Xpengβs latest model, the P7+, is its most divisive in terms of looks yet. While many people donβt like the tailgateβs double-end lines, it also makes it stand out from the crowd.
More importantly, it is the first Xpeng to return to the vision-based approach to self-driving ability, abandoning Lidar. According to Xpeng, the system should be referred to in English as AI Hawk rather than the Eagle Eye or Eagle Vision names that have been commonly used as translations from Chinese.
Every time Xpeng introduces a new model, commentators say that it really needs to be Xpengβs volume model to bring the company much-needed sales. Finally, with the Mona M03, that car seemed to arrive, and Xpeng hopes that the P7+ will deliver similar levels of success. The question is, can it attract enough buyers?
Exterior
The Xpeng P7+, with the exception of the X9 MPV, is the largest car from the Guangzhou-based start-up yet. Although the wheelbase, at 3000 mm, is only two millimeters more than the P7i, overall, the P7+ is a much larger car. It has a length of 5056 mm, a width of 1937 mm, and a height of 1512 mm. MIIT listing information tells us that the car weighs either 1967 kg or 2037 kg, depending on theΒ version.
Despite the name, the P7+ is not that closely related to the P7. Furthermore, it is not a replacement for the P7i, which only launched last year as the mid-life refresh for the original P7. Instead, the P7+ is apparently more aimed at families, hence the +, whereas the P7i is more aimed at individual drivers. There may be further divergence in the future as the sporty nature of the P7i is emphasized against the family nature of the P7+.
That said, the profile of the P7+ itself is quite sporty. Firstly, there are two prominent ridges on the hood, which lead down to the LED running lights. Angled off below these are the main light clusters helping form an X shape for the front.
Our test car had 20-inch wheels and impressive 10-spoke alloys paired and arranged into a star-like shape. As can be expected of a car with a drag coefficient of 0.206 Cd, there are concealed door handles.
Where the design starts to get more controversial, is around the C-pillar where the car gains prominent wave-like haunches that ultimately fall down into the rear light clusters. Xpeng refers to the P7+ as having coupe-like lines, but most people are likely to refer to the car as a sedan, liftback or hatchback, depending on their parlance of choice.
A spoiler extends from the end of the window line, creating a double-end look for the P7+. The roof itself flows down quite sharply to the tail. Buyers can specify the P7+ in one of five colors: silver, white, black, purple, and beige.
Interior & infotainment
Early Xpeng models suffered from materials that didnβt quite live up to their looks inside. Starting with the G9, Xpeng seriously upped its game in this area, and the P7+ is no exception.
The test car featured a largely beige and black interior, with the leather seats and doors taking the lighter hue. Unlike Nio, there is not much consistency at Xpeng when it comes to interior layout. That said, the P7+ is broadly in line with the G6 launched last year and has a 10.25-inch instrument panel and a separate 15.6-inch floating infotainment screen. The steering wheel has broadly the same outline but is fatter in the center and has a chrome trim around the center portion.
Although the test carβs system could be switched into English, the AI assistant Xiao P could only speak Chinese. Voice control can be used to control most of the carβs functions, which are also controllable through the touchscreen.
Both the front and rear seats have heating, ventilation, and massage functions. There is also a 2.1-square-meter panoramic roof. The upholstery is perforated Nappa leather. Mounted on each rear door next to the button to open the windows is another button to electrically control the rake of the seat. The least amount of headspace, which was with the seats fully up, was about a two-finger gap β Iβm about 1.75m tall.
Xpeng claims the car has a βdouble 1-meterβ seating space, with a front seat seating space of 956 mm and a rear seat seating space of 994 mm. This is supposedly the same as in an executive sedan.
A fold-down airliner-style tray table is on the back of the front passenger seat. However, this can hit your knees if you donβt have your legs stretched out much. Using the LCD display mounted on the back of the center console, the front passenger seat can be moved forward to create even more legroom, which is already generous. Functions such as the seat, AC, and music are also controlled from this display.
The car has 7.1.4 panoramic surround sound and a 20-speaker self-developed sound system. There is a speaker in the driverβs headrest, which, when driving, will only give navigation prompts and sound from phone calls to this speaker. Other users are able to continue listening to music without such interruptions
The tailgate is electric and opens up a large space. In a stunt earlier this year He Xiaopeng, Xpengβs CEO, unloaded a P7+ packed with no fewer than thirty-three 20-inch suitcases. What this means in practice is 725 liters of trunk space with the seats up, which is extendable to 2,221 liters with them down. The trunk itself has a very sturdy floor and sides, what it lacks though is any form of parcel shelf or cover which will be a problem with export markets. That said, it does have a large hidden underfloor compartment. And to the disappointment of all you frunk fans, no it doesnβt have one.
