Xpeng will hold a launch event for the new G9 on September 19 in Dunhuang, Gansu province in northwest China, where its CEO will explain how the model will be back on the offensive.

(Image credit: Xpeng)

Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) had high hopes for the G9 when it launched the SUV a year ago, using 800 V high-voltage technology in the model and packing it with a host of fancy features including a 5D music cockpit.

However, the model's initial launch issues including configuration confusion overshadowed its appeal and was one of the major reasons for its lukewarm performance over the past year.

Now, Xpeng is about to launch the new G9 in a bid to give the flagship SUV the recognition it deserves.

Xpeng will hold a launch event for the new G9 on September 19 in Dunhuang, Gansu province in northwest China, it announced today.

The electric vehicle (EV) maker didn't explain why it's setting the launch in the city of Dunhuang, though the fact that the city was an important one on China's ancient Silk Road may mean that Xpeng is determined to bring the G9 back to prominence.

"Facing the ups and downs of life, how to reflect, how to change, and how to act? On September 19, in Dunhuang, He Xiaopeng will explain how the G9 will relaunch its offensive, and talk to you about the past year," Xpeng wrote on Weibo.

Xpeng will set sail again at the start of the Silk Road to bring customers the 2024 Xpeng G9, the company said. Mr. He is Xpeng's chairman and CEO.

"We always have to have the courage and confidence to set sail again and always believe that a good product will shine," Mr. He wrote on his personal Weibo account.

Xpeng launched the G9 on September 21, 2022, with a starting price of RMB 309,900 ($42,340) for the model.

The pricing was seen as competitive, but the G9's confusing configuration at launch sparked many dissatisfaction that overshadowed its appeal. Two days after the G9's launch, Xpeng overhauled the G9's options to make it less difficult for customers to choose.

The G9 delivered a record 4,020 units in December 2022, contributing 35.6 percent of the 11,292 delivered by Xpeng that month, data monitored by CnEVPost show.

The model has seen a significant drop in volume this year, with deliveries of around 1,000 units in every month except January, when 2,249 were delivered, and 616 in August.

Earlier this month, Xpeng began its preview of the new G9 by unveiling the exterior and interior design.

XPeng G9's configuration confusion overshadows product appeal, says Deutsche Bank