The new Aion V arrives in the UK as a spacious electric family SUV with 317 miles of range, a £36,450 starting price, huge rear-seat room and an eight-year ownership package that includes warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MOT cover
The new Aion V has landed in the UK, and I got an early first drive at SMMT Test Day at Millbrook, where some of the latest cars are laid out like an automotive buffet and you try not to come away with indigestion, or an existential crisis about how quickly the car industry is changing. This is Aion’s new electric family SUV, and while the badge may still be unfamiliar to most British buyers, the proposition is anything but vague: 317 miles of WLTP range, £36,450 OTR, around 204PS, lots of equipment, loads of space and one of the most interesting ownership packages currently being offered on any new car in Britain.
Aion is part of GAC Group, one of China’s major car manufacturers, and the V is the brand’s first proper assault on the UK market. It is also the second generation of the Aion V globally, so this is not some experimental newcomer knocked together during a lunch break with a glue gun and government subsidies. The first generation arrived in 2020, and this latest version is now being rolled out here just as Chinese brands are starting to make a serious dent in the UK market.
And that matters, because we are now past the point where you can dismiss Chinese cars with a wave of the hand and a smug “they’ll never catch on”. Look at what has already happened with brands like BYD, MG, Omoda and Jaecoo. The market has changed, buyers are watching the monthly payments, and value suddenly matters more than badge snobbery.
Aion V price, range and key specs
The new Aion V starts at £36,450 OTR, which puts it right in the heart of the electric family SUV market. For that, you get a 75.3kWh LFP battery, a claimed 317-mile WLTP range, 150kW or 204BHP, front-wheel drive and a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds. Top speed is 99mph, torque is listed at 240Nm on the press information I was given at the event, and charging is usefully competitive, with DC fast charging up to 180kW.
Aion claims a 30-80% DC charge in 18 minutes, while 10-80% takes around 24 minutes. AC charging is handled at 11kW, with a 0-100% charge taking around 8.5 hours. It also uses Type 2 and CCS2 charging connections, as you would expect, and offers V2L functionality.
Dimensionally, the Aion V is a proper family SUV rather than a pretend crossover wearing platform shoes. It measures 4,605mm long, 1,854mm wide and 1,686mm tall, with a 2,775mm wheelbase and a kerb weight of 1,880kg. Boot space is listed at 427 litres with the rear seats up and 1,638 litres with them folded, although some official materials also refer to a 500-litre figure depending on measurement method. Either way, this is not a tiny boot masquerading as practical because someone found somewhere to put a shopping bag under the floor.
The Great 8 ownership package is the real shock
The specification is interesting, the range is good and the price is keen, but the real headline-grabber is the ownership package. Aion calls it the Great 8, and it gives you eight years of warranty, eight years of servicing, eight years of roadside assistance and eight years of MOT cover.
Yes, eight years of MOT cover. I had to do a mental double-take on that as well. You normally expect a warranty, maybe servicing if you are lucky, perhaps roadside assistance if the manufacturer is feeling generous. But MOT cover for eight years? That is unusual enough to make you stop and pay attention. (It’s worth noting of course, that wear and tear plus consumable items would not be paid for, just the cost of the MOT and obviously repairs on anything covered by the warranty).
Better still, the package is tied to the car rather than just the first owner, so it is transferable. That means even if the Aion V changes hands later in life, the support package continues. That could be a major used-car confidence booster, because uncertainty over unknown new brands is often one of the biggest problems once cars leave their first owner.
Aion has also worked with Thatcham Research and secured a Group 32 insurance rating. That is important because one of the current concerns around new Chinese cars in the UK is insurability, parts availability and repair costs. Aion says it worked directly with Thatcham during the UK development phase, and the aim was to lower crash repair costs and cut accident repair times by around 50%. Sensible stuff, and exactly the sort of behind-the-scenes work that helps turn a new brand from “interesting curiosity” into “hmm, maybe I’d actually buy one”.
Exterior design: sensible, chunky and quietly distinctive
The Aion V is not a wild-looking thing, and frankly, that is probably for the best. It has a solid, planted, slightly rugged SUV stance with clean lines, hidden door handles, roof rails, 19-inch alloy wheels and a bluff, confident front end. It does not look like it is trying too hard, which is refreshing in an era when some EVs appear to have been designed by people trapped inside a gaming PC.
