It's 2025! During the livestreams these past couple of days, "Should I wait a bit longer before buying a car?" has been one of the most frequently asked questions.
If you don't need a car right away, the author suggests waiting—on the one hand, to wait until all the subsidy policies for 2025 are finalized, and on the other hand, because competition in the domestic auto market will become even fiercer in 2025, with competition not just over "price" but upgraded to the dimension of "value."
For example, the AION UT that AION launched happens to be the hatchback model the author likes. It officially opened pre-sales on January 6, 2025, with a pre-sale price range of 89,800 to 109,800 yuan.
From the information already released, we know the vehicle's wheelbase is 2,750mm, which is the mark of a compact model, but the body length is only 4,270mm. With such a short and nimble body, maneuvering through congested urban traffic is naturally much easier. The 1,850mm body width gives front-seat occupants more room to stretch out, and even when the rear seats are occasionally fully occupied with friends, three people won't feel cramped. The 1,575mm body height, combined with the new energy platform, means the cabin height will certainly meet most consumers' need for "spacious and comfortable" use. There's also a 440L trunk, and folding down the rear seatbacks expands the loading capacity to 1,600L. Think about it—isn't this a proper "great companion for family trips"!
The liftback tailgate opening is taller and wider, making it naturally more convenient to load large luggage and items. After folding down the rear seatbacks, the flexible layout of the rear cabin space is as convenient as that of a same-class SUV, while at the same time, because of its relatively lower center of gravity and body height, its stable driving dynamics outperform same-class SUVs—this is also an important reason why the author prefers hatchbacks.
Entering the twelfth lunar month, the festive atmosphere of the New Year is getting stronger and stronger. Let's show a cheerful car color and briefly talk about design, because everyone has different tastes and aesthetics vary—in this regard, just respect your own preferences.
The AION UT was born from the "GAC Milan Studio," and its styling design leans toward a youthful direction. For example, the headlight cluster is named "Cute Bird Big Eyes," incorporating an "Angry Birds" element, which both caters to the youthful trend and further closes the distance with the target customer group.
Two-tone roofs have been popular for how many years now? Color-block pairing can be said to be a classic design element that never fails. "Red within white" is naturally distinctive. For every individual who likes self-expression, as long as it satisfies their personalized needs, it counts as "capturing their appetite."
There are 6 body paint colors, said to use the same nano-level color paste as Maybach, paired with 5um ultra-fine pearlescent aluminum powder—the paint looks premium at first glance.
For the interior, there are three refined themes: "Monet's Garden, Blackism, and Light French Impression," which can also fully satisfy the personalized needs of the target customer group.
Next, let's talk about the topic of "safety." The AION UT adopts a "China-Europe dual five-star safety body," with a 71% application ratio of high-strength steel, and it also features the "world's first integrated high-strength side frame," plus a "V-shaped cavity side air curtain." Its protection area and coverage are among the best in its class, and this level of safety concept even exceeds European design standards. It also has rollover protection—when the vehicle rolls over, it can trigger airbag deployment to strengthen safety protection for occupants.
Of course, safety awareness is indispensable. While driving, every occupant in the cabin must correctly use the restraint system—that is, all adults must use seatbelts, children must use child safety seats according to regulations, and infants must correctly use necessary restraint equipment such as carriers. When an accident occurs, only by coordinating with the vehicle's passive safety protection equipment can better protection be achieved and the degree of personal injury to occupants be reduced.
Last year, a certain vertical automotive platform held a high-profile "underride crash test," and the AION UT also integrates a "underride condition" response solution—that is, it imports ADAS system camera and radar signals, transmits them to the airbag controller, and combines them with conventional means such as acceleration sensors. When the system determines that an "underride" is unavoidable, the AION UT can integrate and trigger the restraint system, promoting earlier airbag deployment to provide better protection for occupants.
Also, you must roughly understand what the reverse mistaken-acceleration prevention system means. The AION UT comes standard across the lineup with a "reverse mistaken-acceleration prevention system" to prevent safety accidents caused by mistakenly stepping on the accelerator while reversing. For a vehicle at this level, you might as well ask around—who else has equipped this feature.
Let's also talk about the "flexible rear cabin layout" that the author cares about, because as a great tool for daily commuting, this point is very important for many families.
The AION UT has a class-leading soft-touch rear spacious area, with rear legroom up to 905mm. There are rarely such spacious rear seats among same-class models. In addition, the rear lateral width also reaches 1,385mm, so even when the rear seats are fully occupied, three adults sitting together won't feel crowded.
This feature of the AION UT must be mentioned to everyone: remove the front seat headrests and fold down the front seatbacks, and the front cabin space of the AION UT can also release two "flat lying seats." For a temporary rest, this is much more convenient than shuffling through trunk luggage and then folding down the rear seatbacks to free up rear cabin space. Think about it—isn't that exactly how it is?
There is also the largest panoramic glass roof in its class at 1,800mm × 1,770mm. When looking up at the starry sky at 45°, the view is naturally even broader. There is also a semi-open central armrest console, making space utilization more flexible, and the electric sunshade can 100% prevent ultraviolet damage.
The AION UT is equipped with a heat pump system, dual-layer flow air conditioning, and rear air vents. Whether in winter or summer, whether cooling or heating, it comes faster, making the cabin more considerate and the occupants more comfortable.
The three-electric system is now also a key focus for car enthusiasts. The "Magazine Battery" used in the AION family has long been famous, and it has been explained many times before, so we won't go into detail again this time.
Regarding electric drive output, if you have experienced several domestic new energy vehicles, you should know the inherent advantages of electric drive output, and you should also understand the advantage in acceleration performance compared with same-class joint-venture fuel vehicles. The 100kW Quark motor carried by the AION UT naturally delivers outstanding performance.
A 420km range is basically enough to handle long-distance, long-duration commuting conditions in China's first- and second-tier cities. Moreover, the AION UT is also equipped with low rolling resistance tires, plus other equipment favorable for reducing energy consumption such as a heat pump, and the 30%-80% efficient charging interval takes only 24 minutes. By the time you finish shopping at the supermarket and buying groceries, the power battery is almost fully charged. Would you still say there's "range anxiety"?
Finally, let's talk about the smart cabin. The AION UT adopts a combination of an 8.8-inch instrument panel + a 14.6-inch central control screen. For this class, that's quite competitive. As for car-machine connectivity and human-machine interaction, the playability of the AION UT's smart car system may be about the same as your phone. It opens up full-category phone connectivity, including voice recognition and control. In this regard, the AION UT also has the strength to compete with any model at this price and class.
So here's the question: with the AION UT's 6 body paint colors and 3 refined interior themes, and with such good and abundant launch benefits, how would you choose?
If you can't decide, take some time to experience the real car. After close contact, you will definitely have a firm answer in your heart.
Note: The images in the text are from the internet and will be deleted if infringing! This was written impromptu without review, so please forgive any errors or omissions!
