As soon as upon a time, little hatches dominated our metropolis streets. You’d see them in all places, whether or not it’s a Toyota Yaris/Corolla, Mazda 2/3 or Suzuki Swift.
Now, not a lot – the small metropolis automobile has fallen out of vogue over the previous decade and, till lately, the listing of fashions nonetheless in the stores was dwindling.
Nonetheless, there’s certainly nonetheless a spot for compact, frugal motoring. In any case, cities do not get any smaller. That is very true in China.
So, it ought to come as little shock that Chinese language automakers are driving a revival of the town automobile, albeit with an electrified twist.
First got here the GWM Ora, BYD Dolphin, and MG 4 – all EVs, after all. Then got here the BYD Atto 1, a less expensive, battery-powered various to the Japanese purchasing karts all of us grew up with.
However wait, there’s extra! MG is having one other crack with the MG 4 EV City, and Geely desires a bit of the motion with its upcoming EX2. And, in case that wasn’t sufficient alternative, newcomer GAC will promote you this – the Aion UT.
GAC’s fourth mannequin to launch Down Below is corresponding to a Corolla in each measurement and worth, however options an entire lot extra commonplace tools. Oh, and it is absolutely electrical, which is useful throughout a gasoline disaster.
Not one of the above promoting factors are prone to sway the SUV crowd, however maybe this would possibly: the Aion UT will seat 5 adults in consolation, and would not really feel like a bucket of bolts on the highway.
That is to not say this can be a small automobile to finish our obsession with massive automobiles, and you will find out why on this overview.
How a lot does the GAC Aion UT price?
Till April 9 this 12 months, GAC will supply the Premium variant for $30,990 drive-away and the Luxurious flagship for $35,990 drive-away. That is restricted to the primary 600 models.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
|
2026 GAC Aion UT Premium |
$31,990 |
|
2026 GAC Aion UT Luxurious |
$35,990 |
It is unclear whether or not GAC will then select to increase the supply – as many automakers do – but when not, pricing will revert to the values listed within the above desk.
Whereas it isn’t the most cost effective EV in Australia, the Aion UT definitely is not far off. The smaller, extra fundamental BYD Atto 1 begins from simply $23,990 plus ORCs, whereas the brand-new MG 4 EV City will open at $31,990 drive-away when it arrives in showrooms someday this month.
Different direct rivals embody the GWM Ora (at present priced from $33,990 drive-away), BYD Dolphin (from $29,990 earlier than on-roads), and to a lesser extent electrical variations of the Mini Cooper.
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
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What’s the GAC Aion UT like on the within?
The inside of the Aion UT feels very beneficiant in lots of regards… except you want buttons.
Measuring in at 4270mm lengthy, 1850mm broad and 1575mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase, it is 105mm shorter than a Toyota Corolla hatch however 60mm wider and rides on a 110mm longer wheelbase.
As such, the cabin feels correctly spacious, each up entrance and within the second row. There’s loads of separation between driver and passenger, whereas 5 adults can occupy the automobile with out concern.
Past an abundance of house, the Aion UT additionally impresses with its excessive degree of normal tools. Our top-spec check car introduced with all of the fruit of a way more costly car – I am speaking a heated and ventilated driver’s seat, heated passenger’s seat, panoramic sunroof with energy sunshade, and an influence tailgate.
So, how is it so low cost? Properly, there are a pair giveaways.
For one, scattered laborious inside plastic finishes and pretend stitching give away the Aion UT’s price range origins. With that mentioned, the supplies aren’t all that dangerous total – padded leatherette wraps across the mid-section of the cabin, together with the place your elbows naturally relaxation.
It’s also possible to select from a wide range of completely different inside colourways, considered one of which is pink to match the Midnight Lavender exterior paint choice – rather more attention-grabbing than the standard 50 shades of black.
The seats are nice, too. Trimmed in perforated leatherette, each entrance pews supply pronounced bolstering for each thighs and torso, plus a variety of electrical adjustment.
The identical cannot be mentioned of the steering wheel, which tilts however would not telescope, limiting your capability to get actually snug.
