Author: Master
Not long ago, I just experienced the upgraded version of Guangzhou Automobile AION S, AION S Plus in Zhuhai. Its new styling, color-changing sky roof, and driving quality left me with a good impression. And now, the upgraded version of AION V, AION V Plus is also here. What are the “Plus” upgrades this time? Let’s take a look together.
Video Version
For more detailed analysis, please refer to the illustrated version:
Get to Know AION V Plus Quickly
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The motor power has been upgraded from 135 kW to 165/200 kW, with an official acceleration score of 2.9 seconds from 0-50 km/h.
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Equipped with three battery packs: ≥70 kWh, ≥80 kWh, and ≥95 kWh, corresponding to a NEDC range of 500 km, 600 km, and 702 km.
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The front and rear bumpers have been restyled, and the appearance has added two new colors, Illusion Violet and Starry Green.
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The interior is replaced with a 15.6-inch independent suspension center console screen.
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Equipped with the latest ADiGO 3.0 intelligent driving assistance system, the high-end models provide memory parking/summoning, NDA navigation driving assistance functions (available for delivery in September).
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One of the versions with a range of 500 km will be equipped with ultra-fast battery technology, which can increase the range by 112 km after charging for only 5 minutes.
Minor Exterior Styling Changes
The styling upgrade of AION V Plus follows the same “simplification” style as AION S Plus. The all-new front end design, known as the “Star Wars bullet head”, removes the decorative strip connecting the left and right headlights and the decorative entrance at the bottom, making the overall look sleeker, fuller, and instantly recognizable as a new energy vehicle. At certain angles, even adding a spindle-shaped grille would not be out of place. However, the completely enclosed and protruding shape should provide a certain optimization to the overall wind resistance, which is very important for a new energy vehicle. The appearance also adds two new colors, “Fantasy Violet” and “Starlight Green”, making the color matching more youthful. The entire series continues to be equipped with the split-type all-LED headlights as standard.
The dimensions of the new car are 4650/1920/1720 mm in length, width, and height respectively, which is not significantly different from AION V; The increase in length is mainly due to the different front and rear bumper designs. The wheelbase is still the best-in-class 2830 mm, which is one of the advantages of the GEP 2.0 electric platform.
The design change in the rear of the car is also mostly focused on the bumper, with the two fog lights and reverse lights changing from vertical bars to more traditional styles, while minimizing some of the lines to make it more “approachable”, the overall look still focuses on simplicity and fullness. Other parts remain basically the same as AION V.
The biggest interior change is the multimedia screen on the center console, which has been changed from the original double-screen to a split-type independent style. Other parts remain unchanged, still using a large amount of soft materials and leather wrapping, creating a luxurious and well-rounded overall feel.
The steering wheel of AION V Plus can be adjusted in four directions, and it does not adopt a more sporty three-spoke design, but instead retains a relatively luxurious two-spoke design. In addition to the leather on the steering wheel itself, the airbag cover is also wrapped in leather with stitching, further enhancing the luxurious feel in the details.
The 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel displays the same content and style as other models of GAC Aion. However, this is the first time I remember them using white as the background color, but the color temperature of the two screens is slightly different, and it does not look comfortable when using white background color. Hopefully, it can be improved upon the official delivery.
There are three theme styles that can be switched, and the colors are slightly different in different driving modes. In addition to the normal navigation map, it also supports AR scene navigation display.
The central control screen has been upgraded to 15.6 inches, and uses a narrow-edge design. The aspect ratio is also 16:9, exactly the same as the common 15.6-inch laptop screen. The UI logic is similar to other models of GAC Aion that we have experienced before, but the built-in software is slightly different, such as changing the navigation from Gaode to Baidu, and QQ Music is changed to Aion Yueting (integrated with Kuwo Music). At the same time, Baidu CarLife interconnection has been canceled, but it was difficult to use anyway, so it is better without it.
It is worth mentioning that AION V Plus has eliminated the start button this time. You only need to get in the car and press the brake and shift gears to start driving. The same logic can be found on many new energy vehicles, but they all have a common problem. For example, when the driver goes to the service area to go to the toilet, but the passenger does not go, the moment the driver opens the door and gets off the car, the power is cut off, and the air conditioning also stops working, causing embarrassment.
To address this issue, ADiGO 4.0 car system has specially added a “power supply retention” mode.Translate:
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After opening this mode, the vehicle will maintain power-on state until the power is less than 20%. At the same time, the temperature of the air conditioner, the originally set navigation path, and the car doors will not automatically lock. This is very user-friendly.
The AION V Plus also adds a panoramic sunroof with an area of 2.2 square meters. It currently does not support the optional EC electrochromic glass on the AION S Plus, but it is equipped with Low-e heat-insulating glass and double silver coating (which appears blue-purple). Facing direct sunlight in an environment over 35°C in Guangdong, its heat-insulating effect can also maintain a relatively good level. However, if you sleep in the car, it is still unavoidable for the light to shine on your eyes. If you have a demand, it is better to equip yourself with a sunshade.
Another advantage of the panoramic sunroof retrofit is to further improve the vertical space inside the car.
When I adjusted the seat to the lowest and appropriate driving position with a height of 174 cm, there was still more than 2 fists of head space. There is no pressure for media colleagues over 190 cm tall to sit in, and there is even some residual space.
