Xpeng G6 facelift exceeds expectations

The G6 electric sport utility vehicle has been given an upgrade 14 months after its launch, with a thoroughly updated cabin and tweaked chassis

- Lee Nian Tjoe Senior Transport Correspondent

Japanese carmaker Toyota popularised the concept of "kaizen", or continuous improvement. And now, electric carmakers are doing the same, and at an unprecedented speed and scale.

After launching the G6 electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) just 14 months ago, Chinese brand Xpeng has upgraded the car, both inside and out.

Besides lightly refreshing the exterior, the Tesla Model Y rival has also been given a thoroughly updated cabin and tweaked chassis.

Xpeng also, almost casually, introduced its G6 Performance variant, which has 70 per cent more power than the standard model.

This version is capable of going from 0-100kmh in 4.1 seconds, which is as fast as a BMW M2.

The front LED strip on the updated G6 runs across the entire width of the car, instead of having a break in the middle to fit the Xpeng emblem. At the back, the edge of the rear hatch has a kick-up to serve like a spoiler. The sides of the bumper near the wheels arches have a bit more sculpting.

The design of the 20-inch wheels is also new, with five petal-like spokes.

While the electric vehicle (EV) has not shed its rather generic electric SUV silhouette, the tweaks do make the G6 look more chiselled and less bulbous.

The cabin has been more extensively remodelled and the single most significant change is the appearance of small plastic tabs on the air-conditioning louvres. They replace the electric motors in the pre-facelift car.

So, instead of having to poke and swipe the infotainment screen just to point the chilled air away from their faces, occupants can simply use their fingers to push the tabs.

Hopefully, more car companies will follow suit and stop using motorised air-conditioning vents because they are nowhere as cool as the carmakers imagine them to be.