainted with the fashions for the European markets. XPeng is beginning with its prime fashions, the SUV G9 and the sedan P7. The corporate has smaller fashions obtainable on the Chinese language market as properly, and new fashions on a model new platform are in improvement.

XPeng P7 Intro

Like many others, XPeng has selected a toolbox structure, like VW’s MEB. It’s referred to as the “Good Electrical Platform Structure,” SEPA2.0. This allows a far larger vary of variants than a traditional platform with a set chassis. The primary mannequin on this new platform, the G6 SUV, was proven on the current Shanghai Auto Present.

What’s now supplied in Europe are the newest fashions of the primary era of BEVs designed by the corporate. Every mannequin did have clear enhancements over the earlier one. The P7 nonetheless has a 400V powertrain structure, whereas the G9 is already on 800V. Moreover technical variations the driving force will hardly discover, a 400V structure has a sensible max charging capability of 175 kW and an 800V structure that may cost with 350kW (and even 400kW with some chargers).

The day began for me, after the espresso and tour of the power, with a check drive of the G9 in direction of our lunch vacation spot. That evaluation has its personal article. After the lunch, a P7 was assigned to me.

Description of the P7

The P7 is a pleasant, huge sedan within the E-segment. It’s too huge for my style, however that’s not the automotive’s fault. It’s not solely huge, with the legroom within the again for a working govt, but in addition luxurious. The seats haven’t simply heating, but in addition a therapeutic massage operate. It’s in fact obtainable to the manager within the again, not only for the chauffeur within the entrance and the assistant driving shotgun.

As with all trendy electrical automobiles, it has plenty of driving modes. They’re sporty, regular, eco, and one-pedal. The present crop of absolutely electrical automobiles is so good at driving that there’s nothing to check in regular every day visitors. For individuals who prefer to understand how good it’s at taking a nook at velocity, go to a race circuit. The capacities are far exterior what may be examined on public roads in a secure manner.

The excellence these days is on the Superior Driver Help Programs (ADAS). Essentially the most used are one-pedal-driving and cruise-control. Each must be trimmed to the driving force’s style. Different vital options are blind-spot warning, lane preserving help, driver consideration, beside plenty of security options that I hope by no means to check.

For actually testing all of the ADAS features, the test-drive of about 2 hours was too quick. I did expertise they labored, I did really feel it enhanced my security and made driving simpler. However I couldn’t check all or attempt to tune them to my liking and driving type. I’ll ask for an extended testing interval later this 12 months.

The P7 is obtainable in three variations. There’s a lengthy vary model, a efficiency one, and a WOW, showcase, impress the ladies/guys model with wing doorways. There was not a winged automotive obtainable for us journalists, and personally I don’t see the distinction between commonplace efficiency and additional efficiency. Each have extra energy beneath the hood than is usable in regular visitors.

Specs at EV-Database.org for the XPeng P7:

Battery — 82.7 kWh with about 500 km/311 miles of vary on a full cost.
Motor — 202 kW and 440 Nm rear-wheel drive. (Lengthy Vary)
Motor — 348 kW and 757 Nm all-wheel drive. (Winged, Efficiency)
Charging — 175 kW DC and 11 kW AC.
Curb Weight — 2,020 kg / 4,453 lb) Lengthy Vary
Curb Weight — 2,140 kg/4,718 lb Efficiency
Curb Weight — 2,180 kg/4,806 lb Winged Efficiency
Towing not permitted
Euro NCAP not but examined
Wheelbase (2998mm/118”)
Size * Width * Peak — (4888mm/192”) * (1896mm/74.6”) * (1450mm/57.1”)

Observations in regards to the P7

Let me begin with the seats. They don’t seem to be good; they’re nice. They’re electrically positioned and adjusted in any manner the driving force or passenger likes. They provide not solely heating but in addition a therapeutic massage operate. It was defined to me as a method to hold me awake whereas driving, however it might doubtless put me to sleep. It is extremely enjoyable. The good colour and end additionally deserves a point out. The steering wheel may be adjusted with a lever beneath the console, similar to almost each different steering wheel.

Even when doing a check drive, keep in mind to save lots of the configuration of your seat, as a result of the seat will withdraw backwards to make it simpler so that you can get out of the automotive. If not saved, it’s a must to place the seat once more. Maybe there’s a operate to recall the final place, however it’s not computerized and I didn’t search for it.

I didn’t use the parking help. Maybe I ought to have, as a result of I’m changing into horrible at parking, however when parking backwards, the location mirrors reposition downwards to see the road and different automobiles. Good contact. I generally do it manually, however then I’ve to place them again once more when driving regular.

The again seat head rests block the view within the rear-view mirror only a bit. When overtaking, I take advantage of the rearview mirror to examine the gap to the automotive I simply handed. Utilizing the location mirrors could make you misjudge the gap, as a result of they don’t seem to be flat however convex. Maybe I ought to have seemed for a digital rear view mirror operate. With the variety of sensors and cameras preserving monitor of the environment of the automotive, it must be obtainable.

