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By Jonathan Crouch

Should you seriously consider the AION V mid-sized EV crossover? It's Chinese maker certainly has. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 42

The AION V is yet another electric mid-sized crossover offering technology and value with a premium spin. This ambitious Chinese brand has big UK plans and the V is a sign of just how serious the company is about conquering our market.

Backgroundword count: 228

Every one of the seemingly endless number of new Chinese brands going on sale here tells us that it's serious about the British market. Some really are. And here's one of them - AION. Their first UK model is the full-electric AION V mid-sized crossover. The brand's arrival here is actually pretty significant because it marks the somewhat tardy arrival on our shores of China's fifth biggest car maker, Guangzhou Automobile, better known as GAC, who sell over 2 million cars annually. GAC was established back in 1997 and since then has launched various sub-brands, including the sports car marque Hyptec and Hycan, a joint venture with fellow Chinese manufacturer Nio. The AION brand arrived in 2017 to offer up-market electrified models and it's this nameplate that's been chosen to represent GAC in the UK, the freshly-formed AION Auto UK a joint venture between this Chinese conglomerate and Saudi independent importer Jameel Motors, who already bring the Farizon van band brand here. Once the AION V is established and the dealer network here is beginning to expand, the company's operations will also expand to include another EV, the smaller UT electric hatch. Other cars will then quickly follow, with six models set to go on sale by 2028. All assuming of course that British customers take to this AION V. Is that likely? Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 264

There's no shortage of engineering ambition here. AION says that the V incorporates 'supercar-led electric drive technology'. The truth is that it borrows its AEP 3.0 platform from the Toyota bZ3X as part of one of several joint ventures the Chinese maker has with that Japanese brand. Various versions of this car's 'all-in-one Integrated Electric Drive' system are bolted to that chassis with the V in other markets. Here, we get a front-driven 197bhp single electric motor energised by a 75kWh battery that claims a class-competitive 317 mile drive range. 0-62mph takes 7.7s helped by the relatively light 1,880kg kerb weight, en route to a modest 99mph maximum. In China, there's also a combustion Range Extender engine with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol unit acting as a generator to power the battery and electric drive motor. There's no news yet on whether we'll get that version here. With this electric V, expect a soft suspension set-up and light steering, so it's clear that this car isn't targeted at enthusiastic drivers. It uses a MacPherson independent set-up at the front with a cheaper trailing arm torsion beam arrangement at the rear. Driving enjoyment here is more about lowering rather than raising the heartbeat and to that end, AION has wisely prioritised refinement, which should complement the supple ride and make the V an accomplished highway cruiser, aided by its very complete portfolio of camera and sensor-driven drive assist features. There's a 3-mode brake regen system with a 'One-Pedal' feature that'll virtually bring the car to a complete stop when you come off the throttle.

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