October Delivery Data Released by Xpeng
Xpeng announced its October delivery data today, achieving a record-high monthly delivery of 10,119 units with the 001 model.
At this milestone moment for the brand, Xpeng unveiled its second model, the 009. The car was forced to be exposed more than two months ago. Since its debut, controversy about its appearance has been constant. As for the appearance, we will interpret it later, now let’s take a look at the configuration and detailed rights policies.
The Xpeng 009 has two models, the WE version with a 116 kWh battery and the ME version with a 140 kWh CATL battery. The prices of the two models are RMB 499,000 and RMB 588,000, respectively.
How is the Xpeng 009 as a product?
When Xpeng’s first product, the 001, was launched, most people labeled it as the “hexagonal warrior” and the king of cost-effectiveness. After watching the 009 launch, we can also feel that its positioning and features are “versatile”. If we compare the 009 to a bucket, it has “boards” in terms of comfort, performance, intelligence, and space.
The Biggest Controversy is also the Biggest Innovation
As mentioned earlier, this car has sparked a lot of discussion at first sight, and these discussions are almost all centered around the “front face”. Based on the “certificate photo” submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, almost no one thinks that its design is good-looking.## Markdown Output:
But in last week’s test drive, I also had a close look at the actual car and found that 009 has a rare feature in its appearance – the controversial front grille actually gives it a Rolls-Royce-like aristocratic flair. It is worth mentioning that inside the grille, which is also characterized by the adjective “intelligent” added by the official, there are a total of 154 LED beads, which can interact with the owner when unlocked.
The beauty or ugliness of the front grille design of 009 is up to everyone to judge. My view is that in today’s monotonous MPV front face design, Jinko 009 has made some innovations and breakthroughs. This is a very rare thing for the MPV market, because I believe that most people must be a bit aesthetically tired of the “Thanos” styling front face of many fossil-fueled MPVs today.
It is truly big, and also truly “big”
Jinko 009’s length, width and wheelbase are very close to the Mercedes EQS, but compared with it, there is no support of rear-wheel steering, which makes me doubt its convenience for daily driving.
If you have a dedicated driver, buying this car really doesn’t require considering this issue, but if you are using it as a family car, then the convenience in low-speed and narrow environment can only be compromised.
Of course, the other side of the coin is the spacious interior space.
The rear passenger seats of the 009 adopt independent seats similar to those in first-class cabins on airplanes, and the small table is hidden in the armrest. The advantage is that the use of the small table will not be affected by the movement of the seats forward or backward. However, the downside is that the wide and thick armrest makes the central aisle non-existent.
About the central aisle, a little more should be mentioned. In the past, one of the biggest uses of the central aisle in household MPVs is to facilitate taking care of the elderly and children in the second/third rows. However, the 009 not only cannot make it more convenient for passengers in the second and third rows to interact with each other but also requires the second-row seats to be moved forward for passengers to get on or off.
Fortunately, for the 009, Jinkuang has designed a 1.1-meter-long mobile track for the second-row seats, which can make the access passage for the third row reach 67 cm. In normal situations, getting on and off the third row is very convenient. However, it is almost impossible to change the position forward or backward while driving on the 009.
In addition, about the second-row seats, there is another piece of data. Because there is no middle aisle, the Jinkuang 009 not only has wide and thick armrests but also a seat width of 70 cm. Therefore, the space in the second row is effectively guaranteed.
Of course, the key to deciding riding comfort is not only space, but also the material selection, manufacturing process, and ergonomic design of the seats.009 uses Soft Nappa full-grain leather for all seats, with advanced Dream Rebound sponge for the filling. The seats provide a soft support and help filter some of the vibrations that may occur during driving.
It is worth mentioning that Soft Nappa leather also covers the second-row small desk, making it probably the most expensive one in its class.
The same material is used in the third row, which has a legroom of 810 mm and a reclining backrest. With these features, the third row of seats is a highlight even compared to other MPVs of similar size.
Rear screens and a remote control
To cater to the entertainment needs of rear passengers, Zeekr 009 has a 15.6-inch display screen, which, like the ones on Ideal L8/L9, is designed to flip down from the ceiling. However, the control system is quite different.
Both Ideal L8/L9 and Zeekr 009 have the same issue with rear entertainment interaction. Ideal’s answer is a multi-modal interaction combining touch-screen, gesture and voice control, which is probably more convenient than just a touch-screen.
Zeekr 009, on the other hand, has a remote control similar to a TV and the screen system is developed based on a TV box’s hardware and logic.
When it comes to the remote control of the car, it’s worth mentioning that the Zeekr 009 has not designed a special storage space for the remote control in the rear row, which will be a bit awkward to use. Designing a magnetic absorption position near the armrest will greatly improve convenience and prevent loss.
In addition, it should be noted that the rear screen is not touchable, which is a bit like a home TV.
Perhaps considering the needs of family cars, Zeekr 009 has introduced genuine teaching videos from the primary school pinyin to high school chemistry in the ecology of the car machine. Therefore, Zeekr 009 is likely to become the first car for children to attend classes.
Theory loses to reality
In terms of the interactive method of the steering wheel, Zeekr has “degraded” the touch-based operation logic that has been heavily criticized on the 001 to a button-based form on the 009. Of course, we do not completely deny the touch-based steering wheel. In terms of upgradeability and flexibility of operation, it has advantages over the button-based form.“`markdown
However, the issue with the touch direction wheel of 001 is that it needs to be used with the HUD for blind operation, which does not provide an excellent user experience. Also, the multi-level menu built into the touch control on both sides requires the eyes to repeatedly check the HUD to confirm the function being operated when using the direction wheel touchpad to control it. On the other hand, the feedback delay of the touchpad and HUD greatly reduces the smoothness of operation.
So when the control method of the direction wheel is applied to actual user experience, the theory still loses to reality.
Safety is Indeed Vital
When it comes to purchasing an MPV, traditional consumers may have acquired asymmetric information, especially regarding safety performance. When selecting a car, most consumers are more willing to spend money on models with higher configurations and unknowingly overlook the safety performance that is very important to themselves and their passengers. Therefore, in many MPV models, the safety parameters are not ideal.
Previously, most people may have heard more about the 6,000-ton integrated die-casting machine used by Tesla Model Y. However, the Zeekr 009 directly adopted a 7,200-ton integrated die-casting machine, which ultimately provided a one-piece cast aluminum body for the Zeekr 009 with a width of 1.6 meters and a length of 1.4 meters. Of course, the high tonnage of 7,200 also brings higher structural strength to this huge one-piece casting.
“`### Powertrain and intelligent driving system that maintains a high degree of similarity to 001
The powertrain on the Geely JiKe 009 adopts two 200 kW permanent magnet motors that are the same as the ones used in the 001. With the support of these two motors, the 009 achieves a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 4.5 seconds with a curb weight of 2,830 kg.
At least I cannot imagine what kind of MPV scenario would require such an acceleration level, but the corresponding 36.9 m stopping distance per 100 km/h is worth a praise.
In addition, the air suspension and CCD shock absorbers that received positive reviews on the 001 have also been brought to the 009. The air suspension of the 009 can achieve a height adjustment of 45 mm and a softness and hardness adjustment.
In terms of actual driving and riding experience, this chassis tuning continues the comfortable feeling of the Geely JiKe 001. It is very clean in filtering out fine bumps, and it only transmits vibration more directly to the interior of the car when encountering higher road undulations.
It is worth mentioning that the throttle response of the 009 is very comfortable, even in the sport mode, the response speed of the pedal will not be very aggressive, and it will be softer in the comfort mode, which is very suitable for the positioning of an MPV.
The model 009, like the very popular Zeekr Ke 001, is also equipped with the Mobileye EyeQ5H autonomous driving solution. It is expected that these two models will not have significant differences in the driving experience.
Currently, there is still room for improvement in the acceleration and deceleration control of the LCC (lane centering control) during vehicle following. Especially for an MPV that focuses on passenger comfort, the comfort of the ADAS (advanced driver-assistance system) is an essential factor, and we hope to continue to optimize this aspect.
Debut of Kirin Battery
The model 009 is equipped with two Kirin batteries, with capacities of 116 kWh and 140 kWh respectively, corresponding to a CLTC range of 702 km and 822 km. In addition, the model 009 is the first mass-produced vehicle to use NINGDE Times’ Kirin battery.
In fact, to ensure longer battery life in large-sized pure electric vehicle models, it is necessary to stack larger battery packs because it is difficult to solve the problem of excessive air resistance. Even if the wind resistance coefficient of the Zeekr Ke 009 is optimized to the level of 0.27, it can only choose a large battery pack solution.
Previously, when we mentioned MPVs, most people first thought of business receptions and utility vehicles. Such product definitions made the domestic MPV user profile mainly composed of people with business needs. Now, the domestic MPV’s household attributes have gradually overlapped with those of SUVs, and the actual space performance of MPVs is stronger than that of most SUVs.
This is also the difference in appearance between SUV and MPV. In most cases, the appearance of SUVs is better than that of MPVs, because MPVs are derived from the shape of box-type trucks in order to achieve larger interior space than SUVs under the same size. Therefore, in terms of space utilization, the sacrifice that MPVs make for their larger interior space is their appearance, although it is not always true.
Returning to the topic of the Zeekr 009, it actually meets consumer needs very well. On the one hand, it provides a large space while also balancing luxury, driving experience, and intelligent features.
However, we can also think about why Zeekr would release an MPV model at this juncture.
Conclusion
According to the “Industry Information Network” data, the production of MPVs in China reached 1.073 million vehicles in 2021, an increase of 62,000 vehicles compared to 2020, ending the downward trend in production and sales of the past few years. In terms of overall volume, this segment market only accounts for 5% of the entire automobile industry. However, this 5% of the market is completely dominated by leading brands, with Wuling Hongguang accounting for 1/4 of the market share, and models such as the Buick GL8 and the GAC M8 also being popular.
Observant readers have already noticed that there is a serious unmet demand in the MPV market: the lack of electrification and intelligent features.
Without discussing commercial use, MPVs have a lot of pain points when used for family purposes. For example, when waiting for people, users can only idle their engines in the car. Also, the traditional structure of a fuel-based MPV will take up interior space and have a high center of gravity, which will inevitably lead to engine noise issues, even if the NVH performance is good.Compared with traditional fuel-powered MPVs, pure electric MPVs demonstrate many advantages, such as being able to run the air conditioning while waiting, and having the option to recline seats and enjoy entertainment in the second row. In terms of comfort, electric vehicles also have their advantages, including noise control. And last but not least, space utilization of pure electric MPVs completely surpasses that of the same level MPVs.
The electrification of MPVs makes “family use” more convenient.
However, looking at the above sales charts, we will find that while traditional fuel-powered MPVs are occupying the market, there are not many models that are actively transforming. In this case, companies such as Landtour, DENZA, Datong, and Zeekrjian seized market opportunities.
Furthermore, next year we will see a group of new players, led by Ideal’s products based on the W platform, enter the electric MPV market, signaling the beginning of the competition.
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.