Preface
For most consumers who buy four-door car models, the space and comfort of the back seats are absolutely important details to be aware of. In terms of space, we can directly let the experiencers sit down and demonstrate, although different people’s driving postures, heights, and weights are all different, it can still provide a more intuitive reference.
However, the comfort of the back seats is not only influenced by space. The size and angle of the seats themselves are equally important. In order to make a clearer quantitative comparison, we not only use a tape measure to measure the seat cushion length and height of the back seats but also introduce an angle gauge to measure the seat cushion’s upward angle and the backrest’s stretching angle, etc. We compile the data into a table and summarize it into our detailed seat review section.
This issue’s test object: GAC Aion’s entire car series
The small partners who often use the APP to call a taxi (especially in Guangdong) should not be unfamiliar with this car.
This is a 2020 GAC Aion S. Every time I call this car through the taxi software, I am quite happy. The reason is simple. It’s very comfortable to sit in it, and its comfort stands out among many online car models.
Specifically, AION S not only has spacious space performance, but also has a very suitable backrest stretching angle, seat cushion height, and length. Coupled with its soft and somewhat high-level suspension shock absorption performance, both the driver and the passenger can have a very good experience.
With such excellent performance, it is no wonder that Aion S has been the sales champion in the B-end market for several consecutive months.
The major advantage of “riding comfort” does not only exist in the Aion S model. Through my personal experience, in fact, all models under GAC Aion all have this feature. Today, we will use detailed data to verify it.
AION S Plus
## AION S Plus
AION S Plus is positioned as a compact sedan and can be regarded as an upgraded version of the 2020 AION S model. The subsidized price ranges from 139,600 to 172,600 yuan, with an NEDC range of 410-602 km. Its body size is 4810×1880×1515 mm (length/width/height), with a wheelbase of 2750 mm.
AION S Plus’s seat fabric is a mix of various colors of PU leather and fabric. The overall feel is very thick and soft. The panoramic sunroof with an ultra-large size (1.9 square meters) as standard in the entire series gives the car a very large headroom, comparable to some SUV models. However, unfortunately, the steering wheel of AION S Plus can only be adjusted up and down.
The seats and the overall space of AION S Plus continue the excellent performance of AION S. The rear seat cushion is very soft and noticeably higher than the front row. The edge also has a slight upward curve, which provides good support to the thighs. However, the headroom is correspondingly smaller.
We used electronic angle gauges, measuring tapes, and other tools to measure the seats comprehensively, and the results are as follows:
AION Y
AION Y is positioned as a compact SUV and is aimed at a younger market, as can be seen from its various body colors and contrasting designs. The subsidized price ranges from 104,600 to 157,600 yuan, with a range of 410-600 km. The size of the body is not large, with dimensions of 4410×1870×1645 mm (length/width/height), and the wheelbase is also 2750 mm.
The seats of AION Y use a more traditional split design and are equipped with fabric or faux-leather materials depending on the configuration. Although the filling is still very thick, perhaps considering the preferences of younger customers, its seats are not as soft as those of AION S Plus overall.
Moreover, the 2022 AION Y comes standard with a panoramic sunroof (2 square meters) for all trims except the lowest two, and you can also choose a regular panoramic sunroof with a sunshade that can be opened at the front, which will slightly reduce headroom but is still sufficient.
The rear space of the AION Y is definitely better than that of other cars in the same class, with suitable backrest angle and seat cushion length, but the seat cushion height is obviously lower than that of the AION S Plus. This is because the front headrests of the AION Y can be removed and the backrest can be completely folded flat to form a “bed”, which requires the height difference between the rear and front seats to be as small as possible. Fortunately, the AION Y has a very large space, so passengers can stretch their feet as much as possible and still ensure support for their thighs.
We have conducted a comprehensive measurement of the seat using tools such as an electronic protractor and a measuring tape, and the results are as follows:
AION V Plus
The AION V Plus is an upgraded version of the previous AION V model, and although it is also positioned as a compact SUV, its positioning is higher than that of the AION Y, with prices ranging from 1.726 million to 2.396 million yuan after subsidy, with three models offering 500/600/702 km of range. The 70 super-fast charging version is equipped with Guangqi AEA’s latest technology in battery charging, which, together with the Guangqi AEA A480 Super Charging Pile, can increase the range by 112 km in just 5 minutes.
The AION V Plus has a body size of 4650×1920×1720 mm (length/width/height) and a wheelbase of 2830 mm, which is extraordinary.
The seats of AION V Plus are extremely soft and thick, providing excellent support for the waist and shoulders. The only minor flaw is that the front seats in all models only have 8-way power adjustment and cannot adjust the tilt angle of the seat cushion separately. However, the steering wheel supports 4-way adjustment of up and down/front and back with a large amplitude, which deserves absolute praise.
As for the rear space, there is no need to say more, just look at the picture. Although the legroom is not much different from the smaller AION Y, the advantage of AION V Plus lies in the adjustable angle of the backrest, which can achieve a seated posture close to half-lying.
The seats were measured comprehensively with tools such as an electronic angle gauge and a tape measure. The results are as follows:
AION LX
AION LX is currently the flagship SUV model under GAC Aion and is positioned as a mid-size SUV. It currently has three range configurations of 520/600/650 km, with a price range of 2.296-3.496 million yuan.
However, with the upcoming AION LX Plus model, GAC Aion will also introduce a 144 kW capacity battery with an energy density of the highest 205 Wh/kg, and the comprehensive range can exceed 1000 km.
The body size of AION LX is 4786×1935×1685 mm (length/width/height), with a wheelbase of 2920 mm. It also adopts a design of shorter front and rear overhangs, allowing the four wheels to be as close to the corners of the body as possible.
The one-piece seat configuration of AION LX is very luxurious, with excellent wrap-around capability and standard 10-way power adjustment, equipped with manual leg rest, heating, memory, and driver seat ventilation functions. The steering wheel also supports 4-way adjustment, allowing drivers of various sizes to easily find a comfortable driving position.
The rear space performance is as usual, while the backrest of the seat supports six angular adjustments, which can be fully adjusted to a half-lying sitting posture, making it particularly comfortable for long-term rides.
However, it is worth mentioning that the flagship AION LX of the GAC Aion family is actually the most focused on sportsmanship among all models, except for the more resilient suspension. The filling material of its seats is also slightly harder than that of other models in the family.
The seats were measured comprehensively using electronic angle meters, tape measures and other tools, with the specific data as follows:
Summary
From the actual experience and data, the rear comfort performance of GAC Aion family car models is very good, with the larger cushion backrest angle playing a great help. However, it must be said that the rear height of the AION Y is indeed slightly low. If it were not for the indirect effect of the larger legroom, it would also have a feeling of a “small bench”.
Since it is a manual measurement, there will inevitably be a certain amount of error, and the evaluation is also based on my personal subjective experience (height 174 cm). Therefore, the data is for reference only. We have tried our best to ensure that the same methods are used in the testing of all models, so there is still a horizontal comparison significance.
But as the saying goes, every driver and passenger is different in terms of height and physique, and whether it is suitable for oneself still depends on personal experience.
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.