GAC’s AION brand has quietly become one of the more interesting new entrants in the UK electric car market this year, and its second model just reached dealer forecourts with a launch incentive that expires at the end of this month. The AION UT, a compact hatchback pitched against the Volkswagen ID. Polo and Renault 5, is now in showrooms priced from £28,950, according to reporting from Motor Trade News and DM News.
What makes the timing notable is the finance offer attached to the launch. AION is running a 0% APR PCP deal through September only — DM News reports monthly payments starting at £349 on a 48-month agreement with a £1,949 deposit. Buyers who complete a test drive and place an order before the month is out also qualify for a £500 contribution toward that deposit, per AM-Online’s coverage of the dealer push. Miss the September window and both incentives disappear, which is presumably the point: AION is trying to convert showroom traffic into orders before its first full month on sale ends.
On spec, the single UK trim runs a 60kWh usable battery good for a WLTP-rated range in the region of 265–268 miles, with DC charging topping up from 30–80% in about 24 minutes on a suitable rapid charger. The motor produces around 201bhp, enough for a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds — brisk for a car in this price bracket, if not quite hot-hatch territory. Auto Express, comparing it against rivals, noted the UT undercuts nothing on price against the entry-level ID. Polo but counters with more standard equipment and a bigger footprint, sitting closer in size to a Renault 4 or MINI Aceman than a traditional supermini like the Renault 5.
AION backs the car with what it calls the “Great 8 Promise” — eight years of warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MOT cover, delivered through a partnership network that includes AA-accredited workshops. That kind of ownership guarantee matters for a brand most UK buyers have never heard of; AION only opened its first dealerships this year and is targeting around 30 UK locations by the end of 2026, a fraction of the network an established mainstream brand can offer.
For UK shoppers cross-shopping this segment, the UT’s case is really about range and equipment for the money rather than badge recognition — a familiar pitch for the wave of Chinese entrants competing for the same buyers as the ID. Polo and BYD Dolphin. Whether AION’s dealer network and after-sales promise hold up will matter more than the launch discount once the September offers lapse.
