Aion ES 55.2kWh Review

"What more do you want from a car?", asks my friend eventually - seemingly impressed by the silent and comfortable 30-minute ride home after dinner - after we've had a discussion at length about the conundrum that is the Aion ES.

Logically, any 2024 release should be tied up neatly in a bow and ribbon (no matter how big), and come with a certain quantity of bells and whistles. But with the ES (again, we're talking Aion, not Lexus), normal expectations no longer hold. Conventional considerations are immediately thrown out the window; new ones demanding to be rewritten.

Try as you may to skirt around it, any meaningful conversation around the car inevitably brings you back to its price. At a smidge over $130,000, inclusive of COE (in this current COE climate), the Aion ES isn't just the cheapest electric sedan you can buy today. It's also possibly the cheapest car you can buy from an authorised dealer today, period. 

All this begs the question - just how much of the car screams "economy"? 

At more than 4.8m long and over 1.8m wide, the Aion ES is larger than family sedans like the Altis and Avante - and closer in size to something like a Camry 

Quietly different

Gazing upon it for the first time in person, you'd hardly think of this ES as the dream-come-true for a driver on a shoestring budget.

Sure - the car's pricing may cause the mind to immediately categorise it among the likes of subcompact sedans like the Toyota Vios or Mitsubishi Attrage. In reality, however, the sedan - at more than 4.8 metres long - is sized even above the likes of the Corolla Altis or Hyundai Avante Hybrid. In fact, riding on standard 17-inch wheels, it creeps far closer into the sizing territory of something like a Camry or Accord. Consequently, physical presence alone is enough to throw casual observers off its budget-oriented scent.

Aiding things even further, however, is the car's slightly unorthodox styling. 

The car's unusual styling cues are quite understatedly executed; for a 'base spec' car, the ES even comes with proper LED treatment for its head and taillights 

You're instantly pointed to its electric identity by its blunt and rounded and seemingly sealed-off snout. There are also other interesting design cues; note how the black inserts that run towards the rear windscreen appear to elongate the C-pillars. The ES even puts its nice little spin on the light-bar trend at the rear, with its 'split' taillights. 

Speaking of the latter also brings us to a crucial note. Lighting is arguably the first telltale sign of a 'base spec' car - which is still marked out by halogen lamps in today’s day and age. Instead, however, the ES gets proper LED head and taillights. In other words, this well supersedes your typical entry-level offering.

Bare-bones on the inside?

The same, however, cannot be said of the ES's interior - which is where most of the cost-cutting should become apparent. 

Where most EVs today are keen to put on a tech show for their drivers, the ES sticks instead to a digital-analogue mix for its instrument cluster - that feels mismatched to a car powered by electricity. Your battery percentage isn't even displayed in digits, but in a 'fuel gauge'-like bar. In all, it's an experience you'd expect to have gotten on an older combustion-powered car.

The car's digital-analogue instrument cluster feels rather dated - down to the unintuitive manner in which it displays the battery percentage - while the 8.0-inch touchscreen's biggest flaw (arguably) is it lack of Android Auto/Apple CarPlay support

The sensation of datedness only continues with the car's 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, whose most glaring flaw - apart from feeling sluggish - is its complete lack of Android Auto/Apple CarPlay support. Likewise, the glossy-black touch panel for A/C controls is let down by its slowness to respond, and feels cheap. Elsewhere, even non-audiophiles are likely to find the car's two-speaker system feeble.

That's not to say that the ES doesn't come with its own creature comforts, though.

In spite of the rather austere atmosphere created by the dark interior, one might be pleasantly surprised to find that there are actually some squidgy materials on the dashboard and door armrests. Also likely to be surprising - and very welcome - is the fact dual-zone air-conditioning is offered as standard.

Dual-zone air-conditioning is offered as standard on the ES, while the rear bench is also treated to its own air vents 

Furthermore, to focus on the first row of the ES alone would be to do its cabin injustice, because it's in the rear where things get a lot better.

On the note of air-conditioning, rear passengers have it very comfortable since they not only get rear air vents, but also a generous amount of leg and headroom to stretch out thanks to the car's tall roofline and long wheelbase. The cabin's airiness is amplified further with the car's large windows.