I used to be additionally shocked to seek out flaws within the local weather management system – an equally necessary contributor to driving consolation. Not solely are the local weather controls screen-based (extra on that quickly), however the system itself struggles to truly cool the cabin down in a well timed method, no less than in my expertise of driving the Aion UT on a heat autumn day in Sydney. Ample air-conditioning looks as if a fundamental basic that each one new automobiles ought to nail, so GAC has some work to do on this regard.
Coming again to the subject of screens, that is one more new mannequin that prioritises minimalist design over a user-friendly format.
Like a lot of its rivals, the Aion UT options an enormous central infotainment touchscreen, smaller digital instrument show, and subsequent to no bodily controls. Because of this, easy duties like switching on seat heating, retracting the overhead sunshade or adjusting A/C fan pace require extra effort than is critical.
Nonetheless, the GAC interface remains to be extra user-friendly than many. A shortcut bar alongside the bottom of the center show supplies fast entry to widespread features, and the display is fast to answer contact and swipe inputs.
Alternatively, voice instructions work fairly nicely, which is slightly stunning contemplating you may discover just a few tough Chinese language-to-English translations littered all through the infotainment sub-menus.
However, as beforehand talked about, the Aion UT makes up for a slight lack of polish with a robust set of options. On the expertise entrance, you get native navigation with reside visitors information, linked companies, an built-in app retailer, and over-the-air software program updates.
There’s additionally the choice to disregard GAC’s toys altogether and make the most of wi-fi smartphone mirroring. You needn’t fear about working out of cost, as a wi-fi telephone charging pad may be discovered atop the floating centre console, whereas USB-A, USB-C and 12V energy retailers are additionally inside attain.
Shifting throughout, the steering column-mounted driver’s show is visually sharp and extremely useful, with the aptitude to modify between maps, media, effectivity and ADAS info. Such changes may be made utilizing buttons and rollers on the steering wheel, though these are poorly labelled.
Whereas the tech feels a bit unfinished in some methods, there’s nothing missing within the cabin storage division. High storage choices embody a large decrease tray, deep centre console bin and roomy glovebox. Positive, you could find these in different small automobiles, however the Aion UT has extra tips up its sleeve – a further semi-hidden compartment below the principle air vents, plus telephone ‘slots’ in every door card.
Practicality is likewise a standout power of the second row.
The rear doorways open broad to disclose a extremely inviting set of again seats boasting extra legroom and headroom than simply about any compact hatch on sale at the moment. Mild-coloured supplies and a panoramic glass roof additionally allay any fears surrounding claustrophobia.
Not like some EVs, the Aion UT would not power a ‘knees-up’ rear seating place, both. Relatively, there is a slight incline to the seat base and a delicate recline to the backrest – in different phrases, it feels pure.
By way of second-row facilities, the Aion UT presents a fold-down centre armrest with two massive cupholders, map pockets behind each entrance seats, twin air vents, storage within the doorways, and a single USB-A outlet – greater than most rivals at this worth level, though USB-C connectivity is preferable.
Boot house is much less of a power, however hardly a weak spot. GAC quotes 321 litres of capability – greater than a Corolla, Mazda 3 or GWM Ora, however lower than the Dolphin and MG 4 EV City.
Charging cables have a house below the boot flooring, as does the tyre restore equipment.
You possibly can enlarge the cargo space by folding the rear bench, although there’s fairly a noticeable step up from the boot flooring to this flat house.
| Dimensions | GAC Aion UT |
|---|---|
| Size |
4270mm |
| Width |
1850mm |
| Peak |
1575mm |
| Wheelbase |
2750mm |
| Cargo capability |
321L (rear seats up) 689L (rear seats folded) |
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What’s below the bonnet?
All variations of the Aion UT share the identical single, front-mounted electrical motor and 60kWh battery, the latter of which is nice for 430km of driving vary – a segment-leading determine.
| Specs | GAC Aion UT |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain |
Single-motor electrical |
| Battery |
60kWh LFP |
| Energy |
150kW |
| Torque |
210Nm |
| Drive sort |
Entrance-wheel drive |
| Weight |
1670-1700kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) |
7.3 seconds |
| Power consumption (claimed) |
16.4kWh/100km |
| Power consumption (as examined) |
16.1kWh/100km |
| Claimed vary (WLTP) |
430km |
| Max AC cost price |
11kW |
| Max DC cost price |
87kW |
The Aion UT is front-wheel drive, just like the GWM Ora and BYD Dolphin, in addition to the upcoming MG 4 EV City. The MG 4 and upcoming Geely EX2, in distinction, are rear-wheel drive.
