The Aiways U5, an inexpensive electric SUV from China, has been on my radar for a long time. The Aiways U5 is already available for under CHF 40,000 and is therefore an attractively priced crossover SUV for families. Sounds exciting, but is there really anything to it? I wanted to know that in more detail.
Key data for the Aiways U5
Five-door, five-seat crossoverMasse: Length 4.68 meters. Width 1.87 meters without exterior mirrors. Height 1.70 meters. Wheelbase: 2.80 meters.Trunk volume: rear 423 to 1555 liters. Frunk 40 liters. Motor: Electric motor with 150 kW / 204 HP, torque 310 Nm, front-wheel drive.Performance: 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. Maximum speed 160 km/h.Range according to WLTP: 410 km. Battery pack: 63 kWhLadeleistung: AC currently still single-phase, 3.7kW (or 7.4kW) DC 35 min for 20 to 80 percent Aiways U5 in the test
Space available
Since the Aiways U5 is likely to appeal to families, particularly in terms of price and space, I of course took a closer look at it. The driver and front passenger in particular have a good amount of space here and something is immediately noticeable on the passenger side: Aiways does not have a glove compartment but instead provides a removable leather bag. Exciting concept. There is also a large storage area under the center console.
Front row of seats in the Aiways U5
The second row of seats also has enough space, even for adults. The space available for all occupants is definitely in the upper class and very commendable. There are USB charging sockets installed in the center console and practical storage nets behind the front seats.
Back row of seats in the U5
Trunk and frunk
The trunk has 423 liters of cargo volume and offers a flat loading area. There is additional storage space under the double floor, including a practical storage box. Ideal for material that does not need to be constantly accessible. But charging cables don’t necessarily belong there, because the Aiways also offers a frunk.
Trunk in the U5 Trunk in the U5
The trunk under the front hood is called a frunk. Aiways has also created a storage area there and in Switzerland this space is being used appropriately. Here you get a juice booster in a matching case for the Frunk charging cradle. A good and successful solution, all of the charging cables can be conveniently stored under the front hood.
Frunk in the U5 with Custom Made Juice Booster Bag
Aiways U5 im Test
I was particularly impressed by the equipment; Aiways doesn’t compromise here. In addition to the large panoramic roof, rain and light sensor, automatic high beam, parking meter, 360° all-round cameras, the premium version tested also offers seat heating and an automatic distance control. What’s exciting is the monitoring of the driver by a camera in the A-pillar of the vehicle. This monitors whether you are paying attention to the road and if you yawn, you are encouraged to perhaps take a short break. I think the system is generally praiseworthy and should help you become a little more aware of the condition in which you are driving. To be honest, I deactivated the feature at some point because the messages were triggered too often and it was rather annoying.
The same applies to some assistance systems in the vehicle; like many Asian manufacturers, the warnings at Aiways are very penetrating and loud. I find this acceptable in tricky situations, but if it’s triggered too often, you turn off certain features. That, again, is not the idea of the thing…
Das Cockpit des Aiways U5.
You quickly notice on the large, central display: Aiways does not have a navigation system in the U5. Instead, the smartphone fulfills this function, a concept that is not new. This offers great advantages, the navigation systems on smartphones are up to date. However, when traveling abroad you either have to download maps in advance or secure a roaming subscription. An acceptable solution for me, especially since the system is also compatible with Apple Carplay. The only downside and really annoying: No wireless CarPlay and so the smartphone always has to be connected to the charging cable for CarPlay to work. However, the smartphone no longer fits into the practical charging cradle in the center console because the cable is in the way.
No wireless carplay and the smartphone no longer fits into the shell with a cable.
This is how the U5 drives
The Aiways U5 was convincing here. Above all, the front-wheel drive does not stand out negatively, as one would first expect. The 150 kW of the electric motor is enough for satisfactory performance and allows the wheels to spin little. What it looks like in winter cannot be assessed with the test in summer/autumn. Of course, the Aiways doesn’t drive like a Tesla that’s very tuned for performance, but buyers will be aware of that. Aiways has brought a well-tuned crossover onto the market that is pleasant to drive. Even at high speeds, the wind noise inside is completely okay.
I find the low weight of the Aiways astonishing, especially the large size and the battery would have led me to suspect that it would weigh over 2 tons. However, the U5 only weighs around 1800 kg, which should also help with good handling. When it comes to the driving experience, my big point of criticism is the low recuperation. Although it can be adjusted in three stages, the differences are hardly noticeable and are too weak even in the strongest setting. Aiways could certainly help with software here in the future…
Aiways U5 in the driving test
Aiways on the fast charger
Of course I also tried the U5 on the fast charger. For this I used the EVTec charging stations from Gofast. I achieved a maximum output of 88kW during two long charging sessions. However, it stays very flat for a relatively long time and only a little before 50% SoC does it drop linearly down to 80% SoC when the output is still around 50kW. There the consumption for me was 33kW. Around 30kWh recharged in 30 minutes, which is acceptable if the charge level is not very low. Not a high performer but enough for the next 150km.
Installing the charging socket on the front left, a front loader so to speak, is an exciting option. The plug is also angled at 90° and therefore, depending on the thickness of the HV cable, some “mucking” has to be done when plugging it in. With snow and ice in winter, I would probably have found better places for the charging socket.
With the Aiways front loader at GoFast
Aiways U5 is (still) charging slowly at home…
The Aiways U5 test car was still equipped with the single-phase on-board charger. That’s all the U5s that have been sold to date, the next delivery will include the usual 11kW charger. This means that in my test I was only able to charge with 3.6 kW on standard 11kW charging stations, so for example charging from 50% to 100% takes almost 9 hours. So I charged in the parking garage at an event in the Kybunarena. I was there for 8 hours and was able to recharge 26.6kWh. The new Aiways U5 will achieve this amount of energy in less than 2.5 hours…
The Aiways U5 still charges AC very slowly
Range
The manufacturer states a range of 410 km according to WLTP. Regular readers of the technology blog should now know that the WLTP ranges are too high for everyday use. With the U5 I had an average consumption of around 23 kWh/100km. With a lot of city and little highway, just around 20 kWh/100km. So realistic ranges are a little over 300km and with a lot of highway driving, like I drove, the range goes down to around 270-280km.
Conclusion on the Aiways U5
Conclusion
The Aiways U5 definitely offers a strong price-performance package. What stood out particularly positively for me was the interior and driving characteristics, despite the front-wheel drive. When it comes to AC charging, the biggest shortcoming will be solved with the new 3-phase charger. I wouldn’t have any concerns with the Aiways U5 for trips with one charging stop, but for trips from Switzerland to the sea with several charging stops, the slightly higher consumption and the DC charging power should be significant.
So if you don’t plan on taking long trips with it often, you should get a more than decent vehicle with good equipment at a great price. The general quality is good, as is the price, so I’m very excited to see how the U5 is received in the Swiss market.
The Aiways U5 is available in the Xcite version from CHF 39,900.