XPeng G6 vs Zeekr 7X vs Tesla Model Y: Which Mid-Size Electric SUV Should You Buy in 2026?
Written by Daniel Romero
Three cars, three very different ideas of what an electric SUV owner actually wants. The XPeng G6 has now confirmed Australian pricing from $51,800 plus on-road costs, a four-variant range and a 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, undercutting both rivals here at every trim level. The Zeekr 7X has spent the past ten months building a reputation as the best-equipped EV under $75,000 (approx. USD $49,000). The Tesla Model Y remains the car everyone else is still trying to beat on charging infrastructure and resale confidence. Here's how to pick between them.
What are the three cars and who makes them?
The XPeng G6 is a mid-size electric SUV from XPeng, a Guangzhou-based company that builds its own AI chips, flying vehicles and humanoid robots alongside its cars. The Zeekr 7X comes from Zeekr, Geely's premium EV brand, designed at Zeekr's studio in Gothenburg. The Tesla Model Y is Tesla's volume SUV and Australia's best-selling electric vehicle.
How do the XPeng G6, Zeekr 7X and Tesla Model Y compare on price?
- XPeng G6: Now confirmed at $51,800 (RWD Standard Range), $56,800 (RWD Long Range), $63,800 (AWD Performance) and $66,800 (AWD Performance Black Edition), all plus on-road costs. Reservations opened 7 July 2026, with cars arriving in showrooms during July.
- Zeekr 7X: $57,900 (RWD Standard), $63,900 (RWD Long Range) and $72,900 (AWD Performance), all plus on-road costs. A Black Special Edition sits at $75,900.
- Tesla Model Y: $58,900 (RWD), from around $68,900 (Long Range AWD, some retailers quote drive-away figures closer to $75,900, confirm with your local Tesla store), and $89,400 (Performance AWD) plus on-road costs.
With official pricing now locked in, the G6 undercuts the equivalent Zeekr 7X trim by roughly $6,000–9,000 and the equivalent Tesla Model Y trim by up to $22,600 at the performance end, making it the cheapest way into this segment across the board, not just at one price point.
Which has the better technology ecosystem, XPeng or Zeekr?
This is where the two Chinese rivals genuinely diverge, and it matters more than the spec sheet suggests.
XPeng is fundamentally a technology company that happens to build cars. It designs its own ADAS silicon in-house, and the G6's XPILOT system runs on an Nvidia Orin-X chip rated at 254 TOPS, with XPeng's own roadmap already moving toward proprietary Turing chips capable of 750 TOPS and beyond for next-generation models. The practical result in the G6 is a driver-assist suite that reads as more complete on paper. Forward, side and rear collision prevention are broken into dedicated systems (FCW, AEB, BSD, DOW, RCW, RCTA) rather than bundled into a single umbrella feature, and the "Hello XPeng" voice assistant is widely regarded as one of the more capable in-car voice systems on sale, handling layered requests without falling back to generic error responses.
The Zeekr 7X counters with a genuinely impressive cabin on the surface. A 16-inch 3.5K Mini-LED central screen, a 36-inch head-up display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip look like a stronger tech story at a glance. But the 7X's driving-assist hardware, described in its own specifications as a "12V1R" solution covering 15 key ADAS functions, is a simpler, single-radar setup rather than XPeng's more layered sensor and chip architecture. Independent local reviews have also flagged that the 7X's screen-heavy control philosophy and occasional software quirks (some requiring an over-the-air fix) can feel more cumbersome day to day than a system built around a dedicated, purpose-designed AI stack.
If the deciding factor is which brand is building a coherent, self-owned technology ecosystem rather than assembling one from suppliers, the G6 is the stronger long-term bet.
Which car has the longest range and fastest charging?
Range leadership goes outright to the Zeekr 7X Long Range RWD at 615km WLTP, ahead of the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD's 600km and comfortably ahead of the G6's best figure of 525km WLTP on the Long Range.
For outright DC charging speed, XPeng claims the highest peak at 451kW on the Long Range G6, though Australia's public charging network doesn't yet widely support speeds above 400kW, so the real-world gap to the 7X's 420-450kW and the Model Y's 250kW peak is smaller in daily use than the headline numbers suggest.
From our extensive regional EV testing across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, you will rarely encounter chargers capable of charging faster than 250kW speeds, with most of our charging stops pushing 100-150kW at the best of times.
Which is quickest and most powerful?
The Zeekr 7X Performance AWD is the outright pace-setter here at 475kW combined, 710Nm and a 3.8-second 0-100km/h claim, edging out the Tesla Model Y Performance's 3.5-second claim only marginally in real-world driving feel but at a significantly lower price. The XPeng G6 AWD Performance trails both at 358kW, 660Nm and 4.13 seconds, still brisk but not in the same performance bracket.
What else is included with G6 ownership?
XPeng ANZ has confirmed the New G6 includes unlimited, no-time-limit data for maps and vehicle software, plus one year of unlimited data for in-car entertainment. Over-the-air software updates are also unlimited with no time limit, and roadside assistance runs for seven years, matching the vehicle warranty term. Neither the Zeekr 7X nor the Tesla Model Y publishes an equivalent unlimited data or seven-year roadside assistance commitment in Australia, making the G6's total ownership package the most generous of the three on paper.
How do the warranties compare?
XPeng now backs the New G6 with a 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty for private owners (7 years/160,000km for commercial use) plus an 8-year/160,000km warranty on the traction battery, motor and Intelligent Power Unit, a notably longer private-owner term than the 5-year unlimited-kilometre cover typical of the Zeekr 7X and Tesla Model Y. For buyers weighing long-term ownership costs, this is a genuine point in the G6's favour.
How do they compare on safety?
The Zeekr 7X holds a confirmed five-star ANCAP rating, scoring 91% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child occupant protection, 78% for vulnerable road user protection and 78% for safety assist, tested under ANCAP's 2023–2025 protocol in Performance AWD specification.
The Tesla Model Y also carries a confirmed five-star rating for its current 2025-onward build, scoring 91% for adult occupant protection, 95% for child occupant protection, 86% for vulnerable road user protection and 92% for safety assist, the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle ANCAP assessed in 2025.
The pre-facelift XPeng G6 (on sale in Australia from October 2024) holds a confirmed five-star rating too, scoring 88% for adult occupant protection, 86% for child occupant protection, 81% for vulnerable road user protection and 80% for safety assist, valid until December 2031. ANCAP hasn't yet published an independent rating for the facelifted New G6 specifically, but XPeng expects the result to carry across given the shared platform and largely unchanged safety hardware, so this is one to watch for official confirmation rather than a genuine cause for concern.
| ANCAP category | XPeng G6 (pre-facelift) | Zeekr 7X | Tesla Model Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 5 stars | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Adult occupant protection | 88% | 91% | 91% |
| Child occupant protection | 86% | 87% | 95% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 81% | 78% | 86% |
| Safety assist | 80% | 78% | 92% |
| Rating valid until | December 2031 | December 2031 | December 2031 |
How do the three cars compare at a glance?
| Facelift XPeng G6 | Zeekr 7X | Tesla Model Y | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price (plus on-road costs) | $51,800 | $57,900 | $58,900 |
| Top-spec price (plus on-road costs) | $66,800 | $72,900 | $89,400 |
| Longest WLTP range | 525km | 615km | 600km |
| Quickest 0-100km/h | 4.13s | 3.8s | 4.8s |
| Peak power (top variant) | 358kW | 475kW | not published (AWD dual-motor) |
| Warranty (private owners) | 7 years/unlimited km | 5 years/unlimited km | 5 years/unlimited km |
| Roadside assistance | 7 years | not published | not published |
| Cargo Space - Seats Up | 571L | 539 | 854L |
| Cargo Space - Seats Down | 1,374L | 1978L | 2,138L |
| Cargo Space - Frunk (Under Bonnet) | 54L | 62L | 117L |
| ANCAP rating | 5 stars (pre-facelift) | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Which should you actually buy?
Buy the XPeng G6 if you want the most advanced driver-assist hardware in this segment, the longest warranty and roadside assistance term of the three, unlimited data and OTA updates thrown in, and the lowest price at every trim level, and you're after the most user-friendly infotainment setup.
Buy the Zeekr 7X if you want the best all-round package for the price, the longest range, the biggest boot and frunk combination, and genuine luxury cabin materials, and you don't need the absolute newest driver-assist silicon.
Buy the Tesla Model Y if Supercharger network access, proven reliability, 1,588kg towing capacity and a mature software ecosystem matter more to you than beating either Chinese rival on price.
This comparison uses manufacturer-published specifications and confirmed Australian pricing where available. XPeng G6 2026 pricing and ANCAP rating were unconfirmed at time of writing and will be updated once official figures are released.