1 week ago
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Australia-bound Chinese car maker GAC has shown a new electric hatchback through its Aion EV brand, due in local showrooms next year.
Electric Cars
The battery-powered hatchback expected to lead the Australian rollout of Chinese auto giant GAC – and its electric-car brand Aion – has been unveiled.
The GAC Aion UT is a small electric hatch similar in size to an MG 4 or BYD Dolphin, and has been engineered for sale in global markets.
As reported by Drive earlier this year, it is expected to be the launch model for GAC's Aion brand in Australia, alongside – or shortly before the arrival of – a small electric SUV known as the Aion V.
Both were previously earmarked for launch in the second half of 2025, pending any delays.
Drive has contacted the local distributor for GAC vehicles for an update on arrival timing and launch plans.
Due to make its public debut at the Guangzhou motor show later this week, the Aion UT has hints of the BYD Dolphin in its proportions – and even the latest Chinese-made electric Mini Cooper.
A choice of 16-inch or 17-inch wheels will reportedly be available, with LED lights front and rear, and available two-tone roof options.
Comic book-style sketches released by GAC Aion – and found by Car News China and Carscoops – show a minimalist interior with a two-spoke steering wheel, and freestanding instrument and infotainment displays with few physical buttons.
A driving range figure is yet to be published, but the interior images show a 600km read-out on the dashboard, accompanied by what appears to be a battery charge indicator at the 75 per cent mark.
If accurate, it would suggest a full-charge driving range of 800km – though it could be based on Chinese lab testing, which is less stringent than the European WLTP test common in Australia.
Chinese government homologation data has revealed the Aion UT will be powered by a lithium iron phosphate battery similar to BYD, Chery and entry-level Tesla electric cars, matched with a 100kW electric motor.
The car will reportedly measure 4275mm long, 1850mm wide and 1575mm tall, on a 2750mm wheelbase – 12mm shorter nose to tail, but 14mm wider, 71mm taller and 45mm longer in wheelbase than an MG 4.
More details of the GAC Aion UT are expected in the coming days.
Car News China reports it is estimated to be priced from less than 100,000 yuan ($AU21,000) in its home market – in line with a BYD Dolphin.
It's unlikely to be that affordable in Australia, given the cost of shipping and homologating the vehicle locally – plus the additional features expected as standard in Australia, such as a suite of the latest crash-avoidance safety systems, which may not be standard in China.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
