Aion Y Plus Premium 63.2kWh Review
08 Aug 2024|24,700 views
What We Like
Well-built interior with well-executed design
Versatile and spacious cabin
Generous equipment list
Nicely-weighted steering (for an electric crossover); easygoing and comfortable on the move
Offers good amount of range for Singapore's roads
What We Dislike
Styling may not hold universal appeal
Brakes are a tad on the sensitive side
It normally takes a few tries to get any sort of working formula right. But by account of GAC Aion, its first electric crossover in Singapore - named the Aion Y Plus - is far from its first rodeo.
With the larger GAC Group incorporated all the way back in 1997, the state-owned Chinese manufacturer is instead quick to point you to joint ventures inked in the past with Japanese heavyweights, including Toyota and Honda, with which it has built cars. All that precious car-making know-how, it says, is what you'll find infused into the Y Plus, which itself already rides on a second-generation electric platform.
The Y Plus may be Aion's first electric model in Singapore, but already rides on the firm's second-generation platform, dubbed the AEP 2.0
Those are some grand claims to be making. And the likely reality is that the Y Plus will be judged based off the newcomer-status of the Aion name anyway - which is to say, largely with curiosity and tentativeness.
Nevertheless, whatever attitude one approaches the car with is likely to bring them back to the same conclusion: That this is a superbly competent entry-level electric crossover, whose bargain of a price tag belies its sense of measured polish.
All that may be hard to believe at first, considering that the Y Plus' styling is the exact opposite of conservative and restrained.
Specifically, the car may just take the crown for having the most elaborate daytime-running lights today. On its tall and squarish bonnet, one will find multiple light streaks lashed over large, wing-shaped black clusters towards the car's main headlamps. Aion fittingly calls these LED-signatures 'Angel Wings'.
Then there is the Y Plus' overall silhouette.
From certain angles, the Y Plus also resembles a mini-MPV - but it reclaims some credibility for its crossover billing with its ground clearance, as well as with design cues such as those large, matte-metallic wheel arches
Despite its crossover-billing, you wouldn't be wrong for thinking it resembled a mini-MPV too from both the side and rear, thanks to its bloated and boxy van-like shape. Its official classification is given some credibility by the fact that it does stand quite tall, and with quite a fair bit of ground clearance; meanwhile, black plastic cladding lining its bumpers and sides, and chunky, matte-copper wheel arches add an appropriately rugged touch.
But again, the latter are so pronounced that they're once more likely to evoke an involuntary second glance. With the car decked out in this Lucky Gold paintwork too, you can imagine this rolling down the streets of some digitally-drawn Cyberpunk city.
Bait-and-switch: Soothing on the inside
Whether intentionally or not, however, all that busyness on the exterior only serves to accentuate the sense of calm when you step into the Y Plus.
The cabin feels like an intentionally-designed space, clearly crafted to be cohesive (note how the rounded rectangles on the steering wheel are repeated on the floating centre console's phone tray, and to some degree, on the A/C vents too), as much as it is to wow occupants.
Climb aboard and one will find that the Y Plus' cabin evokes a rather calming ambience, thanks to its cohesiveness in design. Fit and finish are also commendable for something in this segment, while ambient lighting strips and light doses of colour add some vibrance
In the driver's (or indeed the front passenger's) seat, it's easy to forget that you're in one of the cheapest electric cars on the market today (the only peculiarity is how the dashboard is strangely elongated beneath the windscreen).
Fit and finish for something of this segment is hard to fault, while the car's stalks - including its gear lever, which lies behind the steering wheel to the right - feel well-damped. Even the light splashes of colour on the air vents and seats are not overwrought, while slim ambient lighting strips sprinkle some extra vibrance up front.
For the cabin's wow factor, credit is largely due to the wealth of digitalisation on board. It's not just plain size that the 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen and the 10.25-inch instrument cluster offer, but genuine delight in operation. The graphics used here are colourful, crisp, and sharp, and the system responds with quickness.
The car's 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen doesn't just offer sharp and colour graphics, but is also quick to respond. For now, the system only offers wired Apple CarPlay natively - unless you opt for this Carlinkit 'Smart TV Box', which unlocks wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity
Modern cars often threaten to overwhelm with how many digital features they offer, and while the Y Plus' operating system is expectedly expansive, the overall user experience still feels quite intuitive. A slight note of caution: Natively, the Y Plus only offers wired Apple CarPlay connectivity (for now at least), but our test unit came with a Carlinkit Android 13 'Smart TV Box', which gave us both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
One standout quality that accentuates the cabin's techy sheen is the sophistication of its voice-activated virtual assistant, which is awoken with an, er, amusing line: "Hello baby!"
