XPENG has reached another major milestone in its European expansion as the company’s next-generation AI flagship SUV, the XPENG G9L, completes its first production trial at Magna’s manufacturing facility in Graz, Austria.
The G9L becomes the fourth XPENG model produced at the Austrian facility, joining the G6, G9 and P7+. The milestone comes roughly one year after XPENG and Magna launched local vehicle production in Graz, strengthening the Chinese automaker’s strategy of building vehicles closer to European customers.
Following its initial production trial, the first pre-production G9L will travel 1,324 kilometers from Graz to Paris ahead of its global premiere at the Paris Motor Show on October 12. The journey will give XPENG an opportunity to demonstrate the SUV’s charging capability, safety systems and driving performance under real European road conditions.
XPENG Expands Its European Manufacturing Footprint
The G9L production milestone comes as XPENG continues to accelerate its international expansion. The company has delivered more than 100,000 vehicles outside China, including more than 60,000 in Europe.
France has also become an increasingly important market for the automaker. XPENG has delivered more than 6,000 vehicles in the country since entering the French market two years ago.
The company reported particularly strong international growth during the second quarter of 2026, when overseas deliveries exceeded 20,000 vehicles for the first time. That represented an 81% year-over-year increase, while overseas markets accounted for 25% of XPENG’s first-half revenue. The average selling price of those vehicles exceeded €40,000.
Local production in Austria is an important part of XPENG’s strategy to establish a stronger long-term presence in Europe while reducing the distance between its global vehicle development programs and regional customers.
XPENG G9L Developed as a Global Electric SUV
Unlike models developed primarily for a single market, the G9L has been engineered as a global vehicle from the beginning. XPENG plans to introduce the SUV across 64 countries and regions.
Its global validation program has covered 26 countries and regions over a three-year period, with approximately 6.74 million kilometers of road testing.
XPENG says the G9L has completed 192 crash tests and more than 110 testing protocols. The program covers both left- and right-hand-drive configurations and is designed around four major global five-star safety standards: E-NCAP, A-NCAP, C-NCAP and C-IASI.
The electric SUV also features active and passive safety technologies, along with redundant safety architecture designed to provide additional protection and system reliability.
One of the most unusual parts of the development program was a seven-stage “720-degree” safety challenge covering land, water and air conditions.
Advanced AI Technology and Sophisticated Chassis
The G9L combines XPENG’s latest artificial intelligence technology with a chassis engineered to deliver a balance between comfort and driving performance.
The standard chassis specification includes dual-chamber air suspension, intelligent variable damping and rear-wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of steering angle.
Rear-wheel steering can make a large SUV easier to maneuver at low speeds while also helping improve stability during higher-speed driving. Combined with the air suspension system and variable damping, the setup is intended to give the G9L both premium ride comfort and sharper handling.
The combination of advanced AI systems, electric powertrain technology and sophisticated chassis hardware positions the G9L as a flagship model for XPENG’s next stage of global expansion.
Magna Production Brings XPENG Closer to European Customers
The partnership with Magna represents XPENG’s first European local manufacturing program. Production at Magna’s Graz facility officially began in the third quarter of 2025.
The Austrian plant has extensive experience producing vehicles for premium automotive brands, giving XPENG access to established European manufacturing expertise as it expands its product lineup.
For Magna, the addition of the G9L further expands its cooperation with XPENG. For the Chinese EV maker, producing vehicles in Europe represents an important step toward its broader strategy of “building for Europe” rather than simply exporting vehicles into the region.
“Production at Graz combines Magna’s vehicle manufacturing experience with XPENG’s electric vehicle and AI technology,” the companies said, highlighting their shared focus on quality and production capability.
XPENG G9L Heads From Graz to Paris
The first European pre-production G9L will now begin its 1,324-kilometer journey from Graz to Paris ahead of its global debut.
The road trip will provide a real-world test of the SUV’s charging performance, safety technologies and driving characteristics before it reaches the Paris Motor Show.
XPENG will officially unveil the Next-Gen AI Flagship G9L on October 12, when the company is also expected to open orders for the new electric SUV.
With the G9L entering European production and XPENG continuing to expand its international sales, the new flagship SUV represents another important step in the company’s transition from a Chinese EV manufacturer with a growing overseas presence into a more globally established electric vehicle brand.
