Aion V review

It's plush and roomy in here, and we imagine lots of people will be sold on it before they even take it for a test drive. If they do at all.

There's real leather if you add the premium pack, but even the fake stuff is pretty convincing. It's nicely stitched. But another sign of premium finish – nice chromed aluminium switchgear – is a bit scant because there aren't many switches. None for climate or regen or drive mode. But, mercifully, your fingers do touch hardware to open a window or adjust the seat or aim a vent. A high spot are the polished door handles, with a fine damped action.

The back of this car will likely figure in the buying decision. It's roomy and flat-floored and flooded with light. It has vents and a control panel and the backrests recline. They're heated too, even in the back.

The premium pack adds a very fancy Bentley-esque tray table and that hot-cool box. All premium-pack seats are leather, and the front ones massaged. In any case they're welcomingly squidgily comfy.

Behind, the boot is big at 427 litres, including a usefully chunky box beneath its floor. But that's only up to the roller blind, which is mounted rather low and is a flimsy affair; added as an afterthought because, we're told, the Chinese don't have car break-ins.

Phone mirroring is of course wireless, and there's a powerful charge pad and lots of device sockets.

For the driver, screen operation is a mixed bag. It reacts fast thanks to a powerful processor, but some of the settings depend on deep menus with inconsistent logic. At least there are some shortcuts on the base of the screen, including one for the surround cameras, which you need in a hurry when you get to a width restrictor. There’s a screen ahead of the driver with a permanent speedo and thumbwheel-selected trip computer.