The test car I drove was in Galaxy Blue, with the Premium Pack and French Cream interior, bringing the total price to £38,815 OTR. On the outside, it looks modern without shouting. It has presence, it looks family-friendly, and it has enough visual distinction to avoid disappearing completely into the great grey crossover soup that currently fills Britain’s car parks.
Interior space: this is where it starts to impress
The first big surprise is the rear-seat space. I had already moved the car before filming, and even allowing for the seat position shifting back for easy entry and exit, there is a lot of room in the back. Knee room is generous, foot room is good, and although the floor is a little higher than you might expect, it does not become a problem because there is enough space under the front seat.
In plain English, this is properly roomy. You sit in the back and think, “Hang on, this is quite posh.” There are quilted door panels, a big panoramic glass roof, rear climate controls, USB-C connectivity, a central armrest and, on the Premium Pack car, even a rear tray table. A tray table! I was not expecting aircraft cabin energy from a new Chinese electric SUV at Millbrook, but here we are.
The panoramic roof also makes the cabin feel airy and open, although thankfully it has an electric sunshade, because on a hot day a glass roof without a shade is less “premium lifestyle” and more “tandoori human”.
Front cabin and tech
Up front, the Aion V continues the lounge-like feel. The driving position is comfortable, the seat moves back when you get in and out, and the steering wheel is manually adjustable. The car even suggested it might be time for a snooze when I got in, which felt either charmingly caring or mildly insulting. I had only just arrived. Give me a chance.
The infotainment and control setup is dominated by a large central touchscreen, and the car gets a 14.6-inch display, an 8.88-inch driver display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, online navigation, voice control, a 9-speaker 360W audio system and an in-car WiFi hotspot. There are also rotary-style steering wheel controls that work like little four-way toggle switches, similar to something I had recently noticed in the MG IM5. It might be a new trend. Whether it becomes genius or another thing we all accidentally press while trying to change volume remains to be seen.
The climate controls are touchscreen-based, although I did manage to adjust the fan speed without too much drama. That said, the system did ramp the fan up rather enthusiastically at first, like it was trying to cool the entire county of Bedfordshire. Still, the interface seemed manageable on this short test.
Driving the Aion V at Millbrook
This was only a short drive around the city route at Millbrook, so this is very much a first impression rather than a full road test. The route included tight turns, low-speed changes of direction and the sort of environment where a family SUV needs to feel easy, predictable and comfortable.
And that is exactly what the Aion V does. It is easy to place, smooth, settled and straightforward to drive. The steering is light, the performance is perfectly adequate, and it never feels awkward or intimidating. This is not pretending to be a sports SUV. It is a family EV, and judged on that basis, it feels nicely judged.
There is a bit of road noise on some surfaces, perhaps a little more than expected, but the ride itself felt smooth and composed. Push it through tighter bends and there is a hint of understeer, but nothing dramatic, nothing untoward and nothing that would bother the kind of buyer who wants school-run comfort, weekend practicality and low-stress electric motoring.
Practical family EV, not a pretend performance car
The Aion V is not the sort of car that asks you to find your inner racing driver. It is the sort of car that asks whether everyone has enough legroom, whether the phone is charging, whether the air-con works properly and if you want to eat your Happy Meal on the seat-back table.
That is where it makes sense. It has the range, it has the space, it has the comfort features, it has a big warranty-backed confidence package, and it seems easy to drive.
Verdict: should you consider the Aion V?
The Aion V arrives at a very interesting moment. Chinese car brands are no longer fringe players in the UK. They are becoming serious contenders, and cars like this explain why. The Aion V offers strong range, lots of standard kit, generous space and a price that undercuts or unsettles several more familiar rivals.
The badge is new, and that will naturally make some buyers cautious. Trust is earned, which is why the Great 8 ownership package, Thatcham collaboration, insurance work and long-term support story matter so much.
Based on this early drive, the Aion V feels like a genuinely credible electric family SUV. It is comfortable, spacious, practical, well-equipped and easy to drive. It does not thrill, but it does not need to. It reassures, and for a new brand entering the UK, that might be far more important.
So keep an eye on this one. The Aion V may be an unfamiliar badge today, but in a few months, you might start seeing rather a lot of them. And then everyone who said “I’ve never heard of it” will suddenly be pretending they knew all along. Tell them you read it here first!
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