Sedan News

A brand new battery electric sedan made by Aion has been revealed in Chinese homologation documents ahead of the brand’s Australian debut next year.According to CarNewsChina, homologation documents submitted to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reveal the brand’s latest EV sedan, which the publication speculates could be named the Aion RT.The documents indicate two powertrain options that deliver either 150kW or 165kW. Both are paired with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, although its capacity was not provided.The Aion RT looks fairly conventional, with similar rounded edges, closed-off front end, sleek headlights and retractable door handles to the BYD Seal or Tesla Model 3.At the rear, slim tail lights expand across the tailgate, with a ‘AION’ logo between.The images also reveal an RT badge, accompanied by additional 'T' and 'VT' badges, most likely indicating other trims.Dimensions for the Aion RT come in at 4865mm long, 1875mm wide and 1520mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2775mm. That makes the RT bigger in all directions than a Tesla Model 3 or BYD Seal.Four curb weights were declared: 1670kg, 1700kg, 1750kg, and 1780kg.Additional interior and exterior features include six front and six rear LiDAR sensors, an optional sunroof, privacy class and the option of different coloured door handles and charging port cover to create a two-tone exterior trim.Aion is China’s third best-selling battery electric car brand behind BYD and Tesla. It is an electric-only subsidiary of the state-owned Gangzhou Automible Group (GAC), which announced it was eyeing up a 2025 entry into the Australian market back in May.GAC currently manufactures and retails vehicles under sub-brands Aion, Trumpchi and Hycan as well as foreign-branded vehicles through partnerships with Honda and Toyota.The brand’s model portfolio for Australia is yet to be determined, although it is rumoured to be spearheaded by the brand’s Model Y-sized Aion V SUV, which is priced at between ¥129,800 and ¥189,800 (A$27,000 to A$40,000).A GAC-branded GS8 hybrid large SUV and M8 people mover are also likely entrants.GAC’s more performance-focused Hyper range could arrive later, although it is not rumoured to be in the pipeline as of yet. It currently produces three models that utilise the brand’s 800-volt architecture, the Hyper GT sedan, the HT SUV and the SSR sports coupe.GAC has claimed each model can be charged to a range of 415kms in just 15 minutes, though this figure hasn’t been verified according to WLTP standards.

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Whoever said sedans were a thing of the past clearly didn’t get the memo.Electric sedans have invigorated the segment and it looks like another one is set to join the growing throng of EV sedans.At the very end of a livestream reveal of its refreshed XC90 SUV, Volvo dropped a teaser for a new model, with the caption confirming the ‘ES90’ nameplate.The brief video showed the silhouette of a sleek four-door model with a sloping, almost fastback-like rear and a boot lip, but beyond that it’s difficult to make out any other details.This model has long been rumoured but now it looks set to join the growing Volvo line-up to take on the likes of the Tesla Model S or Model 3, depending on its eventual size, the Mercedes-Benz EQE and BMW i4.Volvo didn’t reveal any other details but it’s highly likely the ES90 will be based on the same SPA2 architecture that underpins the similarly positioned Polestar 4 sedan, as well as the Volvo EX90 SUV.That model is offered with two powertrains that could point to what the ES90 will get. The rear-drive single-motor Polestar has a rear-mounted motor delivering 200kW/343Nm, and a 100kWh battery for a driving range of 620km. The Dual Motor Polestar 4 adds another motor to the front for all-wheel drive and ups the outputs to 400kW/686Nm. Driving range is 590km.Volvo has another large sedan in its line-up, the S90, and while it remains in production for some markets, it was discontinued in Australia in 2019. The related V90 wagon and the smaller V60 wagon were dropped from the local line-up in 2021. The S60 medium sedan remains on sale Down Under.Whether the ES90 completely replaces the S90 remains to be seen, but given Volvo’s push to full electrification by 2030, and the slowing market for internal combustion sedans, it’s likely.Pre-production has already begun in China, suggesting that it will be built there. Volvo is owned by Chinese automotive giant, Geely Holdings. While sedan sales have dropped in recent years, electric sedans have given the old school body style a second chance against the influx of high-riding SUVs.Some of the biggest selling EVs in Australia are sedans. This year alone, Tesla has sold 14,600 examples of the Model 3, while the relatively new BYD Seal has already found 5033 homes. Even the more premium BMW i4 has shifted 1454 units.Given the teaser campaign for the ES90 has just begun, expect more tidbits to be dropped by Volvo in the coming months.

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