Whereas the rear bench/seats are formally broad sufficient for 3 adults, I’ll invite no one for a protracted drive sitting on the middle place — a minimum of not with my kind of broad physique. It’s extra a bridge between the 2 seating positions than a 3rd seating place. It’s more durable and has much less leg room and place to your ft.

An govt sitting within the again and having a nap or working is unlikely to complain in regards to the leg room. And the seats are heated similar to within the entrance. The cupholders and USB plugs are what you may count on from a automotive on this class.

All in all, it’s an important cabin with an important sound system … that I didn’t check. My ears should not working correctly anymore, and with out my listening to aids, I’ve problem following a dialog. I adore it when it’s silent in a automotive, and the P7 has sufficient soundproofing to make it snug for me. Even half deaf, many automobiles have an excessive amount of highway and driving noise within the cabin to my liking.

Going all the best way to the rear of the automotive, the trunk was a giant as you could count on of a automotive this dimension.

When driving, I hardly discover the remainder of the cabin, however I’m very a lot involved with the person interface. With trendy electrical automobiles, there’s a new manner of designing the best way drivers work together with the automobile. There’s a huge touchscreen, and there are hardly any bodily knobs and switches in any respect. Not the very best interface for somebody like me who likes to maintain his eyes on the highway and work together with the automotive by contact. It turns into worse once you want studying glasses for the display however can’t have glasses on when driving.

The person interface shouldn’t be as dangerous as some trendy automobiles, however I’d recognize extra that I can do by contact with out the necessity to have a look at the display, deciphering complicated menu buildings. To not point out that my previous parchment pores and skin is commonly not observed by the touchscreen.

Managing a automotive by means of a touchscreen is tough. Don’t begin about getting used to it — I’ve a automotive with a contact display, and touchscreens have been the rationale I stayed with my Nokia 3310 till having a battery electrical automotive compelled me to transition. I now have a Samsung S21 5G top-of-the-line mannequin, not an inexpensive one thing with third fee components, and after over three years with a smartphone, I nonetheless assume the Nokia 3310 was a greater software to make voice calls.

Good touchscreens are OK when configuring the automotive when parked and having the guide in your knees. For something that may (or must) be accomplished whereas driving, I believe bodily knobs and switches are superior.

And now the ADAS suite:

Adaptive Cruise Management
Automated Pace limiter
Adaptive Flip Management?
Ahead Distance Monitor
Ahead Collision Warning
Auto Emergency Braking
Visitors Signal Recognition
Pace Assistant System?
Clever Excessive Beam
Blind Spot Detection
Energetic Lane Change
Lane Coordination Management?
Lane Departure Warning
Lane Maintain Help
Enhanced Lane Maintain
Rear Collision Warning
Rear Cross Visitors Help
Door Open Warning
Autonomous Parking
Driver State Monitoring
Parking help with 360° digicam

I didn’t check all of those. To be sincere, I didn’t discover or contact most of those.

The driving force state monitoring was in all probability the supply of repeated warnings to concentrate to the highway, particularly after I was targeting tough driving conditions. There was a voice commenting on my driving, a sound sign, and my seatbelt was tightened a number of occasions. If I used to be falling asleep, very efficient intervention. On this drive, it was a distraction.

I used adaptive cruise management (ACC) to drive about 100 kilometers on 100 km/h highways and 80 km/h roads. Rush hour was simply beginning, and plenty of different drivers didn’t just like the relaxed manner of driving of the ACC. I believe the ACC was configured for a driving surroundings with a keep-your-lane system. In Europe, we now have a keep-to-the-right regulation. This creates completely different driving habits that have been dealt with sub-optimally.

Lane hold was good. Visitors signal recognition labored, however when there was a velocity restrict for an off-ramp, it utilized it to the primary highway, warning me I used to be driving too quick.

All in all, the XPeng P7 is a good automotive. It wants some tuning to the idiosyncrasies of Dutch (European) driving. However with over-the-air (OTA) updates potential, it’s going to doubtless get lots higher over time.

For these driving a whole lot of kilometers professionally, typically exterior rush hour, the worth and vary will make this a really enticing automotive. I can see a whole lot of taxi firms changing their Mercedes E-Class diesels (now the preferred cab in some European international locations) with this automotive. The combo of luxurious, vary, and worth is good. The Mercedes EQE sedan lacks leg room and head room within the rear seats for excellent use as a taxi cab. The EQE SUV does supply extra, however is in one other worth class.

Rereading what I’ve written, it is extremely crucial and doesn’t replicate my enthusiasm for this automotive. It’s a mistake I generally make when discussing the standard, and professionals and cons, of a product. Jack Scarlett of Fully Charged voices how I really feel in regards to the P7 much better than I can do myself. His video is price your time.

All photographs by Maarten Vinkhuyzen or XPeng.

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