Nother CarGuy

China’s Aiways has just unveiled a brand new all-electric concept vehicle in its hometown of Shanghai. Dubbed the U7 Ion, it follows in the footsteps of the production-ready U5 SUV, showcased in Geneva last month. The U7 Ion features the company’s FRM concept, which stands for “family and roomy mobility”. It also premieres the ‘fourth space’ interior concept, where the vehicle provides a sanctuary from busy modern life through seamless connectivity and in-car artificial intelligence tech. The U7 Ion comes with an integrated self-learning robot, which can actually move around the interior watching over the occupants. The cabin also stands out thanks to a total of 12 screens spread throughout, including a smart dashboard touchscreen display integrated into the steering wheel, and a touchscreen built into a smart mobile console. “Our presence at Auto Shanghai, from our new U7 ion concept and our production-ready U5 SUV to our impressive show stand, shows our drive and ambition...

If a fully-electric premium SUV like the Tesla Model X, Audi e-tron or Mercedes EQC is outside your price range, then you might just be in luck because China’s Aiways has been pitching its U5 SUV as a more affordable alternative to such cars. After bringing the U5 to Beijing in concept form, the Chinese startup now has a production-ready version, which aims to become one of the safest and most advanced models in Europe’s mid-size SUV segment. While we leave it up to you to judge the U5 with regards to styling, the SUV does come with a lot of modern exterior elements, such as the full-LED headlights, a sharp beltline design, hidden door handles, dual-channel rear spoiler and a continuous light strip at the rear. It measures 4,680 mm (184.2 inches) in length, 1,880 mm (74.0 inches) in width, stands 1,680 mm (66.1 inches) tall and has a wheelbase that spans 2,800 mm (110.2 inches). To put it plainly, it’s considerably smaller than a Model X or even the e-tron SUV, but is more ...