Chinese brands have made multiple attempts in the past to gain a foothold in Europe. Ironically, it is the subsidized rise of the electric car that now seems to open the door permanently to brands from that country. We list what we find after our first tests of the MG ZS EV, Aiways U5, JAC iEV7s and Seres 3.
Aiways U5 – Misguided space king
For the money where you drive a compact crossover with a little range with established brands, Aiways puts the U5 in front of your door, an SUV that is just half a meter longer than a Hyundai Kona. And with a decent range, according to the factory, the U5 comes 400 kilometers on a full battery. In any case, that of that space is correct. In the back seat you can play a game of tennis and in addition to a large trunk, the Aiways also offers space under the loading floor and a frunk to store a charging cable. You do not have to get nightmares from the appearance of the interior, so at first glance the U5 seems like a very nice first attempt. It is in itself, but look a little closer and the difference with brands such as Hyundai or Volkswagen quickly becomes visible. For example, the powertrain of the U5 is considerably less efficient, which means that the range is somewhat disappointing in practice and the charging options are not something to write home about. The U5 only charges on AC power on a single phase. On direct current it is then again with 90 kW.
The chassis does not score above average as well. The U5 drives quite comfortably but also very soggy, which does not benefit the grip. Partly due to the lack of the necessary active safety systems, the U5 also scores only three stars in the EuroNCAP crash test and features such as seat heating are not always standard, while they are just so important for an electric car. The infotainment system also lags behind the standard that we are used to here.
The good news is that Aiways does not let itself be put off just like that. The company recognizes the current shortcomings and promises that the U5 will soon be equipped with support for Apple CarPlay and that the electric motor will be upgraded from 170 to 204 hp for model year 2021.
Aiways U5
Power: 204 hp
Battery capacity: 63 kWh
Manufacturer’s range: 400 kilometers
From price: € 39,950
JAC iEV7s – Rounding down
Where Aiways is at the top of the middle class with the U5, JAC (pronounced Jack) aims at the bottom of that part of the market with the iEV7s. Incidentally, that car will undergo a name change in the short term and will then go through life as the ES2 because an ES4 is approaching. Not only is JAC aiming for the lower end of the market with the size of the car itself, the battery capacity is also smaller than that of most EVs at 39 kWh, while the electric motor with its modest 114 hp has just enough power to meet the national limit. also available after seven o’clock in the evening. In short: the JAC is still aiming for everything under the relatively successful MG ZS EV. Even the price is still below: € 29,900. Of course you shouldn’t expect too much for that money.
Unfortunately, not only the electrical specifications turn out to be modest, the level of finish also scores well below the standard. Cheap plastics, an on-board computer that does not show any useful information about consumption, poor smartphone support: in everything the iEV7s feels like a cheap imitation of what we would call a car. In addition, the range in winter is barely 200 kilometers and charging is even slower than acceleration. Coupled with a chassis that does not excel in straight-ahead stability and the total lack of active safety systems, which also does not bode well for the EuroNCAP, that small € 30,000 suddenly does not seem such a good offer anymore. Certainly not because, unlike the Aiways, for example, the JAC was not developed as an electric car and the battery pack is therefore hidden under the rear seat, so that the headroom is not much. Not the best first impression all in all, but there’s a bigger ES4 in the pipeline.
JAC iEV7s (ES2)
Power: 114 hp
Battery capacity: 39 kWh
Manufacturer’s range: 240 kilometers
From price: € 29,990 (Plus € 450 delivery costs above Breda)
MG ZS EV – Trendsetter
In a way, the reason for this article. The Chinese parent company SAIC already decided in early 2019 to return MG with the ZS to the European mainland, but it became the electric ZS EV that became an unexpected success from the end of that year. The combination of tax incentives and an exceptionally favorable starting price meant for the ZS EV that the crossover fell straight into the addition of butter with its nose. We soon concluded that the ZS EV was in many ways no match for cars like the Kia e-Niro, with a more limited range, unimpressive charging options and performance that did not push the limits with 143 hp. But then again: the competition was even thinner then and the competitors that did exist cost € 10,000 more.
In addition, the MG does not drive spectacularly well, but it is perfectly acceptable, with a comfortable chassis that avoids softness and performance that is sufficient for everyday use. Facilities such as Apple CarPlay are simply available, given the favorable price, the equipment is more than ample and the ZS scores a decent score in the EuroNCAP test. Add to that an acceptable amount of interior space and for the money it’s quite a nice offer. Due to the timing, that translated into a modest sales hit. Incidentally, the question is whether success will continue now that the addition rules have been tightened and competition is increasing. Compelling evidence for the proposition that timing is of vital importance.
MG ZS EV
Power: 143 hp
Battery capacity: 44.5 kWh
Manufacturer’s range: 263 kilometers
From price: € 30,985
Seres 3 – Serious attempt
The latest entry in the list of electric crossovers from China is the Seres 3. It is imported by an association of a number of dealerships across the Netherlands that have united under the name Green Mobility Group Europe. They take it energetically and offer, among other things, a replacement car with a combustion engine for a possible holiday trip. The Seres 3 itself also looks a bit more serious on paper than the JAC or MG. A battery pack of 53.6 kWh, an electric motor of 162 hp and a WLTP range of 329 kilometers lift it above those two and the 3 is also a size larger from the outside, with more interior space as a result. At first glance, the interior also looks a bit higher quality and the Seres has at least a number of basic active safety systems. Moreover, only the most luxurious version comes to the Netherlands and it has six airbags as standard, so good hope for the EuroNCAP.
In practice, a driving range of 280 kilometers appears to be possible under cold conditions and that is very neat. Unfortunately, the Seres also lacks 3-phase charging and the fast charger does not go much further than 55 kW. In addition, the power appears to decrease by a third at temperatures just above freezing point and facilities such as Apple CarPlay are lacking. And there are more rough edges like this. The chassis is only reasonable, the infotainment system quite slow and not always translated well and one pedal driving is not included. Not so bad, were it not that the price of the only available version is € 37,995. That is quite close to what more sophisticated competitors have to yield and then the choice for a Seres suddenly becomes more difficult to justify. Incidentally, Seres also promises that facilities such as 3-phase charging and a smartphone app will become available in the long term. With which we can conclude that the Chinese are indeed coming. But they are not there yet.
Seres 3
Power: 162 hp
Battery capacity: 53.6 kWh
Manufacturer’s range: 329 kilometers
From price: € 37,995