Xpeng G6 vs Smart 1

What's the difference?

The XPeng G6 is this Chinese brand’s rival to the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X and I am testing the updated version of the model that originally arrived in Australia in 2024.

This new and vastly improved G6 has some important differences compared with the original. But fear not, I’ll take you through all of this.

The grade on test is the Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) Long Range which I think is the pick of the line-up that also includes an entry grade Rear Wheel Drive Standard Range and the top-spec Performance. There’s also a Performance Black that sits above this too, but it’s more of a cosmetic styling package to add a bit of ‘attitude’ to this SUV.

My family and I lived with the updated XPeng G6 RWD Long Range for a week. I am impressed, but I have a few notes of what I'd change as well.

Another day, another China-backed EV brand launches in Australia. This one, though, should be at least be vaguely familiar, with Smart having previously operated in Australia about 15 years ago, back when it was a Mercedes-Benz sub-brand rocking the tiny and clever Smart ForTwo and ForFour.

Mercedes is still involved, though now as a 50/50 joint venture partner with Chinese giant Geely, though the new Smart family is not being delivered by either company, and are actually being distributed by Mercedes’ biggest global dealer group, LSH Auto.

All of which is a load of information you don’t really need. But you should know, as a result of all that, the brand is promising a fleet of semi-premium EVs designed in Germany and built in China, with the Smart #1 the first to touch down in Australia.

Oh, and they pronounce the “hashtag” part of the model name, but I just can’t see that strategy becoming part of the Australian lexicon.

Anyway, part-Chinese, part-German and all electric. So should the #1 be on your EV shopping list?