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Updates to the Model Y-rivalling XPeng G6 from China will see the base model dropped, and a new all-wheel-drive 'performance' edition added.
Electric Cars
The 2026 XPeng G6 mid-size electric SUV will gain an all-wheel-drive performance flagship – but drop the smaller battery choice – when the updated model arrives in Australian showrooms towards the middle of next year.
The distributor of XPeng cars in Australia has ruled out a major price cut for the facelifted G6 to continue to undercut the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, Zeekr 7X, and other new rivals from China.
But the price of entry into the model line-up is likely to climb by about $5000, as it has been confirmed that the Standard Range variant, currently priced from $54,800 plus on-road costs, will initially not be available.
Initially linked with a late-2025 arrival, the updated G6 will be introduced about 18 months after the original iteration launched the XPeng brand in Australia at the end of 2024.
Orders are due to open late in the first quarter of 2026 – pointing to a March on-sale – before deliveries commence between April and June (second quarter).
Jason Clarke, CEO of XPeng's Australian distributor TrueEV, confirmed to Drive that an all-wheel-drive variant would be offered for the first time.
"There will be an all-wheel-drive version of that. For all intents and purposes, [the facelift] is not too different to the existing G6, but there are allegedly 88 points of difference.
"It does look pretty good. The exterior styling has changed with a new full-width front light bar, [and a] rear spoiler. There's a new wheel design. The touchscreen has grown from 14.9 to 15.6 inches."
Overseas specifications show the all-wheel-drive G6 combines 140kW/220Nm front and 218kW/440Nm rear electric motors for a claimed 358kW combined, good for a quoted zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 4.1 seconds.
Energy is stored in an 80.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, rated to deliver 510km of driving range in European WLTP testing.
The same battery is destined for the new rear-wheel-drive Long Range variant, but because it is smaller than the current model's 87.5kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) pack, the WLTP rating is set to drop from 570km to 525km.
Power will increase from 210kW today to 218kW/440Nm, though it is slower to accelerate, covering 0-100km/h in 6.7sec, rather than 6.2sec.
XPeng has received approval to sell Long Range RWD and Performance AWD versions of the G6 locally, but not the Standard Range.
Clarke confirmed the Standard Range will "not continue in the initial facelifted range," though left the door open for potential expansion of the G6 line-up later this year.
It means the price of entry into the model range is likely to grow from $54,800 plus on-road costs today, to closer to the $59,800 of the current Long Range.
Ironically, it's the Standard Range that has been given a significant battery upgrade, increasing in capacity from 66kWh to 68.5kWh for 470km of WLTP range, up from 435km, though power has decreased from 190kW to 185kW.
Clarke said pricing is yet to be confirmed, but acknowledged it would be similar to the current model.
"The pricing, we don't have full guidance on that, but yes, it will be similar, you would expect," adding when quizzed that "at this point" there are no plans for radical price cuts.
The G6 Standard Range is currently cheaper than its key rivals: the BYD Sealion 7 ($54,990 for a 482km range), Kia EV5 ($56,770 for a 400km range), Zeekr 7X ($57,900 for a 480km range), and Tesla Model Y ($58,900 for a 466km range).
Updates for the 2026 G6 include a new full-width front LED light bar, the relocation of the XPeng badge to the bonnet, tweaked 20-inch alloy wheel design, and an in-built rear 'ducktail' spoiler.
Inside, the touchscreen now measures 15.6 inches across, up from 14.9 inches, and sits on a redesigned dashboard that moves the digital instrument cluster to a freestanding item.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
