Last Updated on 29/07/2026 by Raj

The New 2026 GAC Aion V

Enjoy our review of new 2026 GAC Aion V. In this article you find out about its design, interior, performance, safety, capabilities and also pros & cons with our expert verdict.

Intro : GAC Aion V

GAC is a Chinese state-owned automobile group from southern China. While the brand claims roots back to 1948, but more than two decades, GAC has held joint venture partnerships with Toyota and Honda.

In fact Brand says they learned how to build cars due to those partnerships. So if this brand is good enough for Toyota and Honda to trust. It can became a trustworthy brand in West Contry’s like Australia, Finland, UK is seen as attractive and very lucrative market for Chinese car makers these days.

But while GAC might be new to this market but it’s common and successful in south east asia and china. Where it sold more than two million vehicles last year. Aion V is an all electric midsize SUV rival of the smaller BYD Atto3, MG S5 and even VW ID4. GAC Aion V leads the launch trio that includes two models entry level Emzoom small SUV and the luxurious M8 plug-in hybrid.

GAC is trying things to start right and build trust with Australian and European consumers – they offer long and extended warranties, extended roadside assistance. However they chose not to introduce sub-brands in other markets like China. They sell mass-market vehicles under the Trumpchi brand, and GAC Aion is brand midrange electric cars wing, and Hyptec for its high-end electric cars.

The GAC Aion V is a fully electric affordable SUV. On paper it might be a solid alternative to the BYD Atto 3 a renowned and good product. But it’s old and has a lower range, and another is MGS5 EV again, renowned and also rides and handles very well .

But its spec and tech is old and not plenty, again, range is low. Now GAC offers a 75.2 kWh lithium iron battery with 510 km WLTP range while the spec chart is more in the Luxury end. It got 19-inch wheels, heated and ventilated front seats, wireless charging, bigger 14.6-inch touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, power tailgate and also nine-speaker set with 360-degree camera and a panoramic glass roof.

It also promises good charging performance too. Its ‘Magazine Battery 2.0’ LFP pack with DC charging of 180kW and from 10-80% in 24-minute top-ups on the highway.

The Inside : GAC Aion V

Best describe it “minimalistic yet futuristic”. If you like softly-trimmed and minimal cabin design the Aion V sticks closely to this formula. Some cars can look well, but don’t have the build quality to match the looks, but GAC Aion V definitely comes across as being well built as look with leather and soft plastic eliments troughout the cabin.

Upholstery is genuine leather and comfortable enough despite a lack of seat tilt adjustment with standard heated and ventilated and works well. No matter the weather also a standard-fit glass roof is fitted with a power sunshade. In terms of design and features, it feel expensive and relatively fresh. On particular note are the inside door handles, which are metal and blended into the design of the door card. But it’s not all perfect because same door handles don’t align perfectly, with a noticeable gap against the trim piece.

It’s premium in all the areas where needs and nearly all touch points are soft and premium but some cheap plastic pieces are used in the cabin. The central touchscreen is a big 14.6 inches and it’s sharp enough. Everything is controlled via this touchscreen though a shortcut bar is always displayed at the bottom. The wireless CarPlay connection to work consistently. So it makes the simplest things, like adjusting side mirrors or doing climate control, a bit mass, as you have to exit CarPlay.

That wheel includes some physical buttons otherwise there are no buttons or knobs to be found anywhere inside the cabin. Audio quality of the nine-speaker stereo is good but not very great. Dual-zone climate control, a wireless smartphone charger, and USB and 12-volt charging ports are also provided. The 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver is crisp and well designed. Seats are generally comfortable and you can very easily save your preferred seating position by the screen every time. Boot space is good, with 427 liters and up to 978 L with the rear seat backs folded.

• 19-inch alloy wheels with a Tyre repair kit.
• Automatic all LED headlights with automatic high-beam.
• Active grille shutters and panoramic sunroof with power sunshade.
• Hands-free power tailgate.
• Heated and power-folding exterior mirrors with memory function.
• 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster for driver and a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• Satellite navigation, in-car Wi-Fi, 9-speaker sound system.
• Heated, leatherette-wrapped steering wheel with 4-way adjustable steering column.
• 6-way power driver’s seat with memory with heated and ventilated and 4-way power passenger seat with memory reclining second-row.
• Dual-zone climate control, one-touch up/down power windows and Intelligent’ ambient light.
• 2 x USB-A outlets and 1 x USB-C outlet (front).