The space within the Y Plus' cabin is enhanced by a large dual-pane glass roof. It's also more versatile than your average family crossover, since the full-reclining ability of the front row effectively creates a flat bed area within
While the range of functions offered is admittedly still limited, the system impresses with the ease in which it receives commands, and most of all, with its speed. It's a solid base you could see progressing into something that could offer wider functionality somewhere down the line.
Stepping into the second row also immediately makes the benefits of its minivan shape apparent, with the car's long wheelbase, impeccably flat floor, and tall roofline providing every occupant here (even the middle passenger) lots of space to stretch out.
Legroom is fantastic thanks not just to the long wheelbase, but also one of the flattest floors we've seen in a car. The Y Plus also delivers expectedly in terms of carrying capacity, its powered tailgate opening to reveal a 405-litre boot
The squarish windows already allow lots of light to flood in, but the car's large dual-pane glass roof takes things a notch higher. Earlier worries we had about the cabin being under-cooled were quickly shot down by the car's frosty and powerful air-conditioning.
Still, it's not just space the cabin offers, but versatility too. With the Y Plus' front row able to recline back fully, what emerges is a flat-bed area - perfect for kicking back and catching up on your favourite shows when, say, the car is being recharged.
But it's really when you're out on the road that the Y Plus seals the deal nicely.
One expects a compact electric crossover to deliver ease in driving above all, and here, the 100kW (134bhp) and 225Nm of torque produced by the car's single motor are more than sufficient to get it going. Power is doled out with measured smoothness - rather than in sharp stabs - and the fact that all of it can be called upon instantly takes the stress out of overtakes and lane merges.
Admittedly, however, this shouldn't be surprising. Instead, where the Y Plus has the (surprising) slight edge over some of its competitors is with how nicely-weighted its steering is. (Again, we're judging by the standards of electric crossovers.) It's a well-calibrated balance; light enough for carparks, but also firm and stable as to enhance the pleasure of being out on highways and more open roads.
If anything, the Y Plus' brakes are a touch on the sensitive side - but these are nonetheless nicely integrated with its regenerative braking system, which isn't too harsh even on its strongest setting.
The car's 63.2kWh battery supports DC charging at up to 100kW, with which its state-of-charge can go from 20 to 80% in 40 minutes
Coupled with its above-average all-round visibility, very settled ride, and quiet cabin (which, again, is already calming on an aesthetic level), daily commutes are instantly made that bit sweeter than on the average electric crossover.
It's a quality befitting of the car since the Y Plus has it in itself to go the distance too. With the car mostly left in 'Normal' mode and its intelligent regenerative braking system (i-PEDAL) switched on, our driving patterns would have netted a range of more than 380km on a full charge - not too far off the WLTP-rated 430km from its 63.2kWh battery.
The Y Plus arguably sets a new benchmark for what entry-level electric cars can look like today. It's well-equipped, has a solidly put-together interior, and is even just that bit nicer to drive than the average electric crossover.
On this Premium trim, it's not just extra safety assistance (including Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and a Lane Departure Warning) that are offered, but even connectivity to an Aion app.
Extra niceties on the Premium trim include a ventilated driver's seat, as well as access to the Aion Singapore app, which allows one to remotely control the car
The latter opens up a wide array of functions to owners, allowing them to remotely control multiple functions on the car, hunt down the nearest charging stations, and even call upon roadside assistance. Again, one gets the sense that the brand took its time to put together a polished product.
At a time when new electric names seem to be flooding Singapore's roads by the dozens, it is exactly these sorts of extra touches that set a brand apart even as it remains competitively priced.
Asking for just under $150,000 in this COE climate (accurate at time of writing), the Y Plus in its Premium trim doesn't just undercut every other compact electric crossover in Singapore. It's priced even lower than compact hatchbacks - both electric and combustion-powered - including the likes of the BYD Dolphin, ORA Good Cat, Nissan Note e-POWER and Honda Jazz.
As such, those who can look past the Y Plus' unorthodox styling - and the unfamiliarity of its name - are likely to find one of the best entry-level EVs on the market today. Even if they still think of it as the first proper effort from GAC Aion, it's no stretch to say that the car has already largely gotten the formula down right.
Here are a few other Cat A electric cars on the market to consider!
