AION UT Hatchback (2026 - ) Electric review

If the Aion UT were as cheap as it feels it would be off to a good start, but neither bottom-line price nor monthly finance figures look competitive against the likes of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric, Peugeot e-208, Fiat Grande Panda Electric or others you might also be considering. True, Aion’s amazing eight-year aftercare package of servicing, MoT tests and roadside assistance helps on running costs but those mainstream rivals all look a lot more appealing to live with. More broadly, the UT benefits from the usual electric car savings for those with facility to charge at home on cheap off-peak power, and tax incentives still for company car buyers. But same applies to those rivals, and the Aion struggles to make a favourable impression against them.

Call this a holding score for the fact Aion is too new to British roads to have much sense for its reliability as a brand, though it is already established elsewhere and, like many Chinese manufacturers, has formidable manufacturing resources and scale. All of which explains the headline-grabbing care package, bundling warranty, servicing, MoTs (when they become necessary) and roadside assistance for a whole eight years from first registration. This is fully transferrable so second and perhaps even third owners still benefit from the same level of reassurance.

The UT’s five-star score from testing body Euro NCAP shows what a blunt tool these ratings can be, and how they’re not always reflective of how safe a car feels out in the real world. Sure, the UT comes packed with the technology to tick those regulatory boxes, and more besides. But we’d argue much of it is at best annoying, some of it at worst genuinely distracting. Nor are we convinced the UT has been tested and calibrated with the rigour you’d expect, as demonstrated by the amount of wheelspin unleashed by even moderate throttle inputs. Given the way the car pushes wide on wet roundabouts we’d venture the Chao Yang tyres aren’t up to much, which doesn’t bode well for stopping distances in an emergency, either. Speed limit warnings that are both frequently wrong and intrusive enough that the car silences the infotainment when they’re triggered and constant false alarms from the driver distraction monitoring, lane-keeping and forward collision systems hardly build confidence the tech designed to keep you safe is actually up to the job of doing so.

True, it feels a bit cheap and tinny. But the UT does at least offer a lot of space for a car of this class, the long wheelbase meaning plenty of room inside for those up front and in the back alike, the flat floor good news for the latter. It certainly feels a lot more roomy than a Renault 5 or Peugeot E-208 back there. The doors open nice and wide as well, which is good news for parents battling with kids and childseats, so long as you can score a suitably wide parking space at the supermarket or school drop-off of course. A variable-height boot floor helps make flexible use of the luggage space, which is at least bigger than many in the class. On the road Aion says the suspension has been tuned to the tastes of British drivers for a driving style that is both ‘playful and composed’, though we didn’t feel a whole lot of encouragement to test the theory. Silent electric power does, at least, make it smooth, quiet and relaxing to drive.

We’re so used to Chinese manufacturers chucking everything in as standard it’s a surprise to see some of the UT’s more desirable features reserved for the cost option Premium Pack, these including the panoramic roof, power mirrors, power tailgate and ventilated driver’s seat. Disappointing you have to pay for this to get a wireless charging pad for your phone, and only then ‘unlock’ the optional glitzier ‘French Cream’ interior trim pictured. Which adds more to the cost. Other than that, the standard specification is reasonably generous, but you’d hope so given the starting price. Power adjustable and heated front seats are standard, ditto a heated steering wheel and reclining rear seats, a heat pump also included to the benefit of range. It’s a predictable moan but ditching buttons for touch-control via the central screen is as frustrating as it is distracting on the move, especially given how tiny some of the icons are. Nor did it seem the most responsive, whether running the ‘native’ system or CarPlay. Android Auto is also supported, both wirelessly, and we appreciated some of the on-screen shortcuts for disabling some of the more annoying safety alerts. Or would have done if this actually silenced them. We also found the screen dazzling when trying to park in the dark, the supposedly helpful cameras actually less useful in situations like this than the mirrors. Which you can only adjust via the screen if you want to check your distance to the kerb. Bringing us full circle…

Aion boasts of the UT’s power advantage and faster on-paper acceleration over direct rivals, but this is of little practical use given the tyres struggle to put it to the road effectively and even modest throttle inputs unleash squeals from front wheels and passengers alike. With a lighter foot on the accelerator you can appreciate the smooth and silent power delivery, and the UT covers ground with impressive ease. But there’s none of the fun of a Peugeot e-208 or similar. Official range of 268 miles is meanwhile competitive for the class, and plenty for a car of this size while charging speeds are, again, average for electric cars of this type.