Rear passengers are likely to enjoy the ES very much thanks to the amount of space on offer (as well as the clever recessing of the floor). The ES also offers good practicality with its decently-sized boot and knockdown rear seats

One particular praiseworthy quality here is that the floor is slightly recessed, so passengers don't feel like their knees are raised unnaturally - as is often the case with many other EVs with the batteries lying underfloor. Whatever gripes one might have at the front, it's unlikely these will be transmitted to the second row.

The cherry on top is that the ES is quite practical too. Pop its trunk open (although frustratingly, this is only possible via the keyfob or a button up front on the driver's side), and one will find a well-sized 453-litre boot. Transporting longer items won't be a problem either, since the rear bench can be folded down in a 60:40 configuration. 

On the go: Leisurely and refined 

The ES is powered by a single electric motor that sends a maximum of 100kW (134bhp) and 225Nm of torque to the front wheels.

On paper, the car isn't quick. Its 12.1 second century sprint is bested by virtually every other family sedan on the market today. And truthfully, you'll need to put the car into Sport mode to wring out those figures mentioned above from its electric motor.

Still, numbers don't tell the full story of the experience. 

Although not particularly zippy, the ES delivers surprising refinement on the go

An electric motor will always have the edge in terms of instancy, smoothness and linearity - and the ES certainly delivers on all those fronts, especially when moving off from a standstill. When the lights turn green, you'll still find yourself pulling ahead quite easily of other drivers. 

Even better, however, is the fact that the ES doesn't feel like it's out of breath when you're pushing it into highway speeds - which it holds with remarkable ease. Also remarkable is how stable it consistently feels. Enhancing these qualities are its excellent ride quality and superb cabin insulation, both of which handily mask the sense of speed when you're on Lane 1. 

The driving experience is marred slightly by one particular aspect: The car's steering feel, which tips just a bit too much into both lightness and vagueness to inspire good confidence (or indeed, pleasure). It's a slight shame considering that the car feels decently planted around bends - no doubt helped by its batteries lowering its centre of gravity. 

Driven sensibly, achieving close to 350km on a full charge shouldn't be an issue on the ES. Meanwhile, its architecture supports DC charging at up to 100kW, with which its battery's state-of-charge can go from 20 to 80% in just 35 minutes 

Nevertheless, as an electric sedan, the ES excels in terms of energy efficiency. Aion states that the car's 55.2kWh battery pack is capable of up to 364km of WLTP-rated range - not too bad, by the way, for its small-ish size - and a consumption figure of 6km/kWh. With our driving patterns, we were on track to best those claims with a figure of 6.5km/kWh, and would have achieved well over 350km on a full charge. 

On that note, putting charge back into the battery isn't too difficult either. The ES supports DC fast charging at up to 100kW, which will send its state-of-charge from 20 to 80% in just 35 minutes.

A unique, singularly budget-oriented proposition

A house built on firm foundation, and with a solid shell, is hard to topple. 

In many ways, that sums up the Aion ES. You get the sense that with the right sort of equipment list - a digital dash, a snazzier infotainment setup, better speakers and er, electronically folding side mirrors - this would immediately be a more attractive car. Even with, say, $10,000 added to its price tag, it would still be handily undercutting a lot of the competition today. 

Again, at a whisker over $130,000 in this current COE climate, judging the Aion ES by conventional metrics is rather unfair. Much of its 'bare-bones' quality seems impossible to justify in 2024 - until one remembers that even compact electric hatchbacks (by fellow Chinese carmakers too) are retailing at a good $20,000 more. 

Despite lacking in material flair, the Aion ES's unabashed embrace of its purpose as a Point A-to-B vehicle - as well as its unbeatable price point - still give it a unique and convincing proposition in today's COE climate 

That the car is so candid about its budget-oriented nature is hard not to appreciate - and in fact, oddly comforting to a certain degree. The Aion ES feels like it's been intentionally stripped bare(r) for superlative economy, instead of masquerading as something more premium. (In fact, authorised dealer VINCAR EV itself is clear that the model is likely to appeal more to fleets - although we understand some private buyers have also been won over.) This honesty is refreshing - and even quite alluring.

Given how insanely car prices have risen, it's fair for drivers to want to seek more than a mere Point A-to-B quality from their cars. At the same time, however, it's worth pointing out that for those who simply need a set of wheels, the ES effectively has no direct competitors at its price point. It does this, too, in a generally solid mechanical package that's not only arguably stylish, but also spacious and comfortable. 

That in itself makes a second look worth it - and makes the ES compelling it in its own right. 

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