What We Like
Well-built interior with well-executed design
Versatile and spacious cabin
Generous equipment list
Nicely-weighted steering (for an electric crossover); easygoing and comfortable on the move
Offers good amount of range for Singapore's roads
What We Dislike
Styling may not hold universal appeal
Brakes are a tad on the sensitive side
It normally takes a few tries to get any sort of working formula right. But by account of GAC Aion, its first electric crossover in Singapore - named the Aion Y Plus - is far from its first rodeo.
With the larger GAC Group incorporated all the way back in 1997, the state-owned Chinese manufacturer is instead quick to point you to joint ventures inked in the past with Japanese heavyweights, including Toyota and Honda, with which it has built cars. All that precious car-making know-how, it says, is what you'll find infused into the Y Plus, which itself already rides on a second-generation electric platform.
The Y Plus may be Aion's first electric model in Singapore, but already rides on the firm's second-generation platform, dubbed the AEP 2.0
Those are some grand claims to be making. And the likely reality is that the Y Plus will be judged based off the newcomer-status of the Aion name anyway - which is to say, largely with curiosity and tentativeness.
Nevertheless, whatever attitude one approaches the car with is likely to bring them back to the same conclusion: That this is a superbly competent entry-level electric crossover, whose bargain of a price tag belies its sense of measured polish.
All that may be hard to believe at first, considering that the Y Plus' styling is the exact opposite of conservative and restrained.
Specifically, the car may just take the crown for having the most elaborate daytime-running lights today. On its tall and squarish bonnet, one will find multiple light streaks lashed over large, wing-shaped black clusters towards the car's main headlamps. Aion fittingly calls these LED-signatures 'Angel Wings'.
Then there is the Y Plus' overall silhouette.
From certain angles, the Y Plus also resembles a mini-MPV - but it reclaims some credibility for its crossover billing with its ground clearance, as well as with design cues such as those large, matte-metallic wheel arches
Despite its crossover-billing, you wouldn't be wrong for thinking it resembled a mini-MPV too from both the side and rear, thanks to its bloated and boxy van-like shape. Its official classification is given some credibility by the fact that it does stand quite tall, and with quite a fair bit of ground clearance; meanwhile, black plastic cladding lining its bumpers and sides, and chunky, matte-copper wheel arches add an appropriately rugged touch.
But again, the latter are so pronounced that they're once more likely to evoke an involuntary second glance. With the car decked out in this Lucky Gold paintwork too, you can imagine this rolling down the streets of some digitally-drawn Cyberpunk city.
Bait-and-switch: Soothing on the inside
Whether intentionally or not, however, all that busyness on the exterior only serves to accentuate the sense of calm when you step into the Y Plus.
The cabin feels like an intentionally-designed space, clearly crafted to be cohesive (note how the rounded rectangles on the steering wheel are repeated on the floating centre console's phone tray, and to some degree, on the A/C vents too), as much as it is to wow occupants.
Climb aboard and one will find that the Y Plus' cabin evokes a rather calming ambience, thanks to its cohesiveness in design. Fit and finish are also commendable for something in this segment, while ambient lighting strips and light doses of colour add some vibrance
In the driver's (or indeed the front passenger's) seat, it's easy to forget that you're in one of the cheapest electric cars on the market today (the only peculiarity is how the dashboard is strangely elongated beneath the windscreen).
Fit and finish for something of this segment is hard to fault, while the car's stalks - including its gear lever, which lies behind the steering wheel to the right - feel well-damped. Even the light splashes of colour on the air vents and seats are not overwrought, while slim ambient lighting strips sprinkle some extra vibrance up front.
For the cabin's wow factor, credit is largely due to the wealth of digitalisation on board. It's not just plain size that the 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen and the 10.25-inch instrument cluster offer, but genuine delight in operation. The graphics used here are colourful, crisp, and sharp, and the system responds with quickness.
The car's 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen doesn't just offer sharp and colour graphics, but is also quick to respond. For now, the system only offers wired Apple CarPlay natively - unless you opt for this Carlinkit 'Smart TV Box', which unlocks wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity
Modern cars often threaten to overwhelm with how many digital features they offer, and while the Y Plus' operating system is expectedly expansive, the overall user experience still feels quite intuitive. A slight note of caution: Natively, the Y Plus only offers wired Apple CarPlay connectivity (for now at least), but our test unit came with a Carlinkit Android 13 'Smart TV Box', which gave us both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
One standout quality that accentuates the cabin's techy sheen is the sophistication of its voice-activated virtual assistant, which is awoken with an, er, amusing line: "Hello baby!"
