The Xpeng L03 is a coupe-style SUV that clearly has the Tesla Model Y in its sights. It’s got the looks, it’s got the power and because Xpeng is first and foremost a tech company, there’s a ton of clever stuff to see inside. It was also designed by Xpeng’s global design team, headed by former Ferrari man JuanMa Lopez.
Billed by Xpeng as a ‘next-gen AI SUV coupe’, the L03 is a 4.65m long five seater with an impressive 0.28 drag coefficient. It’ll be offered in five nature-inspired colours: Phantom Purple, Arctic White, Midnight Black, Rock Gray and Silver Frost.
The interior benefits from a sizeable panoramic glass roof and 256-colour ambient lighting. Up front the seats are both heated and ventilated, plus they’ll massage your back in 14 different places. Second row passengers get 5-way adjustable electric seats too. Xpeng reckons there are a TARDIS-like 37 storage spaces inside the L03, including a 539-litre trunk, a 102-litre frunk and neat 10-litre drawer under the rear seats delivering plenty of load carrying.
I’ve already driven the Xpeng G6, which featured lots of tech and was heavily influenced by the Tesla Model Y. Unsurprisingly then, Xpeng’s L03 has much of the same core interior appeal. There’s a 15.6in infotainment screen supplemented by a head-up display, powered by three Turing AI chips that are said to deliver 2,250 TOPS of computing power. They provide the brains for Xpeng’s latest Next Generation Pilot (NGP) VLA 2.0 cruise control system.
Navigation comes via Google Maps and there’s a slew of parking aids that have been tailored towards the European market. Alongside more common options such as driver monitoring, the the AWD dual-motor version of the L03 brings blowout stability control, which aims to stop the car going out of control following a puncture at high speed.
This won’t just be an EV only offering; Xpeng also has a a range-extender (REEV) option in the works. The fully electric car will land with either a 56kWh or 69kWh battery, with the larger one being good for up to 388 miles or so. A 10% to 80% charge should take around 20 minutes. Anyone still suffering from range anxiety will be glad to hear the REEV should manage well over 600 miles.
The Xpeng L03 will join the current Xpeng G6 and Xpeng X9 SUVs and is expected to arrive in the UK in 2027. Prices are estimated at starting around the £35,000 mark. As with the majority of Chinese cars, there’s next to no chance of it launching in the US.
