Aion V Plus breaks cover with a giant display, ultrafast charging

Chinese automaker GAC Aion has taken the veil off its facelifted crossover ‘V’. The new version gets a name suffix ‘Plus’ and comes with plentiful exterior and interior updates, as well as a charging system capable of replenishing 200 km (124 miles of range) within five minutes.

The electric soft-roader is 4,650 mm (182 in) long, 1,920 mm (75 in) wide and 1,720 mm (67 in) tall with 2,830 mm (111 in) between the axles. The front bumper has become simpler, and Aion claims it drew inspiration from Star Wars characters to come up with the new design.

Inside, the large two-part display is no more. The digital dashboard and the touch-enabled infotainment system are now separate from each other, and the latter now measures 15.6 inches in diameter. The giant display makes center console buttons obsolete, but the two-spoke steering wheel still has a few controls on it. The air vents have been reshaped, and that’s about it.

Power comes from three models of batteries rated from 70 to 95 kilowatt-hours. This gives the crossover SUV between 500 and 702 km (310–436 miles) of NEDC-rated range. All powertrain variants incorporate two electric motors, but their total output ranges from 221 PS (218 hp / 163 kW) in the base spec to 271 PS ((267 hp / 200 kW) in the top spec.

Sales have already begun. GAC asks between 172,600 and 239,600 Chinese Yuan for the new Aion V ($26,775 - $37,165 USD).