2026 AION V

Carwow, Auto Express and The Car Expert all flag the same core weakness of the UK AION V: a bright, quick 14.6-inch touchscreen that hides too much. Frequently used functions sit behind long scrolling menus with odd, poorly translated labels, the main sub-menu column is positioned on the passenger side so the driver reaches across, and small fonts force you to look away from the road. A permanently visible translucent airbag-status widget can only be dragged around, not dismissed. There is no reported hardware failure — the infotainment head unit is a software-polish problem, and Aion keeps revising behaviour via dealer and OTA updates.

Symptoms: Climate, seat or drive-mode settings need two or more menu layers to reach, Menu labels read oddly or appear mistranslated on a UK car...

Est. repair cost: £0–£120 (dealer software update or diagnostic time; hardware replacement unlikely)

The UK V is saddled with the Euro NCAP-driven assist suite switched on by default, and testers found it intrusive: Auto Express reported speed-limit recognition that beeps whenever you cross a sign, driver monitoring that scolds you for legitimate glances, and no way to permanently switch many systems off because they reset at every start. Parkers' long-term team found the driver monitor decided it was distracted while driving normally and bonged repeatedly through the first mile. There is no recall recorded against AION at the DVSA — it is a calibration grievance that dealers address through settings and updates.

Symptoms: Warning bong when you glance at a mirror or the centre screen while driving, Speed-limit alert sounds the moment you pass a new zone...

Est. repair cost: £0–£120 (settings/firmware at dealer; no parts)

Ride calibration is the most consistent mechanical criticism. Carwow found small sharp imperfections and bridge expansion joints send a shudder straight through the cabin; Auto Express heard a surprising thud from big potholes despite the tall tyres and reported that pre-UK Australian cars were criticised for a crashy ride, bottoming on bump stops and an under-damped rear axle before Aion re-tuned the chassis for Britain; Parkers and CAR both rated the low-speed ride busy over undulating town roads, although motorway refinement is good. Treat it as a geometry-for-UK-surfaces problem, not component failure — but inspect the dampers on any used car that has been hammered over potholes.

Symptoms: Sharp shudder through the floor over expansion joints and drain covers, Rear end thumps down heavily on speed cushions...

Est. repair cost: £0 under the 8-year warranty; £250–£450 per damper replaced privately once covered

Parkers and CAR Magazine both found the V's friction brakes bite harder than expected when creeping up to junctions, in every one of the three touchscreen-selected regeneration settings, making smooth stops a learning exercise; CAR reported the grab persisted regardless of regen choice, and The Car Expert judged the claimed three regen levels barely distinguishable with no true one-pedal mode. For a UK buyer it means a car that needs a light foot in stop-start traffic, and on used examples you should check the friction-brake condition since the grab encourages more conventional braking than in most rivals.

Symptoms: Jerky, nose-down stops when creeping to a give-way, Little noticeable difference between the on-screen regen levels...

Est. repair cost: £120–£260 for a front pads-and-discs set at an independent EV-savvy garage

None of the UK testers hit the official 317 miles. Carwow measured an average 3.2 miles/kWh on its mixed test route (about 260 miles, more realistically 3.5 mi/kWh), CAR recorded 3.5 mi/kWh over a week for a shade under 265 miles, and Parkers' better 3.7 mi/kWh still lands near 280. The 75.3kWh LFP pack charges fast at 180kW (24 minutes, 10–80%) and there is a heat pump as standard, so this is consumption physics from a 1,880kg SUV rather than a fault — but winter motorway range and topping-up plans should be budgeted accordingly, and as at late 2026 Aion had not announced plans to absorb the government EV grant the way some Chinese rivals have.

Symptoms: Displayed range falling faster than the trip miles during motorway runs, Around 260–280 miles achievable in real UK conditions, not 317...

Est. repair cost: £0 to fix; expect roughly 15% more kWh per mile than the WLTP figure implies

Practicality quirks rather than faults, but they annoy UK owners and were flagged across the press: the V has no glovebox at all — just shopping hooks in the footwell — and no covered storage anywhere, which Parkers noted is a security issue for valuables left in view. The boot parcel shelf is a flimsy Velcro-and-roller hybrid that Carwow called a pain to refit (with exposed screwheads per Auto Express), the centre-console tray is shallow enough that a bottle rolled onto the wireless pad (Parkers had a spill), and the rear bench splits only 60/40. Inspect these items on a used car; they break or go missing.

Symptoms: No lockable or covered storage cubby anywhere in the cabin, Parcel shelf flexes, rattles or refuses to seat in its runners...

Est. repair cost: £0–£60 for organiser trays, a non-slip mat and replacement shelf clips

Parkers found it very easy to spin the V's front wheels pulling away hard from a standstill, and Auto Express noted the front axle overloads quickly if you are eager with inputs on a country road. The 240Nm single-speed front drive is modest by EV standards but arrives instantly, which on UK salt, slush and cold tyres means traction-control intervention and faster front-tyre consumption on 19-inch wheels. It is a calibration trait shared with the UT rather than a repairable fault, but it directly hits running costs.

Symptoms: Tyre chirp or ESP cut-in on brisk pull-aways from junctions, Front tread worn harder on the shoulders than rears at two years old...

Est. repair cost: £140–£260 per replacement 19-inch EV tyre fitted