The space within the Y Plus' cabin is enhanced by a large dual-pane glass roof. It's also more versatile than your average family crossover, since the full-reclining ability of the front row effectively creates a flat bed area within
While the range of functions offered is admittedly still limited, the system impresses with the ease in which it receives commands, and most of all, with its speed. It's a solid base you could see progressing into something that could offer wider functionality somewhere down the line.
Stepping into the second row also immediately makes the benefits of its minivan shape apparent, with the car's long wheelbase, impeccably flat floor, and tall roofline providing every occupant here (even the middle passenger) lots of space to stretch out.
Legroom is fantastic thanks not just to the long wheelbase, but also one of the flattest floors we've seen in a car. The Y Plus also delivers expectedly in terms of carrying capacity, its powered tailgate opening to reveal a 405-litre boot
The squarish windows already allow lots of light to flood in, but the car's large dual-pane glass roof takes things a notch higher. Earlier worries we had about the cabin being under-cooled were quickly shot down by the car's frosty and powerful air-conditioning.
Still, it's not just space the cabin offers, but versatility too. With the Y Plus' front row able to recline back fully, what emerges is a flat-bed area - perfect for kicking back and catching up on your favourite shows when, say, the car is being recharged.
But it's really when you're out on the road that the Y Plus seals the deal nicely.
One expects a compact electric crossover to deliver ease in driving above all, and here, the 100kW (134bhp) and 225Nm of torque produced by the car's single motor are more than sufficient to get it going. Power is doled out with measured smoothness - rather than in sharp stabs - and the fact that all of it can be called upon instantly takes the stress out of overtakes and lane merges.
Admittedly, however, this shouldn't be surprising. Instead, where the Y Plus has the (surprising) slight edge over some of its competitors is with how nicely-weighted its steering is. (Again, we're judging by the standards of electric crossovers.) It's a well-calibrated balance; light enough for carparks, but also firm and stable as to enhance the pleasure of being out on highways and more open roads.
If anything, the Y Plus' brakes are a touch on the sensitive side - but these are nonetheless nicely integrated with its regenerative braking system, which isn't too harsh even on its strongest setting.
The car's 63.2kWh battery supports DC charging at up to 100kW, with which its state-of-charge can go from 20 to 80% in 40 minutes
Coupled with its above-average all-round visibility, very settled ride, and quiet cabin (which, again, is already calming on an aesthetic level), daily commutes are instantly made that bit sweeter than on the average electric crossover.
It's a quality befitting of the car since the Y Plus has it in itself to go the distance too. With the car mostly left in 'Normal' mode and its intelligent regenerative braking system (i-PEDAL) switched on, our driving patterns would have netted a range of more than 380km on a full charge - not too far off the WLTP-rated 430km from its 63.2kWh battery.
The Y Plus arguably sets a new benchmark for what entry-level electric cars can look like today. It's well-equipped, has a solidly put-together interior, and is even just that bit nicer to drive than the average electric crossover.
On this Premium trim, it's not just extra safety assistance (including Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and a Lane Departure Warning) that are offered, but even connectivity to an Aion app.
Extra niceties on the Premium trim include a ventilated driver's seat, as well as access to the Aion Singapore app, which allows one to remotely control the car
The latter opens up a wide array of functions to owners, allowing them to remotely control multiple functions on the car, hunt down the nearest charging stations, and even call upon roadside assistance. Again, one gets the sense that the brand took its time to put together a polished product.
At a time when new electric names seem to be flooding Singapore's roads by the dozens, it is exactly these sorts of extra touches that set a brand apart even as it remains competitively priced.
Asking for just under $150,000 in this COE climate (accurate at time of writing), the Y Plus in its Premium trim doesn't just undercut every other compact electric crossover in Singapore. It's priced even lower than compact hatchbacks - both electric and combustion-powered - including the likes of the BYD Dolphin, ORA Good Cat, Nissan Note e-POWER and Honda Jazz.
As such, those who can look past the Y Plus' unorthodox styling - and the unfamiliarity of its name - are likely to find one of the best entry-level EVs on the market today. Even if they still think of it as the first proper effort from GAC Aion, it's no stretch to say that the car has already largely gotten the formula down right.
Here are a few other Cat A electric cars on the market to consider!
Car Information
Aion Y Plus Electric Premium 63.2 kWh (A)
$144,988
CAT A|Electric|6km/kWh
Horsepower
100kW (134 bhp)
Torque
225 Nm
Acceleration
9.8sec (0-100km /hr)
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- Exterior
- Interior
- The Drive
- Conclusion