Performance and driving feel
Probably the biggest question on everyoneβs lips is what self-driving is like now that Xpeng has abandoned Lidar. In so many of the tests I have done of cars from start-ups, when confronted with such questions, Iβve had to say I have no idea as it wasnβt yet operational. This time, though, it was fully working.
The test route, while it encompassed a variety of road types, never really hit the full-on inner city traffic that I previously encountered when using XNGP, and so it is difficult to make full judgment on the system. That said, it seemed generally responsive and able to handle situations such as stationary or slow-moving vehicles blocking a lane. What it wasnβt so good at was anticipating the problem in the first place. A human driver would usually have seen the problem and not changed into the lane in the first place, but that is a common problem with all such systems.
When in Chinese the system will apparently announce when XNGP has been successfully engaged, however, it does not do this in English. It does, though, announce when the system is exiting. Furthermore, the AI Hawk-based system doesnβt seem to be able to cope with smaller roads or when driving in areas such as a hotel.
For input, the system relies on a total of 26 sensors. These consist of eleven cameras, three millimeter wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors. It should be noted that the camera total includes a driver monitoring system which is actually inside. The front-view binocular and rear-view cameras use the industryβs first single-pixel Lofic architecture. This helps the system see further where lighting conditions are far from optimal, such as at night. Processing all the data are two Nvidia Orin X chips with a total of 508 TOPS computing power.
Along with testing the carβs self-driving abilities, I also tried the different driving modes. These seem to all have very peculiar mapping. For example, in Sport, the steering is set to Comfort, while in Standard, it is set to Sport. Luckily, there is an individual drive mode that allows the driver to customize the settings, and it is likely that drivers will have to use this as the pre-programmed modes seem to be poor selections.
Unfortunately, even when the steering is successfully engaged in Sport, it is overly light. The highest level of braking general regeneration appears to be stronger than previously experienced in Xpeng models, but it does not bring the car to a complete stop but down to a coast of about 8 km/h.
At launch, buyers of the Xpeng P7+ will have a choice from two motor configurations. Lower-version cars feature a 180 kW motor, and higher-powered versions a 230 kW motor. Currently, no dual-motor version has been announced, although the absence would be a departure from previous, more expensive Xpeng models. However, this may be used as a differentiating factor with the P7i.
Our test model used the more powerful 230 kW motor, which can accelerate the car to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds. This certainly would seem fast enough for most users, and the car is no slouch. Buyers of the lower-powered version will need to make do with a 6.8-second acceleration time.
At the front, the P7+ has a double wishbone suspension, and at the rear, it has five-link suspension. This is all very much geared up for comfort, and Xpeng is keen to emphasize that both the front seat and rear seat rail energy impact is 50% of that of a Mercedes-Benz E-class. Indeed, when negotiating speed bumps, the ride seemed very smooth. And when it comes to NVH itβs claimed that the P7+ has similar performance to that of luxury cars, which our drive can attest to.
The lower spec version uses a 60.7 kWh battery pack, which gives a 620 km range (CLTC). Our test car had the larger 76.3 kWh pack, which is good for 710 km (CLTC). Β Energy consumption is as low as 11.6 kWh/100km. Xpeng employs a high-efficiency thermal management system and electric drive system to try to maximize the carβs ability to meet this. It claims the actual cruising range is 91% of the theoretical under comprehensive working conditions. Both battery packs are lithium iron phosphate.
The car uses an 800 V silicon carbide platform. Although the batteries are 3C, they are compatible with 5C chargers, and Xpeng says that a 30-80% SoC charge takes 16 minutes.
Sum up
Initial impressions of the Ai Hawk system, which XNGP is now based around, seem favorable, and the P7+ is one of the most luxurious Xpengs to date. While the rear is going to be divisive, it is certainly distinctive, few would say that the front is ugly. The problem is that the car looks sportier than it actually is, and this may end up putting off some potential buyers.
Part of that problem lies with the mapping of the drive mode, and this could conceivably be sorted out by an OTA, although whether this would ever sort out the steering is debatable. Nonetheless, the car is definitely desirable, well equipped and would appear to be easy to live with.
Full pricing has yet to be announced, but at the Paris Motor Show, pre-sales began at 209,800 yuan (29,450 USD). This likely means that real prices will come in under this level, making the car a bargain. The Xpeng P7+ will officially launch on November 7.
Verdict
| Power & Drive feeling | 8 |
| Passenger space | 9 |
| Tech & UX | 8 |
| Price quality ratio | 9 |
| The best thing | Very good value for money |
| The worst thing | The car doesnβt have the sporty drive that its looks susggest |
Overall
Initial impressions are that Xpeng can deliver similar levels of self-driving ability without Lidar. This means that all versions of the P7+ will come with the full system. The car will definitely appeal to family buyers with its large amounts of space and comfort. It should also help boost Xpengβs overseas sales. When pre-sales opened, the car attracted 30,000 orders in less than 2 hours, and it should perform well for Xpeng.
