Aion is getting ready to add a smaller electric car to its UK lineup, and this one comes with a useful party trick – a claimed 268 miles between charges.
Called the Aion UT, the hatchback will be the Chinese brand’s second model here after the Aion V family SUV. Order books for the new UT open in September, with the first customer cars due to arrive in October. Aion hasn’t announced prices yet, but the UT could start at just under £30,000.
A 60kWh battery sits at the heart of the UT. Aion says its 268-mile figure is the longest standard range in the class, while a 30-80 per cent top-up is said to take 24 minutes.
Power comes from a 201bhp electric motor, enough to take the UT from 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds. Aion says that makes it one of the quicker small electric hatchbacks, although the newcomer is also being pitched as roomy and comfortable enough for family trips.
Jon Wakefield, managing director of Aion Auto UK, said: “The AION UT is a small car that acts big on longer journeys. It’s the perfect nippy weekday runaround, with the space and range to comfortably take the family on weekend road trips.”
“With its styling led by GAC’s Milan design studio specifically for the European market, the UT’s playful character and exceptional specification – combined with our AION Great 8 Promise – is really going to appeal to anyone looking for more from a compact car,” he added.
The look was led by parent company Gac’s design studio in Milan, with the car created specifically for European buyers. Its round, owl-inspired headlights give the front a friendly face, helped by four small “ice cube” lights used for the indicators and daytime running lights. Buyers will have five colours to choose from, although Aion hasn’t named them yet.
Inside, every UT gets heated front seats, a 14.6in central touchscreen and a 360-degree camera. There’ll be just one trim level.
Those who want more toys can add a Premium Pack, expected to cost less than £1,500. It brings a panoramic glass roof, powered tailgate, wireless phone charging and a ventilated driver’s seat – handy in Britain’s increasingly warm summers.
Although the basic design work was carried out in Europe, the UT has also been adjusted for British roads. Aion says engineers have changed parts of the suspension, including the springs and dampers, and revised the anti-roll bar. It’s apparently a more involved UK setup than the work carried out on the larger Aion V.
The ownership package is another big part of the pitch. Aion’s Great 8 Promise includes an eight-year warranty, eight years of servicing, eight years of roadside assistance and MoT cover until the car is eight years old.
The package is tied to the car rather than its first owner, so it stays in place if the UT is sold on. That could give used buyers some of the same cover as the person who bought it new, provided the car is still within the eight-year period.
Aion was founded in 2017 as part of GAC Group, one of China’s larger car makers with other automotive brands including Hyptec, Hycan and Trumpchi.
