A New Look

You may not know, from the original XPeng 1.0, to XPeng G3, and now to G3i, this car has gone through three changes. When the sample car of XPeng 1.0 version appeared in 2017, the car was still immature, and the slightly complicated front headlights, the rear lights resembling the DS3, and the front charging port failed to leave a clear memory for people. These cars were eventually only delivered in bulk to internal employees and did not enter the market.

But when He XPeng launched the production version of G3 in 2018, the simple front headlights and the penetrating rear light design made G3 look more spirited. After 3 years, XPeng has made great progress in the overall car design, including the well-received P7 and the newly released P5. Finally, G3 has ushered in a mid-term facelift by bringing the X Robot Face design language and lights of P7 with high recognition to G3, making the front of P7, P5 and G3i more family-oriented.

However, if P7’s front face is sporty and aggressive, then this design on G3 is more like a cute pout, and even when you see the real car, you will feel that this is not a facelift, and G3 should look like this. The new milk green and white roof of G3i compared to G3 looks more cute, especially the white roof makes this small-sized SUV visually larger.

In addition to changes in the front face, the side door handles have been changed to the same hidden handles as P7, and a more practical power tailgate has been added. It is worth mentioning that the black plastic parts under the whole car have been changed to high-gloss paint and a very textured dark chrome decoration has been added. The rear reflector has also been changed to a horizontal design. Overall, compared to G3, the texture of G3i has improved a lot, it looks more advanced and harmonious.

There is not much change in the interior of G3i. Except for the practical configuration of adding heated rear seats, the overall texture of G3 has been maintained, such as the suede roof not commonly seen in this level, the super large front windshield that provides a very broad view, and good lighting inside the car that eliminates the need for a sunroof. Because of the unique shape of the front windshield, the design of the sun visor is also different and needs to be folded from the side to the front windshield to open.The seat section uses Nappa leather, which also looks quite youthful. The central control screen still adopts a vertical large screen, which is slightly tilted towards the driver’s side. It is worth mentioning that the ventilation effect of the main driver’s seat is very good, just like burying a Dyson vacuum cleaner in the seat. The rear seat cushion is long enough, the filling is very soft and the support is good, without the feeling of sitting on a small bench like the Model 3. Overall, the interior is not much different from the old model, but the overall configuration and texture are still leading in the same price range.

Smart Features

As for the advanced driving assistance system, 5 cameras, 3 millimeter-wave radars and 12 ultrasonic radars enable XPILOT 2.5 to achieve its main functions. Adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane keeping assist (LKA), and lane changing with signal lights are not a problem. Meanwhile, automatic parking has always been a good experience.

Pony.ai’s staff told us that, through iterations, Xmart OS 2.0’s in-car smart system has been transplanted onto the G3i. It has the same voice interaction experience as the P7, such as continuous dialogue and visible speech in any context. Physical buttons and touch screen operations are decoration. In addition, it also has new functions like the ability to discharge to external devices, which is more practical.

This G3i model is already able to satisfy most daily needs and has advanced smart features which are competitive in the same price range. But when I first saw the real car, I had a question: besides the family-style appearance, why is the interior almost unchanged? I didn’t understand until I experienced it. If the original design was good enough, why change it? Moreover, its price is just under 200,000 yuan.

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.