The 2026 GAC Aion X … one of the bargains of the year if you can put up with the driver-monitoring system. Photo: James Coleman.
Massage seats. A refrigerated centre-console box perfect for chilling champagne. A fold-down table in the back that’s ideal for holding the kids’ iPad on the drive to Sydney.
Lovely features, all of them. But not when you’re being constantly told off.
The driver-monitoring system in this new Chinese SUV is so zealous it should probably be changed with harassment, nearing verbal assault.
Glance towards the next lane for a second. Check for traffic at an intersection. Look anywhere other than dead ahead. You know, so you don’t hit things. Instantly, a bong sounds and a message flashes up on the screen: “Please pay attention”.
So here’s my top DIY tip: Take a strip of masking tape a couple of centimetres long and stick it over the camera mounted on the A-pillar.
The result? Bliss. Silence. Inner peace. Visions of a Vanuatuan beach. Cue Sadeness by Enigma.
A small price to pay for what otherwise looks like one of the bargains of the year.
What is it?
If you’ve given up trying to keep track of all the new Chinese brands arriving in Australia, fair enough. But bear with me on this one.
This is GAC, short for Guangzhou Automobile Corporation. It officially launched here last year and already has four models on sale, including the electric Aion UT hatch, turbo petrol Emzoom SUV, M8 plug-in hybrid people mover and this – the Aion V electric SUV.
Not only does it join fellow countrymen BYD, Chery, Zeekr, Geely and Deepal in having its own dedicated Canberra dealership, it also has more serious backing.
In China, this vehicle is sold as the Toyota bZ3X – albeit with different bodywork. And as we’ve seen through the long-running Australian trial of the right-hand-drive Tundra, Toyota doesn’t generally put its badge on anything unless it’s happy with the engineering underneath.
The Aion V is fully electric, with a claimed range of 510 km.
There are two variants. The Premium starts at $42,590 before on-road costs, while this Luxury version costs $44,590 and adds fake leather trim, massage seats, the fold-down tray table and a 6.6-litre refrigerator.
At this point, you’re basically one microwave away from having a mobile granny flat.
The rear seats are clearly built for basketballers. Photo: James Coleman.
What’s it like to live with?
It’s true Chinese brands have completely rewritten expectations around how much equipment you can get for your money. But where they struggle is with the finer details.
While charging, for instance, I discovered the button to stop charging reads “Stop Charing”. That’s not my typo. And it took far longer than it should have to work out how to unlock the charging port and remove the cable.
The good news is GAC says it can continue improving the software through over-the-air updates, much like your smartphone.
Some things are harder to fix. The suspension passes my usual test of being so competent I don’t really notice it, but there’s quite a bit of tyre noise coming into the cabin. At times it sounds like you’re sitting inside an ultrasound machine.
But that’s about the only significant hardware complaint.
Close your eyes and this feels remarkably Toyota-like in the way it drives (not for too long, mind, because you’ll get yelled at by the driver-monitoring system). But it’s polished, predictable and easy to get along with – to the point my colleague returned to the office after a lunch run in it with the verdict: “I have no thoughts”.
Despite looking a bit like a hippopotamus, it doesn’t feel particularly heavy. Sport mode sharpens things up nicely and it’s surprisingly nimble around town.
Rear-seat space is enormous – almost people-mover enormous – and the boot is deeper than you’d expect for an EV. The only downside is that it takes forever to open, accompanied by yet more beeping just in case you hadn’t noticed you’d pressed the button.
The exterior styling is boxy but distinctive. But inside is where the Luxury model really shines.
The materials are excellent. Some genuinely premium European brands could learn a thing or two. I became strangely obsessed with the illuminated textured panel stretching across the passenger side of the dashboard. Entire minutes disappeared while staring at it.
The verdict
As is often the case with China’s newest arrivals, $44,590 for all this equipment looks like a bargain. But it probably needs to be. The market is still figuring out what a Chinese EV will be worth once that eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty is up.
But this is exactly where the GAC might fare better than most – if you drum up the fact it’s basically a Toyota.
Just make sure the dealer throws in a roll of masking tape.
In China, this is sold as the Toyota bZ3X. Photo: James Coleman.
2026 GAC Aion V Luxury
- $44,590 (plus on-road costs)
- Single electric motor, 150 kW / 210 Nm
- Automatic, front-wheel drive
- 510 km claimed range
- 1780 kg
- Not yet rated by ANCAP.
Thanks to GAC Australia for providing this vehicle for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with GAC Australia.
Original Article published by James Coleman on Region Canberra.
