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Business Times
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
XPeng X9 review: Too big to fail
[SINGAPORE] I had two ambitions as a boy: to marry Christie Brinkley and to become a spaceship pilot, though not necessarily in that order. Alas, fortune declined to smile on the Uptown Girl, but spending time with the XPeng X9 made me feel like my star captain fantasies finally came true – especially when it comes to the whole 'space' thing. The X9 is vast both inside and out, so much so that it could obscure a Bentley by pulling up alongside it. At 5.3 m long and 2m wide, it would have its own postal code if it didn't have wheels. Despite all appearances, the XPeng is not a building but a pure electric Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV). It has seven seats and a 320 horsepower motor for the front wheels, drawing power from either an 84.5 kWh or 101.5 kWh battery, with up to 500km or 590 km of range, respectively. Zero to 100 kmh involves 7.7 seconds and a polite whoosh. That makes it roughly as quick as a good 3.0-litre car, which is handy if your kids are running late for their golf lessons. The X9 has seven seats and a 320 horsepower motor for the front wheels, drawing power from either an 84.5 kWh or 101.5 kWh battery, with up to 500km or 590 km of range, respectively. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING But numbers alone don't explain this car. To understand it, you have to realise that XPeng was founded by a software engineer, and then imagine that the X9 is what happens when you ask a bunch of tech bros to design the ultimate family car. They scratch their heads, then throw the latest Qualcomm 8295 chip at the problem, along with 30,000 lines of code. Then they add all the hardware they imagine would suit a big, plush car. The result is a sort of maximalist people mover. The second-row thrones not only recline, they heat, cool and knead your spine six different ways. There are tray tables, motorised legrests, individual cupholders and USB charging ports, plus a rear screen that's bigger than some desktop monitors. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up The X9 features tray tables, motorised legrests, individual cupholders and USB charging ports, plus a rear screen that's bigger than some desktop monitors. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The X9 also has five-zone climate control, meaning it's literally big enough to have its own microclimates. The fridge between the front seats keeps drinks at 0 deg C or heats them to 50 deg C, depending on whether you're transporting milk tea or soup. The third row isn't just there to make up the numbers, either. Adults fit, and when you don't need them, you can fold the seats away to create a proper flat floor, a task done entirely with buttons. Do that and you get an enormous 2,554-litre boot. There's a photo out there of five bicycles parked inside the boot with the second-row chairs still upright, which is five more bicycles than you can stuff into most Ferraris. Yet, for something this large, the X9 is surprisingly nimble. It's the first MPV I know of with rear-wheel steering, which lets it pull off U-turns with ridiculous ease. The XPeng's sheer size means it will never be agile, but the steering is light enough to make it feel wieldy. The X9's sheer size means it will never be agile, but the steering is light enough to make it feel wieldy. Parking it would have been stressful, except I didn't have to do it myself. Hit a virtual button and the car slots itself neatly into a space without fuss or human input. Another clever trick is how, when the rear screen is down and blocks your view, the rearview mirror becomes a camera feed so you can still keep an eye on what's behind you. Where it borders on digital overkill is in how endlessly tweakable the whole thing is. There are three settings each for accelerator response, steering weight, brake pedal feel, suspension stiffness and power steering effort. There are four overall drive modes, four levels of regenerative braking and five for ride height. It's like the tech guys couldn't help themselves. One thing I didn't like was how the air-con takes a while to get going, and that someone decided that aiming the vents via touchscreen was a good idea. That person should be suspended. Preferably from the ceiling, by their thumbs. It's worth mentioning too that XPeng released an updated version of the X9 in April, with redesigned second-row seats, a new battery and other tweaks. That version hasn't reached Singapore yet, but it's something to consider if you're thinking of buying one now. Early adopters may feel a twinge, but that's how it goes in the tech world – even when the product in question is an MPV that looks like it belongs in an intergalactic fleet. XPeng moves so quickly, it's almost as if it thinks it's in a space race. XPeng X9 Long Range Motor Power/Torque: 320 hp/450 Nm Battery Type/Net Capacity: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt/101.5 kWh Charging Time/Type: Approximately 10 hours (11 kW AC), 20 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (317 kW DC) Range: 590 km 0-100 km/h: 7.7 seconds Top Speed: 200 kmh Efficiency: 19.8 kWh/100 km Agent: Premium Automobiles BEV Price: S$335,999 with COE Available Now
