Issue 14
Distinct eyelashes on the front headlights, compact body with dimensions of 453518701650mm, cute name like “小确杏” (xiaoquexing) and a personality that is pleasing but not obsequious with the color of zero banana green…
After reviewing many elements of AION Y Plus, I successfully formed the stereotypical impression that it is a very adorable pure electric vehicle with flowery and trendy aesthetics that lack a sense of power. More like a car driven by a few good girlfriends on a trip or shopping spree, suitable for taking photos rather than driving.
However, after about half an hour of test driving on the highway at the Aion Tech Day Shanghai on October 15, this stereotypical impression was completely shattered, and the AION Y Plus defeated the straight male heart that had been driving German cars.
Slumped in the Back Seat
Before departure, AION Y Plus demonstrated an automatic parking.
AION Y Plus is equipped with the GAC Aion ADIGO 3.0 Intelligent Driving System, which can be voice-activated or remotely controlled with a single click on a mobile phone for parking. From the video, AION Y Plus is smooth and natural when parking, with accurate parking position and relatively straight posture. It can be relied on for daily use.
After watching the automatic parking, the road test began.
The driving route was from the event venue to a nearby suburban park. The AION Y Plus I test drove had an exterior color of “小确杏” (xiaoquexing). When starting, I sat in the back seat.
With a wheelbase of 2750mm, the rear seat of AION Y Plus has a size of 1020mm, so as soon as you open the door, you can see the ample space in front of you. After getting in the car, you can easily and naturally stretch your legs, and even cross them or slouch like a Beijinger.
Looking around, I noticed that the interior color of the test drive car I was in resembled the fresh macaron color, which gave a sense of fashion and elegance.
On the T-shaped center console, which is composed of basic graphic elements such as lines, circles, and squares, the fresh macaron color even exudes a slightly Hong Kong-style retro taste, simple but not plain.
Looking up, the 2.0 square meter panoramic sunroof opens up the view and brings you closer to nature and the sky. Of course, the sun is even closer.
AION Y Plus uses Low-E glass, which is a product with multiple layers of metal or compound coating on the surface. It can ensure the transmittance of visible light and high reflection of mid-to-far-infrared radiation, keeping heat radiation outside.
During the test drive, the weather was around 21 degrees Celsius, and the sun was shining brightly. When I got in the car, AION Y Plus had been exposed to the sun for the entire morning. Although the temperature on the sunroof was a bit hot, the temperature inside the car was still relatively comfortable.
However, during driving, it was still almost unavoidable to feel the sun above your head. Occasionally, a few strong beams of light would shine in, making it impossible to resist looking at the sun. If it was summer, the situation might be worse.
After looking at the overall picture, I found another interesting detail.
There is such an ambient light on each side of the door, but the surrounding grooves are only for decoration, and only the columnar area in the middle is the ambient light. When playing music, it will move with the rhythm. With the surrounding interior design, it is very natural and not too abrupt.
Perhaps some young users with a more assertive personality may feel that the decorative strips far outweigh the ambient light strips, and that such design is too dominant and not cool enough.
Indeed, I also have this feeling. Such an ambient light is somewhat inconspicuous. But the interior style of AION Y Plus is relatively fresh and elegant. If the ambient light was as large and intense as that of Mercedes or nightclubs, it would be too dominant for the entire interior design.
The car drove forward and passed over a speed bump at about 40 km/h. Sitting in the back row, I did not feel a significant jolt and was satisfied with the chassis shock absorption.
At this moment, I once again remembered my stereotyped impression of insufficient power from AION Y Plus, and couldn’t help but expect more from its handling.
Unexpected Handling
When returning from the end of the highway test drive, it was finally my turn to drive.
As soon as I got in the car, the memory seat adjusted me to the perfect position. At 175 cm tall and weighing 67.5 kg, the seat wrapped around me comfortably and relaxingly.
Starting to drive, my first impression was that the three-spoke steering wheel of AION Y Plus was quite heavy and had a great texture when held in my hand.
As an electric vehicle, AION Y Plus’s acceleration from a standing start was naturally not disappointing. On the way back, I made a big turn and a U-turn in an open space in the park. When turning the steering wheel, I first felt a lot of power, which was not inferior to that of German cars. Then when turning, it was very smooth without any obvious tilting problems. Finally, stepping on the accelerator, the speed increased linearly, and I immediately felt the need to drive and control it. I could clearly feel that AION Y Plus was almost having a conversation with the driver through its mechanical performance.
When I drove through the park gate at low speed and turned on the turn signal, the AION Y Plus’s 540° panoramic view would automatically turn on, displaying the situation around the car on the central control screen. Although in this kind of driving situation, I did not pay special attention to the display on the center console screen, but if the surrounding situation was complex, with many passing vehicles and pedestrians, then such a practical design would be appreciated.
In addition, AION Y Plus adopts a shift lever design for easy and convenient operation of the intelligent driving assistance mode by turning the lever twice.Due to the requirements of the coach next to me, the speed of the whole team was coordinated during the return trip, and the speed was kept between 40-50 km/h. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the experience of driving at high speed and the intelligent following driving effect, which was somewhat regrettable.
On the chassis, due to its compact body, AION Y Plus adopts a front McPherson and rear torsion beam design, with a tuning style biased towards comfort. During the entire driving process, there will not be very obvious bumps when passing some speed bumps as mentioned above. However, there will still be a slightly hard feeling when passing some bumpy roads. But for the users of AION Y Plus, whose driving scenes mostly occur in the city, such chassis tuning is more than enough.
Finally, when driving AION Y Plus, there is another obvious feeling that it is very friendly to those who switch from gas cars to electric cars.
When just starting to drive an electric car, it is common for the driver to experience sudden acceleration or braking due to unfamiliarity with the driving style of an electric car. This can make passengers, especially those who are not used to electric cars, uncomfortable, and even nauseous.
However, AION Y Plus does not have this problem. I myself am a person who’s used to driving gas-powered cars, and when driving AION Y Plus, I did not feel any discomfort. You step on the pedal, and it gives you feedback proportionally. Therefore, everything in driving happens very naturally.
After driving AION Y Plus, I must admit that I “judged a book by its cover” at first. Among new energy vehicle brands in the 150,000-yuan level market, the soft and cute appearance, stylish interior, and solid driving experience of AION Y Plus have all contributed to its popularity among young users.
In September, AION Y delivered 13,408 vehicles, an impressive achievement that fills people with hope for AION Y Plus to achieve Vice President Xiao Yong’s goal of selling 20,000 vehicles per month.
The Electric Force Has Something to Say
By launching a compact SUV and breaking away from the ride-hailing label, also with the introduction of the ADIGO intelligent cabin, intelligent auxiliary system, and magazine-style battery pack, Guangzhou Automobile Aiways has made substantial advances in the past two years and gradually gained a place among the leading new energy brands.In the current economic downturn across various industries and conservative consumption habits of young users caused by the impact of the epidemic, it is a daunting task for GAC Aion to make users recognize and approve the long-term value of AION Y Plus, and be willing to pay for it, in order to achieve deeper, wider and longer development.
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.