Spy photos show Xpeng testing new SUV that could be Model Y rival
The new SUV, which could be the Xpeng G5, will be the model that the company previously mentioned would compete with the Tesla Model Y, according to local media.
(Image credit: Yiche)
Xpeng Motors said two months ago that it would launch a new model to take on the Tesla Model Y in the first half of next year. Now, what appears to be spy shots of the model show what it might look like.
Xpeng is testing the model internally codenamed F30, and its official name could be G5, according to a report by local auto media Yiche on Sunday.
The model is a coupe SUV with a slinky body that will compete directly with the Tesla Model Y, the report noted.
From the details revealed in the spy photos, the front features the same latest family design language as the Xpeng G9 and is expected to be equipped with LiDARs as well, the report said.
The new SUV will be built on Xpeng's new F platform and is expected to be around 4.7 meters long, according to the report.
A video also shared by car blogger @德卤爱开车 on Friday also showed the model wrapped in camouflage.
Xpeng may release a facelift of the P7 first, followed by the expected release of this new model in the first half of next year, the blogger said.
During the August 24, 2022, second-quarter earnings call, Xpeng management had revealed that it would launch a B-segment car in the first half of 2023 that would compete with the Tesla Model Y.
Xpeng will rely on the new platform to accelerate the pace of product launches to enrich its product matrix in the RMB 150,000 ($20,670) to RMB 500,000 price range, the company said previously.
Xpeng management also said at the time that the company will also launch a C-segment vehicle in the second half of next year to bring an ultimate experience to a user segment that needs more space and comfort.
The Xpeng P7 is also due for a facelift next year, and its management believes it will attract more customers, according to the August 24 call.
Earlier this year, an announcement from one of Xpeng's suppliers had already revealed that the electric vehicle maker was building a model codenamed F30.
On March 22, Shanghai-listed Bomin Electronics said its Shenzhen subsidiary had become a parts supplier for Xpeng's F30 model as well as the E38.
Previous information showed that the P7 was codenamed E28, the P5 was D55, the G3 was D20 and the G9 was E38.
Bomin's announcement means that the model codenamed F30 will be Xpeng's next model, or fifth model.
The supply deal has a lifecycle of five years and the deal is expected to be worth RMB 250 million to 300 million, Bomin's announcement said.