Its motor produces 150kW of energy and 210Nm of torque, outperforming the bottom Dolphin (70kW/180Nm) and beating the Ora on energy however not on torque (126kW/250Nm).
As for charging speeds, the Aion UT maxes out at 87kW on a DC fast-charger – higher than most rivals bar the MG 4 EV City (150kW).
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
How does the GAC Aion UT drive?
I might have the ability to let you know… if I wasn’t continually distracted by a not-so-merry-go-round of warning chimes from the security techniques.
In all seriousness, the Aion UT did afford me simply sufficient peace and quiet to type some ideas about the way it drove, however solely simply.
That is as a result of the superior driver help techniques (ADAS) are unrelenting of their mission to unnecessarily scold the driving force for misguided errors they’re allegedly making.
Whether or not it’s the driving force monitoring digital camera, overspeed warning, ahead collision alert or lane-keep help system, there’s at all times one thing beeping at you. Heck, the UT even threw up warnings for my seatbelt being undone (it wasn’t) and the passenger placing their ft on the sprint (they weren’t).
The extent of the pointless intrusions is not merely inconvenient, it is infuriating.
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To make issues worse, the security tech you actively search help from would not even work. Change on the semi-autonomous freeway driving operate and the Aion UT will drift to the left facet of its lane, cross the markings, after which surrender fully. It did this persistently, too.
The icing on the cake – there is no simple option to disable all of the damaged nannies. As an alternative, you must modify the security settings each time you drive.
Happily, these points can in all probability be resolved with a software program replace or two.
Nonetheless, speak about an Achilles heel, as a result of this electrical hatch is in any other case an honest, albeit not nice, steer.
The front-mounted electrical motor is punchy, and the Aion UT has a real flip of tempo, which makes for loads of enjoyable round city. Regardless of the fitment of sub-par tyres (I will increase on this later), traction isn’t a difficulty at decrease speeds, both.
Progress to sooner open roads and there is little drop-off – a claimed 0-100km/h time of seven.3 seconds feels about proper in the true world. These are licensed ‘heat hatch’ numbers.
Do not count on heat hatch ranges of driving engagement, although. The steering feels a bit useless round centre, whereas the brake pedal behaves like an on/off swap.
There are a number of drive modes – Consolation, Sport and Energy Save – which alter the automobile’s behaviour, although the variations aren’t at all times as helpful as you’d hope.
For instance, in each Consolation and Sport modes, regenerative braking may be very weak (even in its highest setting). For stronger regen you want to swap to Energy Save, however doing so considerably reduces throttle response and total efficiency. So, as somebody who likes to drive EVs on the suitable pedal as a lot as attainable, it was tough to seek out an optimum setup.
Steering weight can be adjusted by means of the infotainment display, and it is value switching to the agency setting for a larger sense of management.
There’s not a lot the driving force can do to handle the Aion UT’s underlying dealing with deficiencies, although.
We spent a little bit of time carving up some nation roads, and it shortly turned evident that this soft-edged EV has a low dynamic ceiling, largely on account of restricted grip from its 215mm-wide Chaoyang tyres.
Corners taken at a reasonable velocity draw squeals of protest from the Aion UT’s rubber, normally accompanied by physique roll. Certainly, at instances it looks like the within wheels get fairly gentle.
That is hardly confidence-inspiring, particularly contemplating we drove on dry roads. I can solely think about the Aion UT would really feel slightly skittish within the moist.
On a brighter word, this whimsical little hatch rides higher than it handles. Neither Sydney’s rollercoaster thoroughfares nor the pothole-ridden roads of rural New South Wales may disrupt its spectacular capability to soak up harsh impacts with out trampolining on rebound. And that is with a torsion beam on the rear.
With that mentioned, the Aion UT does its finest work within the metropolis, the place the tarmac is mostly clean. Compact dimensions and wonderful ahead visibility make it simple to put by means of tight streets and purchasing precincts, whereas a complete set of cameras (together with kerb view and clear chassis) takes the stress out of difficult parking manoeuvres.
