Author: Gao Shangpei

In the past two years, there has been an undeniable trend in the Chinese car market: the rapid rise in the penetration rate of new energy vehicles, which is becoming more and more substitute for traditional fuel vehicles. For example, when it comes to family car purchases, many users no longer blindly trust traditional brands and their traditional powertrain models. Instead, they turn their attention to self-owned brand new energy vehicle models with more comprehensive product strength.

Speaking of the mid-size SUV market segment, the AION LX Plus from GAC Aion and the Tang EV from BYD are the most representative models. They entered the market relatively early and boast the most prominent product strength among their peers. Therefore, they have the highest market attention. But which one is more worthy of being the final choice for consumers? The AION LX Plus and the Tang EV are both flagship products of the Aion and BYD SUV families, respectively. We have brought their respective flagship configurations – the AION LX Plus 80D Flagship and the Tang EV 635KM four-wheel-drive flagship – and perhaps the answer can be found through this flagship-to-flagship comparison.

Space: Two fists are no match for one arm, more seats don’t necessarily mean more practical

The positioning of a mid-size SUV is mainly for family travel, so space fundamentally determines the product strength of a mid-size SUV. We first focus on the space performance of the two cars. The AION LX Plus has a body length, width, height, and wheelbase of 4835mm, 1935mm, 1685mm, and 2920mm, respectively, while the Tang EV has 4900mm, 1950mm, 1725mm, and 2820mm. Although both are classified as mid-size SUVs, the AION LX Plus has a wheelbase that is 100mm longer than that of the Tang EV and only has two rows of seats, so the space per person is more spacious.

This is because the AION LX Plus was born from the GEP 2.0 pure electric exclusive platform, while the Tang family needs to take into account multiple power types including hybrid and pure electric and has not adopted a pure electric architecture, so the body structure of the two cars has a huge difference. One of the biggest features of the GEP pure electric exclusive platform is that it doesn’t need to cater to the position of the engine and transmission, and has a flat-vehicle-style long wheelbase and low center of gravity chassis design, which naturally allows more space for passengers.On the other hand, the seat layout of the two cars is completely different: AION LX Plus adopts the standard large five-seat layout, while Tang EV is equipped with a seven-seat layout as standard (optional six-seat). There is no denying that some users do indeed have a strict need for seven seats, so a seven-seat SUV is a suitable choice; but for most users, the third row is a long-term idle, low-frequency use yet always occupying space, which instead makes each row more cramped and not practical. For users who do not need the third row, maximizing the space of the second row is a better practice, and the large five-seat design of the GAC Aion LX Plus is based on this consideration, with the second-row space being one of its highlights.

In order to demonstrate the second-row space of the two cars, we first measured the space data. First, adjust the front seats of the two cars to the lowest position respectively, then take a length of 55cm along the back edge of the seat cushion surface and make the distance between the knee joint and the brake pedal straight line to be 43cm, in order to simulate the normal sitting position of a driver with a height of about 178cm.

Fix the front seats and adjust the second-row seats to the farthest position, and then start measuring the top space of the second row (the vertical height from the middle position of the seat to the top of the car, at the angle between the seat cushion and the backrest), vertical height (the vertical height from the center of the normal sitting position for the two feet to the top of the car), longitudinal space (the horizontal distance from the midpoint of the backrest to the highest point of the front end of the seat cushion, touching the back of the front seat), knee space (the horizontal distance from the highest point of the front end of the seat cushion to the back of the front seat), horizontal space (the left and right distance close to the front end of the seatback, at the height of the bottom of the side windows – approximately equivalent to the height of the shoulders in a normal sitting position).

The data shows that the second row space of Aion LX Plus has comprehensive advantages. Although the horizontal space of the second row of both vehicles is basically the same, thanks to the GEP pure electric exclusive platform, Aion LX Plus has more sufficient legroom and knee space. Compared with the smaller two-stage sunroof of Tang EV, Aion LX Plus’s panoramic sunroof almost occupies the entire roof of the car, which not only increases the transparency of the car but also extends the vertical space.

Maintaining the original seat position, the 178cm tall author sat in the second row of both vehicles and found that the experience was indeed in line with the data: Aion LX Plus has a legroom of one arm and a headroom of one palm, while Tang EV has a legroom of about two fists and a headroom of four fingers. The advantage of the rear space of Aion LX Plus is quite obvious, especially the legroom which is much more comfortable than that of Tang EV, and the riding experience is undoubtedly better.

The author tried the third row of seats in Tang EV again, and had to adjust the second row of seats to the front in order to sit in the third row of seats, and the sitting posture was not comfortable. Adding the third row with a shorter wheelbase is actually a compromise and even affects the storage space of the trunk. For most users, a spacious five-seater is actually more practical than a compromised seven-seater.

