GAC Aion V 2026 review: Luxury

China’s GAC burst onto the scene in Australia earlier this year as one of the latest in a sea of new brands.

It already offers a number of models locally and on test here is the GAC Aion V. Lining up as the brand's volume seller, it’s a mid-size electric SUV rival to the likes of the BYD Sealion 7, top-selling Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X among others.

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For this affordable price you get a bucketload of standard equipment. Highlights include 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker sound system and leather upholstery.

There are also niceties including a panoramic glass sunroof, interior ambient lighting, a centre console fridge, a fold-out second-row tray table, a heated steering wheel, plus heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function as well as heated rear seats. That’s a lot for a car under $45K.

While a lot of tech works quite well I experienced some issues reliably connecting with wireless Apple CarPlay. It would sometimes connect straight away, whereas other times it would refuse and I’d resort to using Bluetooth instead.

In terms of design, the Aion V is largely non-descript on the outside. While it looks futuristic and spaceship-like, many brands have similar design themes and this means it doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The same can be said inside where it’s clear GAC has drawn inspiration from Tesla. You can tell this because there is a big central touchscreen, what appears to be two wireless chargers on the centre console but is actually only one, plus scroll controls on the steering wheel.

One of the few differences is there’s thankfully a digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver which is much easier to glance at while driving.

Due to the overall minimalist interior design, you need to use the central touchscreen for virtually everything. This includes changing the climate control or drive mode, toggling the heated and cooled seats, as well as altering the side mirror position. It’s a little too dependent.

It’s even more annoying on the move because this car incessantly beeps at you when you take your eyes off the road to use the touchscreen. The driver attention monitor is too sensitive and needs a software update to either allow it to be switched off easily or change the sound and volume.

I have similar frustrations with the intelligent speed limit assist, which, like the driver attention monitor, has loud chimes and defaults to 'on' status every time you hop back into the car.

It’s worth noting the Aion V received a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2025.

Standard safety highlights include seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a surround-view camera system.

The Aion V is firmly a mid-size SUV and is roughly the same size as a Toyota RAV4. Riding on a dedicated electric architecture there’s plenty of space in the first- and second-row, plus a generous amount of boot space.

Surprisingly you can opt for a space-saver spare wheel as a no-cost option which is great peace-of-mind for road trips out of town.

Power comes from a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 150kW and 210Nm. While these numbers may not seem earthshattering, they get this family SUV moving along at a decent pace.

Unlike many EVs, especially from new Chinese carmakers, I appreciate the fact GAC hasn’t given the Aion V a ridiculous amount of power. A family hauler like this doesn’t need to be a performance car.

The electric motor is fed by a 75.3kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery which allows for a WLTP-claimed range of 510km.

Claimed energy consumption is 16.7kWh/100km, according to WLTP testing, and during my 445km of urban and rural testing I achieved an average of 16.1kWh/100km, according to the trip computer, which is better than the claim.

The Aion V is particularly efficient in and around the city where it can leverage its regenerative braking as much as possible, whereas out on the open road and in colder weather the energy consumption can skyrocket towards 25kWh/100km and above.

DC fast-charging is available at rates up to 180kW, allowing a 10 to 80 per cent charge in 24 minutes, whereas AC charging is up to 11kW, allowing a 0 to 100 per cent charge in 8.5 hours. These aren’t revolutionary figures but are good for the price point.

What surprises me most about the Aion V is that while it has the appealing price tag and heaps of standard kit, it isn’t a dog’s breakfast to drive, like some tech-heavy Chinese electric SUVs.

This car has solid handling characteristics, even when you get out in the twisties. It’s helped primarily by the well-weighted steering that feels like it’s connected to something.

You can tell the suspension is tuned more towards comfort than racy dynamic response but it doesn’t float and mope about like many of its similarly-priced rivals. The bigger bumps are soaked up with ease and it doesn’t take multiple movements to settle.

Aion V owners are covered by an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 200,000km, whichever comes first.

GAC is still scaling its dealer network in Australia and is currently targeting urban areas. It hasn’t detailed logbook servicing intervals or pricing for any of its models yet.