GAC Aion V Luxe: 510km range, 180kW charging, and a fridge for $50K

The GAC Aion V has landed in New Zealand, and almost nobody has heard of it. That's about to change. This is a 510km-range electric SUV with 180kW DC fast charging, a five-star Euro NCAP rating, genuine leather, an in-car fridge, and a starting price of $49,990. On paper it offers most of what a Tesla Model Y does, for around $20,000 less. So how does it stack up on the road? I spent a week with the GAC Aion V Luxe around Mangawhai and One Tree Point, ran it through a DC charging test at ChargeNet Kaiwaka, and put the efficiency claims to a real-world test. Here's what I found. Pricing (NZ, May 2026): - GAC Aion V Premium — $49,990 - GAC Aion V Luxe — $51,990 - Includes free 7kW home charger Key specs: - 75.26kWh CATL LFP battery - 510km WLTP range (real-world observed ~450km) - 180kW DC fast charging (10-80% in 24 minutes) - 150kW / 210Nm front-mounted motor - 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds - Five-star Euro NCAP (2025) - 8-year / 160,000km warranty Chapters: 00:00 Intro — another new Chinese brand 00:33 Pricing and range overview 01:11 Front walkaround and design 02:18 Battery, charging and range claims 03:42 Boot space and practicality 04:25 Rear seat 05:18 Front seat, genuine leather, massage 05:47 Interior, fridge, no glove box 07:05 Screens, tech and software 08:43 DC charging test at ChargeNet 09:53 On the road — power and performance 11:37 Efficiency and real-world range 12:25 Handling, ride and tyres 13:24 ADAS — the beeps and bongs 15:42 Visibility and refinement 16:00 Verdict Read the full written review at evsandbeyond.co.nz Subscribe for more honest EV reviews from New Zealand. New videos weekly. #GACAionV #ElectricSUV #EVReview #NewZealand #EVsAndBeyond