GAC Aion RT Unveiled in China as Brand’s New EV Saloon

Unveiled in China today is the new GAC Aion RT EV saloon that features up to 650 KM of range.

Chinese automotive conglomerate Guangzhou Automotive Group (GAC) has expanded its EV product lineup today as it launches a new EV saloon under its Aion sub-brand. Cordially known as the Aion RT, this new model is essentially the brand’s new midsize EV saloon contender that is set to go against the likes of BYD Seal and GWM Ora 07, to name a few.

From the official images unveiled in China, the Aion RT adopts a fastback-style saloon body style while retaining some familiar design cues derived from other Aion EV models, particularly those from the Hyper lineup. Key design cues present here include its grill-less front end that features sharp LED headlights and dual side vents, a sleek fastback-style roof with a LiDAR unit at the front, 17- or 18-inch tri-spoke alloy rims, flushed door handles, and slim LED taillights.

Dimension-wise, the Aion RT measures 4,865 MM long, 1,875 MM wide, 1,520 MM tall, and 2,775 MM wheelbase—thus slotting it neatly between the two aforementioned rivals.

On board, the Aion RT gets a pretty minimalist cabin design that features a beige and black colour combination. Predictably, the front dash is dominated by the floating infotainment screen, although drivers get a much smaller LCD instrument panel that hides beneath its two-spoke steering wheel.

Besides the screen, we can also expect the Aion RT to harbour an elaborate list of tech amenities, including a wireless charging pad, a panoramic glass roof, and many more.

China's MIIT revealed that the Aion RT will get two single-motor powertrain flavours.

Similarly, the Guangzhou-based automaker also didn’t disclose many details regarding the Aion RT’s powertrain and battery specs, although China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) revealed that the EV saloon will feature a single electric motor setup with power outputs ranging from 201 HP (150 kW) to 221 HP (160 kW).

Said motor will be juiced by a CATL-supplied battery with an undisclosed capacity, which Aion claims is good enough to provide the RT with up to 650 KM of CLTC range. Thanks to the 400-volt silicon carbide battery technology, said battery pack can be charged from 30-80% in just 18 minutes.

As we mentioned earlier, the Aion RT comes equipped with a LiDAR for its native Chinese market, which works together with 27 external sensors that are all powered by the Nvidia Orin-X platform to provide a high degree of semi-autonomous driving capabilities to this EV saloon. Additionally, the intelligent driving software can also be updated via over-the-air (OTA) software updates.

Pre-sales for the new GAC Aion RT EV saloon are slated to commence later in Sept 26 for its Chinese market, meaning that only by then we’ll get to know more details about its pricing and variants offered. Similarly, no words were also given by the automaker regarding the availability of this EV saloon in markets beyond the Great Wall, but we’d reckon the RT can put some dents on the sales volume of both the BYD Seal and the GWM Ora 07.