XPeng reveals G7 ‘super AI car’

XPENG has unveiled its latest assault on the electric SUV market with the medium-sized G7 model, ahead of an official launch in June, featuring a heavy focus on AI-powered automation.

Yes, the same XPeng that was serious about its X2 electric flying car concept that will – if it ever becomes a reality – be capable of autonomous air travel as an alternative to braving Australia’s underfunded road network.

Coming back to reality, the freshly revealed G7 will sit above the existing G6 model, which arrived Down Under earlier this year, but the new model is yet to be confirmed for Australia with XPeng likely to bring other models like the larger G9 here first.

What we know so far is that the G7 will be offered in two trims – Max and Ultra – with both using a rear-wheel drive single-motor platform producing 218kW, with a choice of a 68.5kWh or 80.8kWh battery.

The CLTC range for the larger battery is 702km, while the smaller option is good for 577km, putting the G7 well ahead of the market-leading Tesla Model Y with its maximum 551km range.

Speaking of the Model Y, the new G7 will be bigger in every way at 4892mm long, 1925mm wide and 1655mm tall – putting it at the larger end of the Medium SUV segment.

On the tech front, the G7 will feature an in-house developed Turing AI chip that exceeds the processing capabilities of existing automotive chips, to power a system that is said to offer autonomous learning and decision making.

In terms of the self-driving functionality, it is still unclear as to what the AI-capable chips will offer, but reports have outlined that while the G7 will feature Level 3 autonomous driving modes, driver input will still be required.

Interestingly, the G7 will rely entirely on cameras for its autonomous driving efforts, rather than the commonly used LiDar approach, which is in line with what Tesla plans to do with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.

The G7 will also feature an augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD) system that was co-developed with Huawei, which features an enormous 87.0-inch display.

According to Chinese media reports, XPeng opened the order books at a pre-sale price of 235,800 Yuan (AU$50,500) and claimed to receive more than 10,000 orders in the first hour.

So far, XPeng has committed to bringing four models to Australia by the end of 2025, with the G9 large SUV, X9 large MPV and P7 sedan to follow the already-landed G6.

The soon-to-launch G6 may follow, but with H2 looming and only one model on the ground, it’s likely the Chinese manufacturer will have its hands full as it delivers on the four-model promise.