Lexus LX570 vs Gac Aion V

What's the difference?

When you look at a Lexus LX, you see a distinct resemblance to a Toyota LandCruiser. That’s understandable given that, fundamentally, the Lexus LX is a comprehensively gussied-up Toyota LandCruiser.

Built to put the luxury brand into the large SUV game, and taking advantage of Toyota's huge product portfolio, it's clear that this is not for chucking down the side of a mountain (although it can absolutely do that if asked, as long as you're on good terms with your local paint shop).

Lexus is - or more accurately, LX buyers are - very clear about how folks use the LX: it’s a city car. So it's got all the sophisticated city looks, with skirts and bling and big shiny alloy wheels. Whether there's a point to all that is irrelevant - there are clearly people, like you, who want a posh LandCruiser.

Yep, here comes another new brand. 

The Australian new car market has been flooded with new car brands in recent years, not exclusively but predominantly from China. GAC is the latest, joining the likes of BYD, Deepal, Geely, GWM, Leapmotor, MG and Xpeng in an increasingly crowded market.

Quite simply, the market is now so crowded it means any new company with long-term aspirations will need to find a way to cut through. Being cheap alone won’t do it, nor will being stylish or nice to drive. No single trait will be enough, instead you will need to tick as many boxes as possible to secure any long-term security.

Which puts a lot of pressure on the Aion V, the brand’s mid-size, all-electric SUV that has just arrived in Australia. It will go head-to-head with the likes of the Geely EX5 and Leapmotor C10 at the more-affordable end of the electric SUV market. But does it tick enough boxes to make an impact? Read on to find out…