Cheaper short-range GAC Aion UT confirmed for Australia, NZ not ruled out

GAC has confirmed a cheaper, short-range version of the Aion UT for Australia, and while there is no word on a New Zealand launch, the local distributor is not ruling it out.

The new variant swaps the standard car’s 60kWh battery for a 44kWh Magazine Battery 2.0 pack, which GAC claims is among the safest battery units in the world, delivering an estimated 320km of WLTP range. It arrives in Australia late this year, with specification and pricing to be confirmed closer to launch.

Speaking to EVs and Beyond, GAC NZ says there is no news on the model for our market yet, but did not rule it out.

GAC Australia chief executive Kevin Shu says the addition responds directly to demand. “GAC is committed to delivering products that are tailored to the needs of Australian consumers, and in this instance, the call for more accessible entry-level EVs was particularly strong,” he says, pitching the car at first-time EV buyers and first-time car buyers alike.

Australian pricing is the tell. The standard UT starts at AU$31,990 driveaway there, which GAC says provides “a strong indication” of where the short-range car will sit, pointing to something starting with a two.

The version New Zealand arguably needs

A cheaper UT would land on fertile ground here. Our first drive of the New Zealand car found plenty to like: comfort, refinement, build quality and cabin space well beyond its $39,990 entry price. What held it back was that price itself, pushed up by the big battery in a small hatch segment that grows more competitive by the month.

At $39,990 plus on-road costs, the entry UT sits $3,000 above the GWM Ora 5 Lux and $1,000 above the MG4 Urban, with BYD’s Atto 2 matching it at $39,990. Our review concluded that at $36,990 the car would sell itself; the 44kWh pack is exactly the mechanism that could get it there, or below.

For the urban buyers the UT targets, 320km of range covers a week of typical commuting, and the trade-off funds the attributes that make the car appealing in the first place.

GAC says further details on the Australian short-range UT will be shared over the coming months. We will be asking the same question of GAC NZ.