This new Chinese SUV sent me to sleep (but not for the reason you’d think)

This is the new Aion V – an electric SUV from a new Chinese brand which is launching in the UK early next year. We expect it to cost between £30,000 and £35,000, making it a left-field alternative to the Skoda Enyaq.

It has a 75kWh battery which will deliver up to 317 miles of range according to official tests, which is 50 miles more than the new Geely EX5, and it comes with plenty of standard kit. But what exactly is Aion?

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What is Aion?

You may have never heard of Aion, but it’s not some back-street startup car maker. It’s backed by the Chinese company GAC, which has been around in one form or another since the 1950s. It’s one of China’s biggest car makers.

There are a few different brands under the GAC umbrella including Aion and Hyptec, but Aion is the only one which will come to the UK. It’s launching next year with the new Aion V, then the UT hatchback will come along later in 2026.

There are also plans to launch hybrid models in the coming years, and it’ll have six models on sale in the UK by 2028.

New Aion V first impressions: design

I reckon the Aion V has a bit of a rugged vibe about it, a bit like the KGM Torres EVX. It’s not really a head-turner, but it looks smart enough to earn you some kudos on the school run.

It has an upright front end with a smooth fascia, and the lower grille can shut itself when it’s not needed to help the car slip through the air more easily. The pop-out door handles are also good for aerodynamics, and they make the side profile look cleaner as well.

All cars get chunky 19-inch alloy wheels, and you can get roof bars as well if you want your electric SUV to look all lifestyle-y.

The rear end is pretty boxy as well, adding to the muscular appearance of this car. You’ll make up your own mind on the styling, but I reckon this is a smart-looking SUV. A Peugeot E-5008 is more striking though.

New Aion V first impressions: what’s it like inside?

In a word, big. The Aion V is one of the longer cars in this class, and that becomes clear when you step into the rear seats.

I’m about 6’3”, and I can comfortably sit in the back behind my driving position. There’s also an easy-access latch to the side of the seat to recline it if you want to relax on longer journeys.

If you want to relax even more when parked, you can fold all the seats flat at the touch of a button to create a bed. All this car reviewing is tiring work, so I took this moment to take a quick nap.

Feeling refreshed, it was time to have a poke around in the front of the Aion V. The first thing which struck me was the material quality – it’s really good. Everything you see and touch on a regular basis is covered in soft-touch leatherette, and all the switchgear is nicely damped.

Only when you venture towards the footwells do you start to uncover some scratchy plastics, but this is the case with a lot of BMWs and Audis these days. The Aion V feels properly posh inside, especially when you go for the light interior trim.

You also get an enormous panoramic glass roof as standard, which helps the cabin feel light and airy.

Sitting in the middle of the car is a 14.6-inch touchscreen, and you use this to control pretty much everything in the car. I prefer to have physical buttons, but it’s not uncommon to see them removed from car interiors in the pursuit of minimalism these days.

The screen itself is bright and responsive, but I found some of the menu layouts to be a tad confusing. Finding the mirror adjustment screen wasn’t especially easy, but at least the climate control lives at the bottom full-time.

Cabin storage is decent, with a massive cubby under the central armrest and big door bins, however there’s no glovebox. You do get a couple of bag hooks though, and there’s a big area beneath the centre console to store bags.

Moving to the boot, you have 427 litres of space. That’s decent, but it’s around 40 litres smaller than a Skoda Elroq and it’s not as capacious as the MG S5 EV either. At least you do have a massive area under the floor for your cables, which helps make up for the lack of a front boot.

New Aion V batteries and motors

All versions of the Aion V use a front-mounted electric motor with 204hp, and this is fed by a 75kWh battery.

This means 317 miles of range according to official tests, which is 50 miles more than the Geely EX5 and versions of the Skoda Elroq with the smaller battery, although we’ll see how close we can get to this figure in reality once we get to drive the car early next year.

The Aion V will also charge at 180kW at a DC fast charger, allowing you to top up from 10-80% in just 24 minutes. You get vehicle-to-load charging as well, meaning you can plug appliances such as microwaves into the car when you’re out camping.

New Aion V first impressions: price, specs and verdict

Prices for the new Aion V will be finalised in early 2026, but Aion says it’ll cost around £35,000. That’ll put it in line with cars like the Geely EX5 and Skoda Elroq, but should you buy one?

Well we can’t come to a final conclusion until we get to drive the car, but on paper it should be decent on the road. Aion is currently hard at work adapting the car for the UK’s weaving and potholed roads, and it’ll get a unique suspension setup just for us.

Like most Chinese EVs, it’ll be packed with standard kit as well. All cars get a full-length panoramic roof, adaptive cruise control, a posh sound system and heated and ventilated seats.

On first impressions, the Aion V is a spacious, well-made and posh-looking SUV with a tempting price tag which should draw in the punters. Providing it’s decent to drive, it’ll make a good EV for families.

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