Rearward visibility is not fairly nearly as good, as there is a sizeable blind spot at every again nook. Maybe that is why the infotainment system mechanically shows a view of the aforementioned blind spots each time you point out, limiting entry to display features within the course of.
Nonetheless, the Aion UT can be a enjoyable little factor to zip round in, offered the security tech behaves.
Freeway driving additionally has the potential to be nice, offered the lane-centring system is not concerned in any respect.
With that wayward system disabled, the Aion UT feels comparatively at house on the broad open highway, providing the type of quiet refinement you count on from larger, extra substantial automobiles.
Robust motor outputs guarantee it could actually maintain triple-figure speeds higher than most price range EVs. But, on the identical time, it is nearly disconcertingly quiet within the cabin – there is no electrical motor whine, nor a man-made soundtrack. Noise from the skin world solely seeps into the cabin to a restricted extent.
In the meantime, the suspension stays compliant, making certain consolation all through lengthy highway journeys.
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What do you get?
The Aion UT serves as proof which you could get an entire lotta automobile for $35k in 2026.
2026 GAC Aion UT Premium tools highlights:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights with automated high-beam
- Rain-sensing wipers
- 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster
- 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- In-car Wi-Fi hotspot
- 6-speaker sound system
- Heated, leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- PVC seat upholstery
- 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with heating
- Distant management of car features by way of cellular app
- Warmth pump
- Rear air vents
- Adaptive cruise management
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Encompass-view digital camera
Aion UT Luxurious provides:
- Energy tailgate
- Energy-folding exterior mirrors
- Panoramic sunroof with energy sunshade
- Wi-fi telephone charger
- Ventilated driver’s seat
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
Is the GAC Aion UT protected?
GAC hasn’t submitted the Aion UT for ANCAP or Euro NCAP testing on the time of writing. Nonetheless, native boss Kevin Shu says it is the most secure small automobile you should buy.
Normal security tools highlights:
- 7 airbags, together with entrance, entrance facet, facet curtain, and centre
- Autonomous emergency braking
- eCall
- Adaptive cruise management with lane-centring
- Computerized high-beam
- Lane-keep help
- Visitors signal recognition
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Entrance and rear parking sensors
- Encompass-view digital camera
- Driver monitoring system
- Tyre stress monitoring
Official security testing will happen later this 12 months after GAC brings the Aion UT’s eCall system on-line. Now a key factor of ANCAP’s evaluation standards, eCall is an in-car expertise designed to mechanically join occupants with emergency companies following a crash.
GAC representatives are assured that when the eCall characteristic is energetic, the Aion UT will obtain a full five-star ANCAP ranking.
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
How a lot does the GAC Aion UT price to run?
GAC backs its autos with an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre car guarantee and an eight-year, 200,000km battery guarantee. Additionally included is 5 years of roadside help, offered you service inside the GAC supplier community, and 2GB of free information monthly for the primary two years.
| Servicing and Guarantee |
GAC Aion UT |
|---|---|
| Guarantee |
8 years, limitless kilometres |
| Roadside help |
5 years |
| Service intervals |
12 months or 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing |
N/A |
| Really helpful whole service price (5 years) |
$1607 |
Upkeep is required each 12 months or 15,000km, though service pricing is not capped by GAC, which means sellers can resolve what they cost. Having mentioned that, GAC has revealed ‘really helpful’ pricing on-line.
To see how the GAC Aion UT strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Tackle the GAC Aion UT
There is not an entire lot incorrect with the Aion UT; it is simply unlucky that the problems it does have are important in nature.
Insufferable security techniques and questionable tyres significantly undermine an in any other case agreeable driving expertise.
Equally, touchscreen foibles and a seemingly harassed air-con system take a number of the shine off an inside house that is in any other case snug, sensible, and well-equipped.
As such, the Aion UT looks like a automobile with loads of potential, however one that also wants refinement to totally ship on it.
Within the meantime, it is value contemplating options. The MG 4 is like-for-like and has had a few of its kinks ironed out, whilst you can belief the Corolla and Kia K4 to ship on their easy transient.
Concerned about shopping for a GAC Aion UT? Let CarExpert discover you the perfect deal right here
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