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On the aspect of configuration, the back row of Guangqi Aion LX Plus is equipped with independent leg rests and a “boss button” that can adjust the front position in one click, which adds to its flagship style compared to Tang EV.

Distinguished Design: The New Aristocrat Without “Country”

As the flagship SUV of Guangqi Aion and BYD, luxury is also the main selling point of Guangqi Aion LX Plus and Tang EV. This comparison is based on their flagship configurations. Can they present a matching sense of luxury or sophistication?

Tang EV adopts the BYD family-style “Dragon Face” design, and is known for its intelligence in its interior. However, Tang is still an old model that has not been significantly updated since its launch. The overall design is basically based on the early fuel version style. This design and aesthetics appear ordinary and traditional. For example, the gear shift lever is still in the form of a fuel car. The interior mainly uses molded plastic materials, piano paint, and chrome decoration, which lacks a bit of the future and freshness of new energy vehicles and lacks appeal to young people.

In contrast, Guangqi Aion LX Plus has a design that is closer to the new trend. In terms of intelligence, Guangqi Aion LX Plus is equipped with a 12.3-inch full LCD dashboard and a 15.6-inch central control screen. With the help of dual screens, it has achieved advanced ADiGO smart connectivity system, ADiGO 3.0 intelligent driving assistance system, and the unique AR panoramic navigation function in the same class for interaction, fully embodying the sense of technology.
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In terms of design, it is obvious that Guangqi Aion LX Plus has put more thought and sincerity into it. For example, the door handles and electronic shift knobs will automatically pop out when approaching or starting the vehicle, giving the owner a sense of high-end luxury that can only be enjoyed in a luxury car. The interior is decorated with high-quality Nappa leather and bright star white interior color matching, even the dashboard is wrapped in leather material, and the large panoramic sunroof and suede roof lining further enhance the visual and tactile double impact.

To put it mildly, the luxury feeling created by such high-level materials and configurations has surpassed the price of more than 300,000 yuan. To borrow an online phrase: even covering the logo and claiming it is BBA is not an exaggeration. Not only is the material solid, but the design style of Guangqi Aion LX Plus is also in line with the aesthetic of the Z generation, which is believed to have a stronger appeal to young consumers.

## Have Confidence to Ensure Lifetime

Batteries are both angels and demons. They allow us to enjoy the pleasure of zero oil consumption, saving us significant vehicle costs during times of high oil prices. However, once quality problems arise, they can lead to extremely high maintenance costs. Particularly worrying are the frequent reports of new energy vehicles catching fire, which deepens people’s concerns about battery safety. Battery safety is a serious topic that comes with the development of new energy vehicles. After-sales service and quality assurance are factors that consumers must consider before purchasing new energy vehicles. A reassuring quality assurance policy is the fundamental foundation for a new energy vehicle. Therefore, let’s compare the quality assurance policies of the Guangzhou Automobile Aiways AION LX Plus and the Tang EV.

The Tang EV is equipped with BYD’s lithium iron phosphate battery, which provides a lifetime warranty for the first private owner (non-operating vehicle) for its three-electric systems, but requires an annual mileage of less than 30,000 kilometers. The warranty period for the vehicle, excluding the three-electric system, is 6 years or 150,000 kilometers, which is a relatively common new energy vehicle quality assurance policy.

In comparison, Aiways is obviously confident in its product quality. The Guangzhou Automobile Aiways AION LX Plus provides unlimited mileage lifetime warranty for its first private owner on the entire vehicle and three-electric systems, as well as free lifetime basic maintenance, eliminating all worries for electric car owners. There aren’t many car companies that can provide such a sincere quality assurance policy.

Behind this confident warranty policy, Aiways has strong technical and quality support. The modular design of the pure electric exclusive platform allows the battery pack to be placed in the center of the vehicle body, which can effectively protect battery safety in the event of a collision. The Aiways cassette battery has never experienced a fire incident since it was launched. With its leading technical advantages and safety, it won the highest battery technology award at this year’s CCTV “China Auto Awards”, providing Aiways users with sufficient peace of mind.

In summary:

The protagonists of this comparison are the representatives of pure electric mid-size SUVs: Guangzhou Automobile Aiways AION LX Plus and Tang EV. We have chosen three angles that consumers are most concerned about when buying a vehicle, where Tang EV performs normally in this category, while Guangzhou Automobile Aiways AION LX Plus is truly spectacular. Its space, design, and quality assurance policies are all superior to its competitors. Such a strong performance is enough to captivate consumers. When choosing a pure electric mid-size SUV, don’t overlook the Guangzhou Automobile Aiways AION LX Plus, which is a hidden treasure.# Markdown 实例

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This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.