Aion V review

Aion UK assures us the finance offers will be compelling, but at the time of writing hasn't put any actual numbers on it. So we have to take the £36,450 price as an indication of how it sits in the market.

A reminder, the battery range is 317 miles, and the battery 75.3kWh.

Equipment includes a heat pump, electrically adjustable heated and cooled front seats, heated rear ones, glass roof, extensive ambient lighting, and surround cameras.

The £1,475 Premium Pack adds the 6.6-litre 'CoolHot Box', massage front seats, and leather seats, plus the choice of non-black interior.

Given the space, range and kit, the price would have looked very good two years before the Aion V launched, but fierce competition and the Electric Car Grant have meanwhile pushed down the price of rivals.

But no rival can claim the Aion's full eight-year package. Until that time is up, you have 100,000-mile vehicle warranty, 125,000-mile battery warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MOT testing fees.

That sounds like a costly offer to Aion, but it helps keep dealers sweet because the buyers stay in the network rather than taking the car to independents. It also keeps residuals high, reducing lease and PCP costs on new cars, so they sell more.

Aion has set up a home-charger installation service. And it has worked with Thatcham Research to adapt the car for cheaper crash repair, resulting in a competitive insurance group 32.