We grabbed the new AION V in its range topping Luxury trim and very quickly realised, these things are everywhere. We saw three of them in the space of eight days, including one in sunny downtown Goulburn, where we headed for a road trip.

It was a real "what are the chances" moment and goes a long way to proving that new brand's, wherever they hail from, can get near instant traction in the Australian car market. The reason is the value proposition.

Sure, the AION V isn't perfect, in fact there's a decent list of things that irked us, but it also doesn't cost north of $70K, and you can put your booty into a fully electric SUV for less than $50K, and that's drive away ($47,972 in NSW to be exact).

The range is decent too, with a claimed 510km (WLTP) that translated to north of 460km in the real world, every single charge. That plays into the cost of our road trip too. You see, we set off for Goulburn at Easter, taking to the road for a little family getaway.

The journey, Umina Beach to Goulburn, to Crookwell, back to Goulburn, and then back to Umina Beach. We charged at AmpCharge at West Gosford and Pheasant's Nest on the way down, and at the NRMA chargers at Goulburn on the way back.

2026 GAC AION V Luxury

The total cost set us back $96. Had we taken our diesel Everest, on a weekend where juice for that was at $3.37 a litre - we'd have blown that out to $400, or somewhere close to it. Sure, the Tangerine Tyrant is to blame for the disaster that was fuel prices, but it was impressive none the less.

It was also the impetus for this writer's family likely making the next second car either a full EV or a Plug-in Hybrid, such was the ease of the experience. For all the faults Australia's charging infrastructure has, it was pretty easy to find somewhere to "top up".

Now, let's talk about the 2026 GAC AION V Luxury. On the outside, it rides on 19-inch alloy wheels, and sports a grille-less fascia that confirms what any passing motorist might suspect - it's an EV. And a pretty good looking one at that.

It looks unique, but isn't a slap in the face, blending into the background of the vehicles that surround it. It's shod with Maxxis tyres, with LED lighting and roof rails adding to the modern look. Inside, white leather kicks what is a genuinely stylish cabin.

Featuring a bright design, the driving position is comfortable, with plenty of room in the forward space. There's a bucket load of it (and a work table) in the ultra-roomy second row too. Pretty much every single control is part of the large 14.6-inch central touchscreen.

2026 GAC AION V Luxury

And that's probably one of its biggest issues, especially initially. The distraction of looking away to find things is frustrating for new users. That said, it’s a pleasantly responsive system with shortcuts to most key menus on the home screen.

The Luxury trim offers an impressive array of extra cabin features, including front seat massage, and genuine leather upholstery. There are large lit mirrors in the sun visors and a 6.6-litre fridge in the centre console that can maintain a steady 4-degrees Celsius.

It can also cool to -15-degrees Celsius for ice creams or warm to 50-degrees Celsius for takeaway coffees. It works a treat. Other cabin tech standard across the range includes a nine-speaker ADiGO audio system and 8.88-inch driver’s display.

Heated and ventilated front seats with power adjustment, dual-zone climate control, and a PM2.5 pollutant filter feature. Cabin storage is odd, as there’s no glovebox on the passenger side (you get two bag hooks).

Bottle holders in the doors are good for pretty much 600ml bottles at best. There is a storage cubby under the centre console though. Boot space is a sizable 427-litres with the rear seats up, expanding to 978-litres with them down. It does miss out on a frunk though.

2026 GAC AION V Luxury

There is a wireless phone charger and cord-free Apple CarPlay and Android Auto though. Powering the AION V is a single electric motor that drives the front wheels, with it delivering 150kW and 210Nm. Far more impressive is the densely packed 75.26kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.

Dubbed ‘Magazine Battery 2.0’, it features GAC’s own patented durability and fire resistance technology, including flame retardant electrolytes at cellular level. Double layer liquid cooling plate above and below the battery cells enhance heat dissipation efficiency, and spray facilities.

In simple terms, it looks to alleviate the recent safety concerns that have surrounded lithium-based batteries. Despite power and torque figures that might look fairly tame by class standards, the AION V has more of a spring in its step than they’d suggest.

That all translates to DC fast charging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in about 24 minutes on a 180kW setup. Offered in seven colours (including one with a white roof), with a few choices in the interior trims as well, the GAC AION V Luxury is backed by an 8-year unlimited kilometre warranty.

GAC offers 5-years roadside assistance, and at the time of writing, a free 22kW wall charger for your home. The battery setup gets 8-years or 200,000km of warranty coverage as well.

2026 GAC AION V Luxury

Our test vehicle was provided by GAC Australia for independent review purposes. This article first published on Exhaust Notes Australia.


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