Aiways U5 | Test Drive | Auto Class Magazine

Aiways U5 | Test Drive

Words Tommaso Mogge / Photos Gian Romero

No need to go around it. When we talk about Chinese products, we immediately think of something cheap and which, by virtue of a competitive price, must necessarily give up its quality. Will it be the same for the first car imported here by the newborn Aiways brand? Let’s find out. It’s the U5 and it’s an SUV (in some cases also called medium/large crossover) with a very personal style and more than a few numbers worthy of our attention. We are mainly facing a car that does not intend to stop in front of the mileage barriers often imposed by an optimal usability aimed at electric mobility, at least according to the current situation of fast charging columns scattered throughout the territory. The U5 is in fact a concrete alternative to similar models of European and Japanese brands, doing it in its own way, with a style and ergonomics that do not go unnoticed and which arouse curiosity even in those who had not heard of it until the moment before.

Important dimensions such as 468 cm in length allow generous on board space, not only for those sitting in front, but also for the three accommodated on the rear seats, who also benefit from the absence of central tunnel, given that the 100% electric engine located in front supplies energy to the front axle only. The dedicated MAS platform houses a 63 kWh battery pack positioned under the floor, which enjoy a 5-year warranty (8 on the batteries) or 150,000 km. This architecture marks a very important number in terms of weight, not exceeding 1,800 kilos and therefore making it one of the lightest electric SUVs on the market. Crucial aspect that allows agility when driving and a reduction in consumption in urban areas, a context in which Aiways proves to be at ease also thanks to the large glasses all around. By the way, the panoramic roof is immense.

There are obviously parking cameras, while in terms of screens we have two displays, a 12.3″ and a 13.9″. The instrumentation behind the steering wheel is then divided into three quadrants and if it may be impractical at first, the various submenus can be accessed quickly using the buttons on the steering wheel. Different speech for the climate controls which have been obtained (with the exception of the shortcuts) on the outside of the flap that conceals the induction charging platform for your smartphone. You have to get used to it, otherwise you risk opening the compartment instead of regulating the on-board temperature. Remaining on the theme of unusual solutions, the charging socket flap is positioned behind one of the two fake air ducts, at the base of the front bumper: the position is convenient for approaching the charging columns – often with short cables – but being rotated 90° it tends to force the entry of the connector.

The maximum reception power is 90 kW, for which values are quite in line with the competitors: 10 km of recharging from a domestic socket, which becomes 20 at 4.5 kWh. With 22 kWh, 30 km can be recharged in one hour and at 50 kW, 135 km can be recharged, again in one hour. It must be said that the maximum range declared is 410 kilometers and happens to be very close to reality, especially if you use the intermediate driving mode and set the battery regeneration almost to the maximum. A nice surprise, considering that more renowned brands are much more optimistic and less realistic in terms of average mileage.

The materials and assemblies are good, the seats are very soft and comfortable and the perception on board is that of being on an extremely mature product, not bad for a brand born in 2017. Too bad there is no satellite navigator and that it is possible to connect your smartphone only via Apple CarPlay. After appreciating a style and a design made up of clean lines and cuts that mainly play on a vertical development, thus accentuating the imposing image of the U5, especially at the front, it’s time to take place behind the wheel and find out how the Aiways is a nice surprise, as long as you have the patience to get in tune with its main characteristics.

The set-up is devoted to comfort and unless you call up Sport mode – which makes the steering more precise – the 204 peak power is only called into question when pushing the throttle hard. A low weight comes back into play, which in addition to maintaining reduced energy consumption, make the U5 agile on secondary roads, where the lack of four-wheel drive is not felt, even if with such ground clearance I would have appreciated at least the possibility of choosing it as optional, in case you need to tackle some dirt road. You just have to set the regeneration mode for the batteries in intermediate mode, so as to keep coasting and accelerator release as smooth as possible. Once this is done, driving the Aiways U5 is as pleasant as we would have never expected, demonstrating how a Chinese product knows perfectly what is needed to satisfy even a demanding clientele such as the European one. Sure, the price isn’t what many would expect from a Made in China label: €43,500 isn’t cheap at all, but the package that the U5 brings is complete from every point of view and during our weeks of testing it has never been challenged by those small defects which can be overlooked when you have at least 400 km of real range available at each full recharge. This is just the beginning.