The GAC Aion V Premium and Luxury both models uses a same. 150 kW and 210Nm electric motor on the front paired by a 75.26 kWh battery give claimed range of 510km (WLTP).

It can be charged from 10 to 80% in just 24 minutes if you used a 180kW DC fast-charger. So it’s decent but not over the roof and if the battery is fully drained then it takes 8.5 hours at a maximum of 11 kW.

It actually handles and drives well as a petrol-powered mid-size SUV on the road, and doesn’t suffer like other electric vehicles in this segment. In the handling depertment, due to the low and heavy weight of their batteries. Steering is mid position neither too heavy like a truck nor too light that like is not there with good response.

Ride quality is also very good due to the suspension mild soft. It does not have too much some stiffness but absorbs bumps and give a good feedback. Nothing is ground breaking or newly devaloped stuff hear, but electric cars miss these things. The motor is efficient and providing good enough performance when needed but not if you decide to race in GT3.

In this way this motor deliverd that performance is also excellent the torque curve and the accelerator response. While better suited for city and long drive as well due to its positive steering control and good low and mid range torque curve.

Safety:

It gets a five-star safety rating in Euro NCAP and received marks of 88 percent for adult occupant protection. 85 percent for child occupant protection. 79 percent for vulnerable road-user protection with 78 percent for safety assist technology. The equipment list is long and GAC Aion V gets all the top notch tech to ensure max passenger safety in any condition.

• Adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.
• Blind-spot monitoring with child presence detection.
• Driver monitoring system.
• Integrated Cruise Assistance, lane-keep assist, emergency lane-keep assist, front and rear parking sensors.
• Rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit warning, surround-view camera.
• Front, front-centre, front-side and curtain airbags.

Capabilities:

GAC Aion V is good car to drive but not too great, and feels like more or less the same as the rivals. In terms of performance it only extracted impressive efficiency and range by keeping performance quite mid and make front-wheel drive only. It is simple and approachable to drive for young drivers or older people and makes it a solid family car.

Regenerative braking is adjustable and the artificial weighting of the electric power steering is also customisable to made it lighter or heavier depending on driving condition. Due to suspension settings and 19-inch alloys it’s quite comfortable around town or in potholes. Also It’s remarkably light just around at 1880 kg.

However ADAS is often extremely distracting in modern cars, but GAC turned down to the absolute minimum. Even it drifts out of the lane, and audible speed monitoring would stay ‘off’ sometime but the lane-keep assist does return to ‘on’ each time. It can be disabled via the touchscreen. In a budget luxury you cannot expect much but GAC Aion V is different, though its performance is not that good and needs some improvement but the tech and drive actually decent in this price range.

Pricing and Availability:

This brand is new to Austrilia an Europe but its familiar in SE Asia and China for quite long.

In Austrilia starts around $42,590 to $44,590 and €35,990 for Europe

GAC knows the market is overcrowded and tough so they keep prices fair and offer more features.

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Excellent value for money with generous amount of specs.

Big battery pack along with a good driving range.

Interior is quite spacious and comfortable with high levels of functional tech.

Ride and handling are very good and relaxing also a simple drive.

Cons:

Underdamped over big bumps and noisy on coarse roads.

No buttons or knobs, just all screen needs few more buttons for common controls inside.

Modest power and no AWD with a lifeless steering and some bad interior fit and finish

Lane-keeping assist is overly sensitive and ADAS need some work, driver monitoring and traffic sign recognition are annoying sometime.

Final Verdict:

GAC Aion V is brand’s first model to enter into the Australian and European market.This car can give strong performance in mid-size electric SUV segment. And also it’s co-developed with Toyota so it offers a driving experience at this price point, particularly well. Despite the screen-based controls and lack of physical buttons it is relatively easy to drive and most will adapt to it. It’s problem for some consumers, but if you are more comfortable with technology or want to learn, there’s a lot in the car.

Suspension is not the best but it deliver good control on bad roads. Driving is also relaxing and laid-back who wants a practical and roomy EV it can be a good choice. GAC Aion V is not the cheapest car in the segment but equipment list and long range make it very competitive. If you were thinking about a practical EV in this segment, you can consider it, especially if you are not interested in sporty car.