The Aion Hyptec HT is a luxury electric mid-size coupe SUV. It’s loaded with features, and looks like the sort of car that will be ideal for you… especially if you are the sort who likes to “Hao Lian”!
Singapore – The Hyptec HT is a mid-size luxury electric coupe SUV. Hyptec, is part of the Aion brand, which is in-turn part of GAC Group or Guangzhou Automobile Group… I swear their branding needs a bit of cleaning up. However one cannot deny that Aion is a brand that has moved quickly.
I first got introduced to the brand with the Aion Y Plus. A compact hatch/crossover/SUV, which was practical, and built for those who were budget conscious. In the same vein, they introduced the ES – an electric sedan, with a footprint which somewhat sits between the Skoda Octavia and its larger sibling, the Superb.
With the introduction of the Aion V SUV, quality and kit saw a positive upward bump, but what was key to its success was its affordability. Well of course with today’s COE prices, the higher-spec Aion V is just shy of $190k. But in the “good old days”, my guesstimates, would see both variants of the V priced under or just skirting above $100k.
Back to the Aion Hyptec HT. According to my opinionated self, to prevent any product confusion, the car should have been given the Hyptec branding alone, much like Lexus… Well, that is because a Lexus is officially a Toyota on record.
Confusion aside, the Hyptec HT is a premium midsize coupe-SUV with a somewhat similar footprint to a BMW X3. The variant here is in full-fat ‘Luxury’ trim, which comes equipped with Tesla Model Y-aping electric gullwing rear doors. But aside from fancy rear doors, and the loud head-turning orange our press car came in, the Hyptec HT’s blob styling looks quite like almost half of the ubiquitous Chinese EVs on our roads today.
Inside
The interior also sees a fair slathering of supple orange Nappa leather, punctuated by black paneling and silver accents breaking the monotony. Occupant comfort is high on their checkbox here, as all seats are heavily padded. The pampering goes further for the HT’s front occupants, as they benefit from massage and ventilation. Paired with the many soft-touch surfaces, the HT’s interior is definitely designed to be lounge-like. At the rear, the seats recline individually. The right-side passenger gets a folding table, while the left, gets a retractable footrest.
At 672 litres, the Hyptec HT’s boot is pretty large, and definitely dwarf’s the Xpeng G6’s 571 litres. Unfortunately, there is no cargo cover, to hide your precious things from peering eyes.
Interestingly, the HT lacks a refrigerator, which is present in the smaller Aion V. If you know how Chinese cars are equipped today, this one feature could sway a potential customer.
The infotainment system is powered by GAC’s X-Soul EE Architecture, which includes voice control for four zones of the car. Apart from some quibbles, the learning curve for the infotainment is not steep at all. Of-course, I’d still like to have some physical buttons at my disposal.
The Drive
I like that Hyptec made the effort to allow for greater customisation of how the HT drives. Instead of presets, they have included virtual sliders for steering weight, accelerator and brake response.
Most important of all, they even allow you to completely remove energy scavenging, which makes for an even smoother drive. On the subject of smoothness, the HT’s insulation is well-sorted, and includes double-layered soundproofed glass on the windshield and on all doors. However, due to the nature of the complex gullwing rear doors, the HT does produce a few creaks, especially around tighter turns.
Engineers have tweaked the chassis enough for the electric SUV to provide more-than adequate road-going confidence. However, it does feel moderately clumsy around faster turns, as it begins to rear some of that inertia from all that weight. But I have to say that the HT is not meant to be a driver’s car, but more of a business lounge for you and your occupants to feel relaxed in.
Those rear doors are flashy
Part of the allure of the Hyptec HT (to some) really, are those flappy rear doors. While they do tongue-in-cheek invoke memories of Matt Trakker’s Chevy Camaro-based Thunderhawk, I can somewhat see their practical side. With a width of 1,920mm, I constantly found difficulty exiting the car whenever I parked it in an indoor carpark. With the rear doors being able to open in relative narrower spaces, they do prove to be a small advantage… I say this while still being stuck in the driver’s seat.
Overall, the HT brings plenty to the table. A well-equipped premium SUV, at a slightly more affordable price tag. Perhaps the gimmicky bit is just not for me.
Text & Photos: Clifford Chow
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Quirky looks | Quirky looks, can be seen as budget Model Y |
| Comfortable interior | Rubber bits on the rear door joints pick up dirt easily |
| Heaps of features | Needs fridge and cargo cover |
Aion Hyptec HT Electric Luxury 83kWh
| Drivetrain | Full Electric |
| Layout | Single Motor, Rear-wheel Drive |
| Motor power / torque | 335hp / 430Nm |
| Battery capacity | 83kWh |
| Efficiency | 18.9kWh/100km |
| Electric Range | 520km |
| 0-100km/h | 5.8 seconds |
| Top Speed | 183km/h |
| VES Band | A1 |
| Dealer | EV Hub |
| Price | S$229,888 with COE and VES |
| Verdict | A wise man once said: “You don’t need flappy flappy wings. But if you have them, they are a great way to “Hao Lian”.” The HT is just one among many well-equipped Chinese premium SUVs out there. You are definitely spoiled for choice, but where it delivers well, is in its comfort, and decently-sorted infotainment. |
