The Aiways U5 has been on the market in the Netherlands for over a year and a half now, but he has never been a guest in this section before. The basic version of the U5 is now clearly visible in the new Aiways configurator. High time to take a closer look at it and see what you get for the starting price of just under 40 grand.
Aiways U5 Standard
€39,950
Aiways is doing relatively good business in the Netherlands. As of its market launch at the end of 2020, the brand has sold more than 430 U5s in our country. That is certainly not bad for a Chinese start-up on the European market. The choice is not very big with the U5. For the time being, Aiways supplies the electric SUV with one powertrain: a 204 hp electric motor that drives the front wheels and is powered by a battery pack with a capacity of 63 kWh. Fast charging is possible with a maximum charging speed of 90 kW. In the U5 Standard, the basic version, this combination is good for a WLTP range of 410 kilometers. The U5 Premium, which is on the price list from €43,850, has to make do with 400 kilometers. This is probably because it is a bit heavier, partly due to the addition of a glass panoramic roof.
All colors for free
At Aiways you can choose between two variants: the U5 Standard and U5 Premium. The U5 Standard can mainly be recognized by the fact that it rolls on 17-inch light metal and has a fixed roof. The LED headlights and taillights are the same for every version of the U5. These are also the three basic colors. You can choose from the Aubergine shown here or check the colors Glacier White and Electric Blue at no extra cost. On the U5 Premium, the last two colors are also available with a contrasting black roof. In that case you pay €835 extra. Furthermore, the Premium rolls as standard on 19-inch light-alloy wheels.
Aiways U5 Standard
To unlock the U5 you do not have to take the key in your hand, because the U5 Standard already has keyless entry on board. The side mirrors are electrically operated, but you still have to fold them manually. To make parking easier, the entry-level U5 already has a 360-degree camera and rear parking sensors. For parking sensors at the front and a parking assistant you have to go to the Premium. An electrically operated tailgate is not yet on the U5 Standard, so you will have to operate it manually. The rear window and the rear side windows are always tinted. If you also want to have the side windows of the rear doors tinted with foil, it costs €299.
No seat heating
Inside the Aiways U5 Standard, the driver is greeted by a digital instrumentation that consists of three screens in front of the driver. In the center is a 12.3-inch touchscreen on which an infotainment system from Aiways itself runs. You can connect your smartphone via Bluetooth or with Apple CarPlay, but integrated navigation is not included. An important difference between the interiors of the U5 Standard and Premium is that the latter has a separate smaller touchscreen on the center console for operating the climate control, among other things. In both variants, this is automatic and can be divided into two zones.
Aiways U5 Standard
What the Aiways U5 Standard does not have is heated seats. That is a missed opportunity for an electric car, because seat heating can contribute to a higher range in the winter. Also, the U5 Standard cannot be preheated remotely. The fabric-covered seats compensate for that somewhat; after all, they feel less cold in winter conditions than (artificial) leather chairs. The fabric upholstery in the U5 consists of two shades of gray with a light blue strip in the center of the seats. Other options are not possible. In addition, the driver’s seat is six-way electrically adjustable. The U5 Premium offers a choice of two leather upholstery colours: cream white and black.
In terms of safety systems, the U5 is quite endowed. Without extra charge, it has adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assistance, a blind spot assistant, an automatic emergency brake and a lane assistant. The U5 Premium can’t add anything more to that.
Apart from a towbar, which costs €1,495, Aiways does not offer separate options for the U5. That is a pity, because the Premium is immediately considerably more expensive than the Standard with an additional cost of €3,900. For that you immediately get a lot of extras, but it does not offer customers who want only a part of the options a lot of freedom of choice. With a starting price of almost 40 mille, the U5 cannot be called cheap, but compared to the basic versions of, for example, the Skoda Enyaq (€42,690) or the Volkswagen ID4 (€45,190), EVs of a comparable size, it still makes a difference.
Prefer a used Aiways U5? The choice is not huge, because at the moment there is only one in our used car range!
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl