The Xpeng X9 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) scored five stars in the C-NCAP safety and crash test. Its overall performance is 86.6%. This result is in line with the JAC Yiwei 3 (DI:E30X) small hatchback. CarNewsChina studied the crash test results and found out the strengths and weaknesses of the Xpeng X9’s safety.
The Xpeng X9 (see specs) is a sizeable minivan launched in early 2024. It boasts hefty dimensions of 5293/1988/1785 mm. The powertrain of this car has two options: FWD for 235 kW (320 hp) and 4WD for 370 kW (503 hp). The entry-level X9 has an 84.5 kWh LFP battery pack. The second pack is ternary NMC for 101.5 kWh. The cruising range of this MPV lies in the 640 – 702 km (CLTC) range.
The price range of the Xpeng X9 is 359,800 – 419,800 yuan (50,800 – 59,270 USD). It is seemingly cheaper than its all-electric rivals Zeekr 009 and Li Mega. From January to July 2024, Xpeng delivered 14,602 X9 minivans to clients. It is a decent number, considering the narrow market niche of this model.
More about the evaluated Xpeng X9
The safety performance of the Xpeng X9 MPV was evaluated by the C-NCAP crash performance program formed by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC). CATARC established C-NCAP in 2006. Since then, its evaluation standard has become seemingly stricter. Nowadays, the C-NCAP evaluation program stays close to the well-known Euro-NCAP crash test.
The evaluated Xpeng X9 is the 702 km LR Max trim level with a guide price of 399,900 yuan (56,450 USD). It is the top-trim variant of the X9 with front wheel drive.
This variant has the navigation on autopilot system suitable for cities. Cheaper trim levels don’t have this feature. The X9 702 km LR Max also has two Nvidia Drive Orin X chips for a total computing power of 508 TOPS. Two previous trim levels offer a single Orin X processor for 254 TOPS. Another feature of the evaluated X9 is a pair of 126-line LiDAR sensors. Other safety equipment of the X9 702 km LR Max is in line with other trim levels.
Xpeng X9 crash test results
The total score of the Xpeng X9 MPV is 86.6%. It is 3.1% more than the average performance of models participating in the 2021-year C-NCAP safety test.
In the occupant protection segment, the Xpeng X9 scored 86.18%. It handled the side pillar impact perfectly. However, passenger dummies in the cabin were slightly damaged during the full-width frontal impact. So, the result of Xpeng’s minivan in the given segment is just 0.34% higher than the average number.
The pedestrian protection category is the weakest for the Xpeng X9. It has scored 69.92%, which is 2.67% less than the average result. A pedestrian can be injured during a collision because of the rigid bonnet.
On the contrary, the Xpeng X9 has scored 97.68% in the active safety segment. It is 13.16% higher than the average number. Its only drawback was the absence of the speed assist system (SAS). It is the second-highest result after the Aito M9 (see specs) from Seres and Huawei. However, we should keep in mind the evaluated Xpeng X9 is the top-trim FWD variant with all the available ADAS hardware installed. Lower trim levels wouldn’t probably score as high as the X9 702 km LR Max version.
Source: C-NCAP