Business Times
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Zeekr 009 review: If Bentley did an MPV, it might look like this
[SINGAPORE] In 30 years reviewing cars, the Zeekr 009 is the first one to turn up for me with a chauffeur. As Sean, my affable driver for six hours, slid open the door to usher me into its vast interior, I chose to believe that Premium Automobiles really wanted me to experience what it's like to ride around in the back of the plush electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), instead of suspecting that they'd heard rumours about my driving. Anyway, who would mind being in the business end of a car thoughtfully crafted to deliver a uniquely Chinese take on luxury? For a start, this was the six-seat Flagship version, not the seven-seat Premium one, so the door opened up to a pair of airline-style thrones that reclined into what Zeekr describes as an Eames chair mode. Climb aboard and it's immediately clear that the 009 is a rolling lounge kitted out with every modern convenience known to man except plumbing (although I'd bet a stack of yuan that the Chinese are working on putting a lavatory in, complete with bidet). Meanwhile, you get a huge flip-down screen, a fridge, fold-out tray tables and a Yamaha sound system with 30 speakers. In terms of electric-vehicle hardware, it comes with a 116 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery good for 582 km of range, and if you plug in a 150 kilowatt DC charger, it'll go from 10 to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes. Riding in the back feels like floating on a cloud, only one with seats that cool you, warm you and massage you, all at once if you want. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING The cabin itself is an 80 square-foot masterclass in plushness. It's swathed in soft-touch materials, upholstered in top-grade Nappa leather and dressed in a high-end colour palette that mixes elegant tones with brushed metal accents. Even the crystalline seat switches glint like something from a jewellery counter. In short, the 009 is Zeekr's upscale riposte to the Toyota Alphard market, but done with such refinement that if Bentley ever did an MPV, it might end up like this. The electric drivetrain helps, of course, but it's the combination of whisper-quiet motors and standard air suspension that gives the 009 its uncannily smooth, gliding ride. Riding in the back feels like floating on a cloud, only one with seats that cool you, warm you and massage you, all at once if you want. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up As reluctant as I was to leave my massage session, duty made me climb into the third-row seats. I found them surprisingly habitable, even for adults, the big windows keep things feeling light and airy back there. I was more impressed with the suspension. Unlike the Denza D9, which can get bouncy, the 009 keeps things level and composed. I quizzed Sean about his thoughts on the Zeekr, because I figured I would be the kind of benevolent tycoon who wanted to hear from the hired help from time to time. 'I had a preconception about electric cars. You know, people say they have no soul,' he said. 'Then I drove this and I was like, 'Okay, this is actually really good!'' Sean continued his review by enthusing about the 'bucket loads' of power from the 009's two motors and its smooth braking, but wasn't too hot on the touchscreen controls ('There's just too much going on,' he said), and wished for more physical switches. A man after my own heart. Sean, the writer's affable chauffeur for six hours, ushers the writer into the Zeekr 009's vast interior. PHOTO: BIG FISH PUBLISHING Just in case he was after my job, too, I eventually took the tiller. I'd say the 009 feels vaguely like a land yacht slicing through calm waters, all majestic and smooth. But steer it into a tight car park, and you're suddenly aware that there are several metres of expensive metal behind you. It's a huge car, with all the attendant challenges of driving one, but thankfully the 360-degree camera system is top-notch. Elsewhere, there are sensors galore to keep you from straying out of lane or generally crashing into things, so its size is more daunting than disastrous. As a family MPV, the 009 is less convincing, since the boot isn't particularly big for a car this size, but it's clear that practicality isn't the point here. Zeekr's priorities didn't lie in building you a car for the grocery run, but to arrive like someone who's used to being met at the door. It's a car for someone who prefers to be driven, and who doesn't flinch at a road tax bill of S$6,526 a year. If that's you, the Zeekr 009 definitely has a place in your fleet. Unlike me, however, you'll have to supply your own chauffeur. Zeekr 009 Flagship Motor Power/Torque: 534 hp/ 686 Nm Battery Type/Net Capacity: Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt/116 kWh Charging Time/Type: 30 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (150 kW DC), 13.5 hours (11 kW AC) Range: 582 km 0-100 km/h: 4.5 seconds Top Speed: 210 km/h Efficiency: 22.3 kWh/100 km Agent: Premium Automobiles BEV Price: S$419,999 with COE Available Now
