The sell-by date of some Chinese car start-ups recently has resembled the contents of a German supermarket’s refrigerated section, where the sell-by date determines the presence of the products. Hardly came onto the market with big announcements, they disappeared from the scene again after a short time. Borgward is one such example, others flourished briefly at the auto shows in Shanghai or Beijing, only to quickly wither. Aiways has also been counted among these candidates. True to the motto: everything is nice, but a prototype that has been put together can quickly be rolled onto a trade fair stand, but starting series production is a completely different matter.
But the automaker, which was founded in Shanghai five years ago, has taught all doubters a lesson. The Aiways U5 was launched in 2019 and in August last year the Stromer coupé U6 set a new record with around a thousand pre-orders in one day in China. A year later, the order magnet comes to Germany. When looking at the basic technology, one realizes that Aiways wisely does not reinvent the wheel, but also puts the U6 on the MAS platform (More Adaptable Structure). But a start-up, especially an automotive one, would be ill-advised to simply put a new coupé tin hat on the underbody. “We have a center in Munich that only takes care of improving the car,” says Europe boss Alexander Klose.
It will be similar at the Chinese group headquarters in the greater Shanhgai area. It starts with the tailgate of the U6, which swings open further if you wish, so that you can stand underneath it even if you are 1.85 meters tall, and continues with the interior, which has a higher-quality appearance than the U5. Soft leather surfaces and the non-slip steering wheel are further evidence. However, the joints on the steering wheel column and the glove compartment did not fit perfectly in our test car. There is still time to eliminate such negligence before the car is at the dealer in the summer.
The 14.6-inch touchscreen is the infotainment command center. When it comes to operation, however, the technicians overshot the mark. The menu navigation is nested and should pose problems even for those who love details. But one small detail shows that people in Munich don’t just look idly at the sun: in the European models, a virtual button is integrated into the top menu level that restores the last saved settings. The fact that Apple CarPlay only works with a cable, but Android Auto works wirelessly, is mainly because the infotainment software is based on Android.
As part of the improvements, the technicians changed the electrical architecture and significantly reduced the number of control units. Thus, more wireless updates are now possible, which will also satisfy iPhone followers. Especially since the navigation is still done via the driver’s mobile phone, which caused criticism with the Aiways U5, since an electric car has a combination of piloting, remaining range and charging stations on the way. The technicians have also taken on this problem: With the U6, an app called Pump is combined with Google Maps, which accesses the vehicle data and can therefore also recommend charging stations based on the remaining range. However, this solution was not yet integrated into our test car, so we cannot judge it yet.
Speaking of range: the CATL batteries have a capacity of 63 kilowatt hours, which should be enough for 400 kilometers (WLTP cycle). During our test drive, the system still showed 277 kilometers with a battery charge level of 72 percent, which corresponds to a range of 385 kilometers. Pretty neat. Charging does not reach top values with a maximum of 90 kW: After 35 minutes, the energy storage is filled from 20 to 80 percent, if you use the 11 kW charger with alternating current, it takes seven hours from zero to 100 percent.
What we noticed positively at a price of around 46,000 euros is the extensive equipment: Among other things, a heat pump, two-zone automatic air conditioning, heated front seats, a 360-degree camera and a whole arsenal of assistance systems, which the Aiways U6 ahead of competitors like the VW ID.4 and the Hyundai Kona Elektro. These include a blind spot warning system and a lane departure warning system. However, the constant ringing caused by the warning tones from the assistants is annoying. To deactivate it, you have to fight your way through various infotainment menus.
The wheelbase of the Aiways U6 is 2.80 meters, so there is a lot of space in the back of the E-SUV coupé, especially because you can put your feet under the front seats. Despite the sloping roof line, there is still enough space above the head. A gimmick is the large operating lever of the automatic, which is modeled on the driving lever of a yacht: If you turn the handle and stand on the brake at the same time, the gear is engaged. With a weight of just 1,790 kilograms, the Aiways U6 is one of the Stromer lightweights. That’s why the rated power of 160 kW / 218 hp and the torque of 315 Newton meters are enough to accelerate the Aiways from a standstill to 100 km/h in seven seconds, and the electronics drop anchor at 160 km/h. Aiways states the average consumption as 15.9 to 16.6 kWh/100 km, during our test drive the on-board computer indicated 17.8 kWh/100 km.
The well-balanced chassis with the McPherson axle at the front and the multi-link rear axle is one of the strengths of the U6, because it reliably filters out bumps without the body rocking annoyingly. When you have to accelerate quickly from a standing start, the driven front wheels fight for traction. The driving modes Standard, Eco, Sport, Individual and “Single Pedal” (one pedal driving with recuperation) offer something for every taste, although the differences could be a bit more pronounced. The steering is better than that of the U5, but still belongs to the more indirect and less communicative faction when it comes to traction. At higher speeds, the wind noise on the A-pillar or the exterior mirrors is noticeable. So there is still work to be done for the improvement centers.
