Xpeng launched its first electric MPV, Xpeng X9, in China. The EV got a discount on launch as the launch price undercut the pre-sale price by 28,200 yuan (4,000 USD), and the car started at 359,800 yuan (50,800 USD).
Before the launch, Xpeng announced that X9 received 30,000 orders since the pre-sale, which started on November 17. The pre-order price was 388,000 yuan.
X9 is a large MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) with a length of almost 5.3 meters and a starship design. It sits on the SEPA 2.0 platform and dimensions are 5293/1988/1785 mm, respectively, and the wheelbase is 3160mm. It has three rows and 7 seats in setup 2+2+3. Aerodynamics is not bad considering it is a massive family MPV, with a drag coefficient of 0.227 Cd.
X9 has two powertrain options: front-wheel drive (FWD) with a 235 kW motor and all-wheel drive (AWD) with an additional 135 kW rear motor and a total maximum output of 370 kW and 640 Nm torque. The minivan accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and generates a top speed of 200 km/h.
The battery options are two: an 84.5 kWh pack with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry from Eve Energy and a 101.5 kWh pack with ternary NMC chemistry from CALB. X9 supports 800V charging and has 3C battery cells, which enable adding 300 km of range in 10 minutes.
Based on engine/battery combinations, X9 has 610 km, 640 km, and 702 km CLTC range. There are four configurations available:
| Xpeng X9 Model | Price (yuan) | Price (USD) |
| 610 Pro (FWD) | 359,800 yuan | 50,800 USD |
| 702 Pro (FWD) | 379,800 yuan | 53,700 USD |
| 702 Max (FWD) | 399,800 yuan | 56,500 USD |
| 640 Performance Max (AWD) | 419,800 yuan | 59,300 USD |
During the conference, Xpeng’s CEO and founder, He Xiaopeng, spent a lot of time discussing how spacious X9 is, presenting, for example, how many bikes you can fit in (five), how many golfing sets you can fit in (don’t ask), etc. Thanks to smart function, X9 can electronically fold the rear row of seats and create 2,554 liters of boot space. Xpeng calls it a “one-click transformation to ultra-large 4-seater SUV”.
Inside the car is a fridge with 10.8 liters of space and electronic doors. As usual for Xpeng, the interior is very Tesla-like, with a minimum of physical buttons, two cup holders, a 17.3″ central control screen, and a smaller instrument LCD panel for the driver. There is also a large 21.4″ screen inside the roof for the rear passenger that can pop up on demand.
X9 is manufactured with the help of a 12,000-ton integrated die-casting machine produced by Guangzhou Hongtu, and Xpeng claims it is the world’s most giant mass-produced die-casting machine.
Xpeng’s big selling point is autonomous driving and its ADAS XNGP. He Xiaopeng announced that Xpeng is ahead of schedule in covering Chinese cities and announced the expansion of City NGP into 243 cities in China. Last month, Xpeng showcased X9’s autonomous parking and car summoning through the app.
The city NGP will be only available for the Max version(equipped with lidars). The Pro version without lidar will only have highway NGP support, according to Xpeng.
Xpeng previously announced that City NGP is coming to Europe as well. As their deliveries outside China are struggling, it might be the impulse their overseas operations need.
Xpeng received a 700 million USD investment from Volkswagen in July, which acquired a nearly 5% stake in a Guangzhou-based automaker. Moreover, in August 2023, Xpeng announced they acquired the EV unit of Didi (China’s Uber) to build new affordable EVs under the Mona brand.
In December, Xpeng delivered a record-breaking 20,115 all-electric vehicles in China, up 78.12% from the previous year. Cumulative deliveries for 2023 reached 141,601 vehicles, up 17.26% from 120,757 in 2022. The best-selling EV in Xpeng’s lineup is the Xpeng G6 SUV, which competes with the Tesla Model Y.
Editor’s comment
The leading competitors to X9 will be China’s 9-series: Zeekr 009, Denza D9, Hycan V09, and the upcoming Li Mega, whose launch was postponed from the end of December to March 1. Li Mega will be more expensive than X9 as Xpeng is a mass-market brand, and Li Auto is premium. However, thanks to its futuristic design and the fact it is the first BEV from Li Auto, it might attract some potential X9 top-trim level customers. We will keep an eye on it.
Further reading about Li Mega:
