Posted in Cars, International News, Xpeng / By Jonathan Lee /
Xpeng may have only just launched the G6 in Malaysia, but back in China, the company has already moved on to its next big thing. The prominent EV maker has introduced the new Mona M03 in the Middle Kingdom, breaking into the entry-level electric sedan market with some impressive specs and pricing.
Looking all the world like a budget Polestar 5, the M03 delivers on part of that statement by being exceedingly affordable for an EV. Prices start from just 119,800 yuan (RM72,800) for the 515 variant, rising up to 129,800 yuan (RM78,900) for the 620 and 155,800 yuan (RM94,700) for the 580 ultra-long range Max.
The variant names, in case you were wondering, correspond to the range figures on the CLTC cycle. All models are front-wheel drive, with the motor in the 515 producing 190 PS (140 kW) and 225 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. Outputs are boosted on the other two models to 218 PS (160 kW) and 250 Nm, slashing four tenths of a second from the century sprint (7.4 seconds).
As for range, the 515’s 51.8 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery delivers a CLTC range of 515 km, while the larger 62.2 kWh pack boosts range to 620 km on the 620 and 580 km on the 580 Max. The discrepancy between the latter two variants presumably comes from the hardware required for the Max’s additional autonomous driving hardware, which we’ll get to later. Xpeng doesn’t list charging speeds for the Mona M03, only saying that DC fast charging takes 26 minutes to bring the battery from 10 to 80% SoC.
On the outside, the resemblance to Polestar’s models comes courtesy of the T-shaped “starship” head- and taillights, a marked departure from Xpeng’s typical full-width light bars. The company says the minimalist styling, which features a sweeping coupé-like roof line, flush pop-out door handles and distinctive C-pillar fins, was created using “AI quantitative design,” whatever that means.
More importantly, the pebble-smooth exterior has allowed the Mona M03 to post the lowest drag coefficient for a production car – a scarcely believable 0.194, achieved thorough measures like a standard-fit active grille shutter. The car comes as standard with 18-inch wheels shod with low rolling resistance tyres, while 19-inch rollers with Michelin rubber are available as an option.
The clean aesthetic is repeated on the inside, where you’ll find a 15.6-inch “floating” touchscreen featuring a card-style interface, running on a flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 processor and 16 GB of RAM. The car also comes with voice control on all four corners of the car, a standard panoramic glass roof, optional 256-colour ambient lighting and an 18-speaker PSS sound system.
Xpeng says the Mona M03’s interior can be customised through “expansions” that will be introduced in due course, much like the Xiaomi SU7‘s cabin. The boot measures a cavernous 621 litres and can be expanded to a whopping 1,603 litres with the rear seats folded; unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a front boot.
In terms of driver assists, the M03 is said to be the only model in its class to come with adaptive cruise control, lane centring assist and a 360-degree camera system as standard, along with a claimed best-in-class parking assist. Increased autonomy can be had with the Max variant, which adds Xpeng’s XNGP “full-scenario intelligent assisted driving” technology. This runs on two Nvidia Orin chips to enable highly-automated driving throughout China, including on city streets.
So, will the Mona M03 make its way to Malaysia? It remains to be seen, but for its part, Xpeng has said it will be bringing in more models as part of its commitment to the market. Would you buy the Mona M03 if it were to be priced around RM100,000 to RM120,000? Sound off in the comments after the jump.
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Jonathan Lee
After trying to pursue a career in product design, Jonathan Lee decided to make the sideways jump into the world of car journalism instead. He therefore appreciates the aesthetic appeal of a car, but for him, the driving experience is still second to none.
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