On July 23rd, the all-new generation of AION V of GAC Aion was officially launched. A total of 7 models of the new car were launched, and the price range is 129,800 to 189,800 yuan. For reference, the current guiding price range of the existing AION V on sale is 149,900 to 199,900 yuan. As an all-new generation model, the brand-new AION V is built on the AEP pure electric platform, with both the interior and exterior designs being significantly updated and with a key layout in intelligent driving.
As a replacement model, the second-generation AION V adopts a brand-new design language in the exterior styling. Its design inspiration has many design associations with the “Tyrannosaurus Rex”. The interior of the rectangular headlight groups on both sides adopts an “H”-shaped light strip, which is as conspicuous as the protruding toes on the dragon’s claws. At the same time, the front bumper adopts a through-type heat dissipation opening design and is matched with a silver-gray front lip decoration. The overall characteristic lines of the vehicle are straighter and tougher compared to the previous generation model.
As a replacement model, the side and rear of the vehicle body are also matched with rectangular elements with tough lines. The car adopts slightly bulging wheel arch lines before and after, matched with dark anti-scratch guards and a brand-new style of wheel rim modeling to enhance the muscular sense of the vehicle. At the same time, the car also adopts a hidden door handle and a two-color roof design to enhance the fashion sense of the vehicle. In the rear part of the vehicle, the new car adopts a vertical layout taillight group, combined with a large-size spoiler on the top, greatly increasing the recognition of the vehicle.
In terms of dimensions, the length, width and height of the second-generation AION V are 4605/1854 (1876)/1660 (1686) mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2775 mm. For reference, the length, width and height of the existing AION V are 4650/1920/1720 mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 2830 mm. In comparison, the overall size of the second-generation AION V is smaller than that of the existing AION V, especially the wheelbase is reduced by 55 mm.
In the interior aspect, the new car adopts a two-spoke multi-function steering wheel, matched with a narrow-strip liquid crystal instrument and a suspended large-size central control screen, full of a sense of technology. Compared to the previous generation model, the central air outlet in the middle has been moved down to the central Console part, so that the horizontal lines are more complete and naturally transition to the door armrest part. The shape of the door armrest has added a slope.
The main and co-pilot seats of the second-generation AION V are equipped with a massage function and provide configurations such as on-board refrigerator, panoramic sunroof, electric sunshade, V2L external discharge, 9 speakers, and voice-activated AI assistant. In addition, the ground clearance of the trunk of the second-generation AION V is 750 mm, and the volume after the rear seats are放倒 is 987 liters.
In the power part, the second-generation AION V provides two pure electric power systems with high and low power, both adopting a single-motor layout. Among them, the maximum power of the low-power motor is 150 kilowatts, and the maximum power of the high-power motor is 165 kilowatts. The information declared by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that the new car will provide battery packs with two capacities of 62.268 kWh and 75.26 kWh, and there are 520 kilometers and 650 kilometers versions of the pure electric cruising range.
AION V is the third model under GAC Aion (previously AION S and AION LX), which was launched in June 2020 and is positioned as a compact pure electric 5-seat SUV with a subsidized price range of 15.96 to 23.96 yuan. In September 2021, GAC Aion launched a mid-term facelift – AION V Plus with a price range of 17.26 to 23.96 yuan.
AION V in the domestic market mainly competes with pure electric compact SUVs such as BYD Song PLUS EV. The data shows that in the first half of the year, the cumulative sales volume of AION V was 8582 units, the cumulative sales volume of AION S was 72088 units, and the cumulative sales volume of the AION Y family was 74241 units. It can be seen that the current contribution of AION V to the overall sales volume of the GAC Aion brand is relatively small. After the launch of the second-generation model, whether it can improve the poor sales situation of AION V remains to be tested.
The predecessor of GAC Aion is GAC New Energy, which was established in July 2017 and was highly expected by GAC Group after its launch. The sales volume has continued to climb in the following years. At the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show, GAC Aion announced its independence and changed its name from GAC New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. to GAC Aion New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. In 2023, the annual sales volume of GAC Aion was 380,000 units, with a year-on-year increase of 77.02%. It is worth noting that most of the growth in this sales volume is still supported by the online car-hailing market. GAC Aion is known as the “King of Online Car-Hailing”. The AION S and AION Y models with a price range of 12 to 150,000 yuan have become the first choice for online car-hailing. Therefore, GAC Aion quickly occupied the online car-hailing market. However, as the online car-hailing market gradually becomes saturated, GAC Aion is facing the challenge of a sales decline. After entering 2024, under the background of major domestic brands accelerating the involution of prices and configurations, GAC Aion has begun to decline rapidly.
In the first half of the year, the cumulative sales volume of GAC Aion New Energy was 126,300 units, with a year-on-year decline of 39.65%, which is the brand with the largest decline in the GAC Group. It is understood that GAC Aion has experienced a sales decline for five consecutive months, and the sales target of GAC Aion in 2024 is 700,000 units, and as of June, it has completed 18% of the target sales. The sales in the next 7 months need to be stable at more than 95,000 units, which is extremely pressured and almost an impossible task.