There is no change in the rear seating space, the seat back can be reclined very slowly, the seat cushion length is also sufficient, and the middle position is also a completely flat design, basically crushing all similar models. Coupled with the 1920mm wide body, the cross-level space brought by the body is also quite comfortable for three passengers.
The remaining parts such as the trunk and storage compartment have not changed compared to AION V, and will not be further discussed here.
How is its performance?The AION V Plus has seen a significant upgrade in power, going from 135 kW to 165/200 kW, corresponding to 224 PS and 272 PS respectively. The car photographed in the picture is the 165 kW version, with an official 0-50 km/h acceleration time of 2.9 seconds (for the 200 kW version). The 0-100 km/h time has not been announced, but based on actual testing, I estimate it to be around 7 seconds.
Overall, the driving experience of the AION V Plus is not much different from the previous AION V, with linear acceleration. However, the power itself has undoubtedly improved, especially in the mid to late stages of acceleration, giving more confidence when overtaking at high speeds.
The logic of the five driving modes – ECO+, ECO, NORMAL, SPORT, and I-PEDAL single pedal mode – is completely the same as other models of GAC AION, except for the I-PEDAL single pedal mode. The kinetic energy recovery under the other modes is also similar, with a slight feel of coasting like a gasoline car in gear, with no learning curve and nothing to nitpick.
Equipped with a front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension, the chassis has a similar feel to the AION V. The suspension travel is relatively long, with an overall focus on comfort, providing a gentle filtering of small vibrations and a high-end feel. However, if driving at a faster speed through continuous bumpy surfaces, the up and down motion of the rear passengers may be slightly more significant, and there may be a relatively more pronounced body roll during turns.
The steering wheel is very light and has a bit of play. The responsiveness of the vehicle body when turning quickly is not particularly sensitive, so driving the AION V Plus on mountain roads, taking sharp turns, and other aggressive driving is not particularly enjoyable. Taking the family for a comfortable and leisurely ride is the correct use case for this car.
The soundproofing and noise reduction of the AION V Plus is above average. Only minor wind noise can be felt after exceeding 80 km/h. The performance of the four Horse brand UC6 tires is also quite balanced, providing good grip and minimal tire noise.
The AION V Plus will be equipped with three battery packs, namely ≥ 70 kWh, ≥ 80 kWh, and ≥ 95 kWh. All of them adopt magazine battery technology, with corresponding NEDC ranges of 500 km, 600 km, and 702 km. The version I test drove this time is the mid-range model with a range of 600 km. When it is officially delivered, one of the 500 km range models will be equipped with the latest ultra-fast battery technology (3C rate charging version).
On the AION V Plus, the maximum charging power can reach 480 kW, and it only takes 5 minutes to charge 112 km of range.
Memory Parking Experience
The AION V Plus is equipped with a memory parking and summoning function that supports up to 150 m paths and 6 routes. This feature will be available for use when it’s officially delivered in September.
After setting the route, you can directly use your phone to operate the parking or summoning. The entire process is relatively slow, and the hazard lights will be turned on throughout. If pedestrians cross, the vehicle will slowly stop. After the passersby, you need to operate it on your phone to complete the parking.
NDA Intelligent Navigation Assistance
The hardware part of the AION V Plus’s driving assistance system includes five millimeter-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, and eight cameras. Additionally, it’s equipped with high-precision maps developed by GAC Aion and Bosch.
The ADiGO 3.0 intelligent driving assistance system can provide functions such as intelligent speed limit adaptive cruise control (iACC), traffic congestion assistance (TJA), lane keeping assistance (LKA), automatic lane changing assistance (ILC), integrated cruise assistance (ICA), forward collision warning (FCW), and active braking assistance (AEB). Even when accelerating and overtaking adjacent lanes of large trucks, it will automatically evade in the opposite direction within the lane line by 30 cm.
When the lane line changes from gray to blue, it means that the NDA intelligent navigation assistance function has been activated. With the support of high-precision maps, in accordance with regulations, in all highways and expressways in China, drivers can be hands-free for a relatively long time (road usage rights need to be gradually opened). However, it is necessary to ensure that the driver is looking ahead and can be detected by the infrared camera, which basically eliminates the possibility of using “cheating” methods such as using a gravity ring.
At present, the official pass rate for entering and exiting toll stations is 80%. Before entering the ramp, the speed will slowly drop to around 40 km/h. It can handle some bigger curved sections, but the speed is a bit slow and it is more likely to make the following cars impatient.
Overall, it is great to see traditional car companies besides Tesla and new energy brands being able to produce similar NOA functions so quickly. But as the saying goes, there is currently no real “autonomous driving” and when using any driving assistance system, drivers still need to remain focused. Safety still needs to be in their own hands.
Summary
Overall, AION V Plus does not have any particularly outstanding features or obvious pain points in terms of driving, it can be said to be a very balanced “bucket” model. Coupled with its super-large passenger space, decent power, and intelligent performance, it is a very good choice as a family SUV.
Currently, the official selling price of AION V Plus has not been announced, but according to AION S and AION S Plus’ selling price gap and the selling price of AION V (RMB 177,600-239,600), it is estimated that there may be slight surprises when it is finally launched.
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.