The Xpeng X9 will be land locally sometime early next year with 3 variants available from launch.
While the Xpeng booth at the ongoing Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) 2024 may only have its orange G6 on display, there might just be a few more models making its way into their local showrooms rather soon. And if the word from a senior official at Bermaz is to be believed, the next addition to the lineup over here will be its funky-looking X9 luxury 7-seat e-MPV.
Tipped to arrive sometime early next year, it has been further teased that this all-electric atas people mover will be available over here with 3 variants from launch. These 3 trims will likely include a base single motor standard-range spec, along with two longer-range trims with added luxury and the option of another additional rear-mounted drive unit.
First launched earlier this year in its home market of China, this X9 is currently to be the flagship model in Xpeng’s lineup over there. This all-electric MPV is incidentally to also be the only other right-hand drive model from the automaker thus far, with it being sold alongside the G6 coupe-crossover in Hong Kong.
One key distinguishing feature of the Xpeng from its competition is just how out there its general exterior aesthetic is. Its dual-tier front lighting setup gives this X9 a face that is vaguely reminiscent of the equally-funky Citroen C4 Picasso people mover from before, while its raked rear window on its curvaceous rump gives this MPV a silhouette that is unlike any of the boxes on wheels that currently occupy this segment.
And for those who might be thinking to themselves that this people mover looks rather big here too, that’s because it really is ginormous. The Xpeng X9 measures in at 5,293 mm long, 1,988 mm wide, 1,785 mm tall and with a wheelbase spanning 3,160 mm, which for context here is about 5% longer and wider (but also lower) than the already imposingly-large Toyota Alphard.
Sitting atop the same Smart Electric Platform Architecture 2.0 (SEPA 2.0) platform that underpins the G6, powering the front-wheel drive X9s is currently a single motor that is rated at 320 PS and 450 Nm, thus enabling a 0-100 km/h time of 7.7 seconds and top speed of 200 km/h. Those who prefer more oomph meanwhile could step up to the all-wheel drive variant, where its combined 503 PS and 640 Nm output further reduces the century sprint time of this e-MPV to a warm hatch-baiting 5.7 seconds.
Two battery options are currently available with the front-wheel drive X9s in China, with the smaller 84.5 kWh LFP pack yielding a CLTC-claimed range of 610 km, while the larger 101.5 kWh NMC supposedly could see this e-MPV travel up to 702 km on a single charge with the same test cycle. The all-wheel drive trims of this Xpeng people mover is to only be available with the bigger battery option, where its dual motors do expectedly somewhat reduce its expected range to 640 km.
Thanks to an 800 V silicon carbide (SiC) electrical architecture, Xpeng claims that all X9s can be topped up from 10-80% in around 20 minutes (with a suitably powerful DC charger) and a 10-minute charge can apparently add up to 300 km of range. The automaker goes on to highlight that this e-MPV packs under its skin standard intelligent dual-chamber air suspension system and an active rear-wheel steering system, which sees for it to boast a class-leading turning radius of 5.4 m.
With it being such a big MPV too, it should not come as a surprise that Xpeng is further touting that its X9 has a class-leading in-car floor space of 7.7m². Beyond being capable of luxuriously accommodating 7 passengers in a 2-2-3 configuration, its third-row seats (which sport electrical adjustment for the backrests and headrests!) can be electrically folded with a single click to expand its the boot space to an expansive 2,554 litres.
In terms of the various premium features that are to be found within the X9 meanwhile, among the more notable bits of kit include in-car hot and cold smart refrigerator, ‘zero-gravity reclining sofas’ with the usual climate and massaging functions, a panoramic glass roof, an Xopera 23-speaker sound system with 2,180 W of amplification and what Xpeng has dubbed ‘the world’s first wrap-around integrated central AC’.
As for its screen count, this Xpeng comes with a 17.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster up front, with a 21.4-inch ‘family infotainment system display’ dropping down from its ceiling for the benefit of those sitting in the second row and beyond.
Pricing for the X9 starts in China at 359,800 yuan (RM220,000), before rising to 419,800 yuan (RM 255,000). 20,000 units of this flagship Xpeng has since been delivered in its home market in the subsequent 11 months since its launch in January, with a 8-seater version having recently just joined its lineup.
The Xpeng X9 will be joining a relatively crowded marketplace when it eventually arrives over here next year, as it seems every other Chinese marque has since also decided to bring over its own electrified luxury MPV. Among which includes Denza with its all-electric D9, Zeekr with its similarly full EV 009, GWM with its PHEV Wey 80 and GAC with its own PHEV M8.
