First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the 42 Garage for giving me the opportunity to deeply test drive and get to know the XPeng P7.
Regarding the model, the test drive car I got was the XPeng P7 with the ultra-long endurance ultimate version, which has a NEDC range of 670 kilometers. The sound system is equipped with only the music cocoon enhancement kit, and there is a Danaher sound system in the front cabin that can be raised. The tires are also upgraded to Michelin 19-inch tires with an additional cost of 5000 yuan.
As for the itinerary, upon learning about this week-long test drive, I immediately arranged the schedule. On the first day, I departed from Zhejiang and went to Xiamen for 2 days. Then I went to Dongshan Island in Zhangzhou, where I stayed for 2 nights before returning the car to Wuhan and driving back to Shanghai. Later, due to the epidemic situation, I traveled directly from Zhejiang to Fuzhou after leaving home, stayed in Fuzhou for one night, and then went directly to Dongshan Island for 3 days of sightseeing before returning to Wuhan. After one day of rest, I returned to Shanghai.
Image 1 and image 2 display the mileage at departure and return of the vehicle, with nearly 300 kilometers not photographed due to negligence but the total mileage was close to 3,500 kilometers. Now that the itinerary has been introduced, let’s discuss my driving experience of the P7.
The exterior design of the P7 is stunning, with its sleek coupe design and sloping contours along the side. With a 3-meter wheelbase and a 5-meter body, the first impression is of a truly impressive size. The headlights also offer a unique design element with a LED light strip that provides multiple lighting modes. The front face is broad, the door handles are hidden, and they spring open automatically when the key is near. The waistline of the rear is also quite charming, and the taillight design echoes the headlights. In terms of appearance, the P7 is on par with, and even more beautiful than, Tesla’s Model 3. Additionally, the P7 has more space (in my personal opinion).In terms of interior design, the overall interior of the center console can be said to be well designed. The dual-screen design ensures both user experience and visual impact. The material is luxurious without being overly complicated. Especially with the Denon lifting audio and the vehicle’s control over NVH, even with the frameless door design of the P7, the noise control inside the car is not inferior to that of BBA in any road condition. Of course, there are also shortcomings. The side mirrors of the P7 do not have anti-glare design like the central rearview mirror, which is a bit regrettable. In addition, the wireless charging pad in the central armrest box has a low power output, which feels like it can’t charge. I feel that it may be due to high temperature, charging too fast but not useful, so I hope that an air conditioning vent can be designed at the wireless charging port. Of course, it is also worth emphasizing the seats of the P7. The leather materials of the seats are very good, and the wrapping is also very strong. During this trip, it can be said that even driving more than 1000 kilometers a day, people will not feel back pain or sore waist. Moreover, I hope that the co-driver can have ventilation function like the driver, because this function is indeed a must-have in summer. Lastly, the trunk is not electric, which is a bit disappointing. Now even cars priced around 100,000 yuan have this function, so it is really hard to justify that this function is lacking.
Well, next is about the driving experience. It was all high-speed driving, maintaining a speed of about 120, with the air conditioning set to 25 degrees and the fan speed at 2. There were 2 adults in the car. Under full charge, the NEDC endurance is 670 kilometers. The P7 adjustment is mainly comfortable, combined with Michelin tires and Brembo calipers, provides great confidence in driving. It can be said without exaggeration that it is not inferior to BBA. In addition, XPeng Motors has done an excellent job in terms of autonomous driving. It is very intelligent on high-speed roads and, under conditions that are not at the limit, it can achieve full artificial intervention. Therefore, it is highly recommended that those interested in buying a P7 must choose the ultimate version and not regret it in the future. Of course, because this trip passed through Fujian province, there were many mountainous roads and tunnels, so under the condition of NGP, the car would suddenly drop from a speed of 120 or 100 to 80 when approaching the tunnel. Little did I know that the speed limit of many tunnels in Fujian is 100 yards, so after the speed reduction, the car would often be honked and flashed by following cars. Of course, this cannot necessarily be blamed on autonomous driving. I suspect that this situation is also related to the navigation software of the car system because the speed limit is set at 80 yards for this road in the software. I hope that XPeng Motors can make improvements for this situation.Regarding power consumption, when driving at the speed limit on the highway at 100 or 120 mph, the power consumption is between 16.5 to 17.2 KWH/100KM. Therefore, it is completely feasible to run 380-420 kilometers from full charge to empty. I usually prefer to drive about 350 kilometers on the highway and then have 120 kilometers left on the odometer to recharge. In conclusion, the battery of the P7 is very reliable. When driving at the speed limit on the highway, the actual mileage should be more than 7.2 times the displayed WTLP, which is usually 570 kilometers when fully charged. Of course, for city driving, the mileage is more or less 1:1. I also want to compliment the air conditioning system of the P7. It is quite powerful. Even at 24 degrees, I still feel cold, and sometimes I need to set it to 26 degrees. Additionally, I hope that the redesigned P7 can have a zoned air conditioning system to better serve the needs of each passenger.
As for the infotainment system, the current version has been updated to a better version and is very intelligent. It can continuously listen to and complete received commands. This is why more and more Chinese people are starting to buy domestic new energy vehicles because they are user-friendly and intelligent. By the way, I forgot to mention a flaw in the design. Although the design of the P7’s steering wheel is quite good and has a leather wrap, I personally think that it would be better to have the control buttons designed as a roller instead of touch-sensitive, which often leads to operation failure or misoperation. Therefore, I hope that it can be improved in future updates.
In summary, the P7 is smart, comfortable, safe, and worry-free. Once you have driven an electric car, there is no turning back.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.