Aion Y Plus Premium review: A practical family mover with a fun personality

Most family cars come across as somewhat ordinary and boring, which is understandable as their primary purpose is to be utilitarian.

Occasionally though, someone comes along and tries to do something different. It doesn't always work, but when it does, it feels like a breath of fresh air that's worthy of attention.

If you're looking for a family car that's somewhat interesting, the Aion Y Plus is one that has a few tricks up its sleeves.

Who is Aion?

Aion (pronounced ion) is one of the numerous Chinese car brands that have emerged in Singapore over the past year, and they have made a splash here in a number of ways.

While the name itself might be unfamiliar, they aren't exactly fresh upstarts. Aion is a brand under the Guangzhou Automotive Group (GAC), which is one of the oldest car manufacturing companies in China, having been established way back in 1955.

For many years, GAC had joint venture agreements with Japanese carmakers Honda and Toyota to manufacture their cars for China. When the Chinese domestic car market started to experience an exponential boom in growth in the 21st century, GAC gleaned on its expertise working with its Japanese partners to create its own car brands.

One of those brands is Aion, which was established in 2017. It may not quite be a household name globally (yet), but it actually ranks third overall in terms of electric car sales worldwide (as of the end of 2023), behind Tesla and BYD.

[[nid:712410]]

In Singapore, Aion is represented by Vincar, a company that is more well-known as an established parallel importer. The brand is therefore Vincar's first foray into official distributorship, and they have gotten off to a positive start by marketing the cars with attractive price packages.

The Y Plus is Aion's first car to be offered for sale here, and they have since added the ES electric sedan to their lineup, with more models expected to join the range over the coming year.

What is the Y Plus?

It's safe to say that the Y Plus is a car that defies classification. It's taller than a regular hatchback, but it is not quite an SUV either. Aion calls it under the catch-all term 'crossover', but its squarish and boxy profile suggests that it is more probably a compact MPV without the seven-seater capability

What the Y Plus is though is a roomy and practical family car despite its small footprint. It's similar in size to the BYD Atto 3, being only slightly longer and taller, but the wonders of packaging mean that there's plenty of interior space, almost as much as some larger MPVs in fact.

Most of that is achieved through design considerations such as the car's long wheelbase, the flat rear floor, and its tall stance which allows for lots of headroom. You could in fact actually walk right through across the inside of the car easily, such is the amount of room in the back.

One of the Y Plus's party tricks is the fact that the front seatbacks can fold down fully flat, effectively converting the seats into a mini-bed of sorts. It's great if you fancy taking short naps in the car, or want to use it to relax and hang out with your friends.

Like many Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) these days, the Y Plus comes with an infotainment system that gives you access to lots of entertainment options, including the ability to sing karaoke or watch streaming movies or shows.

Oddly though, the car only comes with wired Apple CarPlay connectivity, but that can be easily rectified down the line with an over-the-air software update that incorporates wireless CarPlay/Android Auto.

One amusing thing about the Y Plus is the voice assistant, which is activated by the phrase "hello baby", as opposed to "hello (brand name)" for most other cars. It's probably Aion's idea of fun, with its quirky sense of humour, but one could also see how it has the potential to cause misunderstandings between partners.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by AsiaOne (@asiaonecom)

How is it like to drive?

When it comes to the business of driving though, the Y Plus takes things a bit more seriously.

Like many of the new family-oriented Chinese EVs launched in Singapore over the past year, the Y Plus qualifies for a Category A Certificate of Entitlement (COE), thanks to its 100kW/134hp power output.

The electric drivetrain also puts out 225Nm of torque, and it is delivered in an impressively smooth and unruffled fashion that makes for a stress-free driving experience.

The Y Plus also surprises with its nicely balanced handling setup, with its well-weighted steering that doesn't feel too light or heavy. It's not exactly sporty, but it feels pleasant enough to drive in most situations.

It complements that with a pretty comfortable ride quality that is befitting of its status as a family mover. There's a slight sense of firmness at slower speeds, probably due to the 18-inch wheels, but it's never harsh or disruptive, and it smoothens itself out once you go a bit faster.

Perhaps the only slight criticism one can level at the Y Plus is that its brakes are a little bit too sensitive, but you do get used to it quite quickly, especially if you know how to work the regenerative braking system.

The range is quoted at 430km on a full charge, which is fairly typical for EVs these days. Using a 100kW fast DC charger, Aion claims that it takes just an hour and a half to top it up to full capacity.

Is this fun-loving family car worth my money?

Certainly, the Aion Y Plus suits those looking for a practical people mover with a bit of personality.

It looks fairly unique, comes in a choice of some interesting colours (our test car's shade is called Lucky Gold, and there's also a Youthful Green), and features an interior that's versatile and funky.

One thing to note though is that there are two trim levels for the Y Plus, with a $10,000 price difference between the basic standard trim, and the Premium trim tested here. It seems like a significant amount, but the Premium adds quite a bit of extras that make the outlay seriously worth considering.

The key additions to the Y Plus Premium include a series of advanced driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control, collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist.

Other extras on the Premium include an electric tailgate, a ventilated driver's seat, an electrically adjustable front passenger seat, and 18-inch wheels, to name a few.

With the Premium trim retailing for $152,988 with COE (as of January 2025), it certainly seems like excellent value. More importantly though, the Y Plus proves that it is not just a fancy-looking new EV, but one that has great functionality to go along with its sense of fun.

[[nid:712933]]

benjamin.chia@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.