The Aion V is a £36k family EV with a limo-style twist: RAY MASSEY tests it

Charlize Theron is not usually my first thought when I contemplate a new car. But in 2005, the Hollywood actress played sci-fi superhero Aeon Flux in a skin-tight body suit. 

So when the Chinese car firm Aion – albeit with an ‘i’ – launched in the UK recently, I struggled to ignore the soundalike connection.

To satisfy my curiosity, I’ve just driven its futuristic all-electric car, the Aion V. It’s an exceptionally well-stocked and practical five-seat family SUV, with wide-opening doors and some surprising quirks.

Prices start from £36,450 and it comes with a long eight-year warranty, but mine added a Premium Pack of extras (£1,495), and Galaxy Blue paint, taking the cost as driven to £38,620.

But this keenly-priced Chinese EV comes with a twist. The legroom and space for rear seat passengers is vast – I’ve had less in chauffeur-driven limousines. 

And on top of that, ‘lounge’ mode enables those in the rear to lie down and stretch out across the flattened front passenger seats as if on a chaise longue (but not while driving).

The minimalist dashboard is ‘Tesla-lite’, with most functions carried out through the central 14.6in tablet-shaped touchscreen, complementing the driver’s smaller 8.8in instrument panel.

A full-length panoramic roof is standard, and while my leather seating trim felt good, it looked a touch boring. 

The heated and ventilated front seats and reclining heated rear seats are comfortable and include massage features.  

Another delightful feature is a 6.6-litre ‘CoolHotbox’, which can keep drinks cool, chill and freeze contents or turn up the heat to keep food warm. There are even two ‘curry hooks’ in the passenger footwell for takeaways.

A big supermarket shop demonstrated the capacity of the flexible, three-tier boot, which expands from 427 litres to 1,368 litres with the rear seats flat.

Powered by a 204hp (150kW) electric motor and a 75.3kWh LFP battery, the front-wheel drive Aion V accelerates from rest to 62mph in a decent 7.9 seconds, up to a top speed limited to 99mph. It’s smooth in comfort mode, but much more engaging in sport.

The claimed 317-mile range will get you from London to Newcastle on a full charge.

Downsides? Too many touch-screen controls. Ironically, the in-car camera monitoring driver distraction beeped mainly because I was distracted by the car’s own screen. 

As with many Chinese cars, the incessant safety alerts need turning down or off. Fortunately, a tight turning circle makes it highly manoeuvrable for parking.

The upmarket interior features are let down by silvered plastic air vents and interior door handles which look and feel cheap and insubstantial. Bigger wheels would help visually – the 19-inch alloys look puny for the size of the car.

Charging from 30 to 80 per cent takes 18 minutes on a fast DC charger or eight-and-a-half hours on a domestic AC charger.

As with many aggressively marketed new Chinese car brands, it’s not just the list price which will prove attractive to UK motorists, who are becoming increasingly less brand loyal, it’s the total deal package. 

The Aion V is available with PCP finance offers spread over 18 to 48 months starting from £379 per month. Deals include a fully transferable ‘Great 8’ package giving eight years of support across the vehicle’s warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MOT. I imagine some will be tempted.