As a “company man” who joined the workforce right after graduating in 2018 and has been living/working in the big city with only a few hours of spare time each day, I hardly have the opportunity to come into contact with cars, let alone new energy vehicles. But now, thanks to Garage 42, I have been given this chance to do so.
Preface:
I remember the first time I heard about XPeng was at the XPeng P7 launch event. With overwhelming media coverage, terms like “long-lasting endurance,” “Dynaudio sound system,” “music cockpit,” and “wide-body coupe” constantly caught my attention. As the only NEDC that reached 700+km on the market at that time, it was a real standout and no less remarkable than a heavyweight bomb that stirred up the stagnant market. In that moment, I just wanted to shout, “Domestic products are amazing!” It was then that the seed of the XPeng P7 was planted in my heart.
Test Drive:
Last Thursday night, I was so excited about getting the car that I couldn’t sleep all night. Finally, I had the chance to experience the XPeng P7 in full, and the following is my experience of driving it from the garage:
The initial feeling when you get in the car is that the sitting posture is low and the seat is a bit hard, giving it a sporty and distinctive feel, but it can be a bit strenuous on the lower back. After adjusting the steering wheel and seat, I set off and could feel that the steering wheel was very agile. Looking at the menu, it was already in sports mode. Personally, I feel that it is a bit more gentle (but this may vary from person to person).
On the road: Hello, XPeng, start the navigation…
The response of the accelerator has a slight delay, and the electric throttle doesn’t shoot out like a Tesla to press you firmly against the seat. There is a buffer in the initial stage (this is good because it can reduce the discomfort of motion sickness caused by acceleration and allow those who are new to pure electric cars to adapt better, as in my case).
Now, let’s talk about the car.
In the middle of the electric throttle, it still gives you a strong sense of acceleration, making overtaking more confident. When you release the accelerator and lightly press the brake, the car’s kinetic energy recovery makes it feel like it doesn’t exist – if you continue to press harder, you can feel the speed decrease significantly until it comes to a complete stop. The pedal feedback is very delicate and responsive, making it completely adjustable in terms of how much pressure is applied.
Exterior:
Now that we’ve discussed driving, let’s talk about the exterior.
When you first see this car, you’re sure to be stunned by its appearance. The exaggerated front end, streamlined body, sexy sloping roofline, and unique exterior design are all features that XPeng does not fall short on, whether it’s the G3’s “shark face” aggressive styling or the P7’s sci-fi “UFO” looks. To say it bluntly, even though the P7’s design is from many years ago, it can still hold its own against current models.
I especially like the P7’s lighting design – it’s really cool. Both the front and rear have light strips that are remarkably bright (Audi: Am I even needed anymore?). Particularly at night, when you’re driving on the road, you can feel like you’re the brightest person on the road. And I have to say that the P7’s look back rate is really high – when you’re driving around the neighborhood at night with a leisurely pace, you can receive a lot of attention from passers-by, making me feel a bit embarrassed. [Manual dog head]Driving Experience
The car has been driven for a week, commuting to work, going to the mall on weekends, and even taking a special trip to Chongming Island to see the Yangtze River Bridge.
The following are the main driving experiences of the P7:
1. Fast acceleration (often reaching 130+ km/h with just one press on the accelerator).
2. Low center of gravity (little body tilt when turning).
3. Vibration filtering is crisp and decisive (not at all comfortable).
4. Long battery life (with SOC charged up to 90%, it displays a range of 514 kilometers according to WLTP without experiencing any power drainage).
5. Fast charging (using a 60 kW public charging station, it took only 29 minutes to charge from 51% to 88%, spending 31.3 kWh and 22.69 RMB).
6. Smooth infotainment system (with a simple interface, efficient settings menu, and unmatched domestic first-tier quality, it is the only Chinese car that can compete with Tesla).
7. High voice recognition rate (works well for those who use it).
8. Sound system (not just an empty boast).
Areas for Improvement:
1. The seats are not comfortable for long periods, despite multiple adjustments (need to treasure the seats).
2. The steering wheel buttons sometimes require multiple presses to respond (don't know if it's due to test-driving the car).
3. The displayed speed and actual speed are not consistent according to both the car's navigation system and mobile phone apps (when set to display 120 km/h, it was announced as 114 km/h on the navigation system).
4. In the adaptive driving mode, a large angle of steering wheel and body deviation are needed before the system recognizes and issues a warning (definitely not a pleasant experience).
Driving Assistance
After discussing the driving experience, let's talk about XPeng's pride and joy - the NGP automated driving assistance. The NGP system is undoubtedly the top domestic technology among the competition, and I truly agree with this statement based on my personal experience.
The most impressive feature of NGP is its automatic off-ramp ability. Before exiting the highway, the car automatically reduces speed, changes lanes to the far-right, and exits the highway, as smoothly as an experienced driver, making it impossible to go back to a life without it.## Translation
Talking about signaling and changing lanes, I was deeply impressed by how decisive and efficient the whole process was. The only downside was that the process of confirming lane safety took so long that the turn signal kept flashing, making me look like a rookie female driver. I was quite frustrated.
In addition, one of the highlights of my test drive experience was the LCC (lane centering control) feature. It was definitely the feature I used the most during the test drive. The system controlled the braking much better than I did, and the lane centering and following distance were just right. Once enabled, it could follow the car in front, even during stops and starts. It was really liberating as it allowed me to relax and enjoy driving even more. I highly recommend it.
Experience Summary:
After my immersive test drive with XPeng Motors, I discovered many details and highlights that I would have otherwise missed.
I must say that the XPeng P7 is a very capable car overall, but it still has a long way to go in terms of comfort and fine details.
Lastly, I would like to thank XPeng for providing this in-depth test drive experience, and also thank 42 garage for providing a platform that allows consumers to recognize the excellence of our domestically produced cars!
I deeply felt that our country’s automobile industry has achieved a breakthrough in the era of new energy!
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.