GAC opens orders for Aion UT electric hatchback, with initial drive-away price under $31,000

Chinese automaker GAC has confirmed full Australian pricing and specifications for its electric hatchback Aion UT, with the entry-level Premium grade starting from $31,990 RRP (before on-roads) – adding to the growing number of EVs priced at the lower end of the market.

Order books are open now, and the brand is sweetening the deal with a pre-order drive-away price of $30,990 for the first 600 customers. That price makes it straight away one of the more compelling budget EV propositions to land in Australia.

The Aion UT becomes GAC’s second BEV model in Australia, joining the Aion V, having only arrived on Australian shores in late 2025.

Both the base Premium and higher-spec Luxury models are powered by the same 150kW/210Nm front-mounted electric motor and 60kWh battery pack delivering a WLTP-rated 430km of range, a good number in this segment where some competitors are still trading in the 300km territory.

The Luxury model is priced from $35,990 before on-roads (or drive away if you are one the first 600 to pre-order before April 9), and adds a powered tailgate, panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade, wireless phone charging and a ventilated driver’s seat.

Pre-order buyers of either variant also receive a bonus 10A portable charger and a 22kW wall charger, which adds an extra $1,500 to $2,000 in value to the offer.

GAC is backing the car with its now-standard 8-year unlimited kilometre warranty, while the Magazine Battery 2.0 pack is covered for 8 years/200,000km. Five years of roadside assistance is included, subject to servicing at one of GAC’s 19 dealerships nationally. First deliveries are expected from Q2 2026.

The Aion UT enters at a time of unprecedented uptake of electric vehicles in Australia, with interest only expected to increase with the rise of oil prices.

Battery electric vehicle sales in Australia accounted for nearly 12% of the total market in February 2026, nearly doubling the 5.9% share recorded in the same month last year.

BEV sales in 2026 so far stand around 50% ahead of the same period in 2025. Thanks to their established presence in the Australian EV market, last month marked the first time China overtook Japan as the largest source of new vehicles sold in Australia.

The small electric hatchback segment in particular is heating up, with the likes of the BYD Dolphin, MG 4 and GWM Ora being the established rivals, and with the Aion UT now joining the fray alongside an incoming MG 4 Urban and the Geely EX2, all expected later in 2026.

The benchmark for outright price remains the BYD Atto 1, which holds the title of Australia’s most affordable EV at $23,990 plus on-road costs. The Aion UT isn’t trying to beat that, instead targeting a slightly more premium rung.

A fair comparison is to the range-topping BYD Dolphin Premium, given the Aion UT’s 150kW motor and 430km of range put it a clear step above the base Dolphin’s 70kW motor and 340km range.

On that basis, $30,990 drive-away for the pre-order Premium is a genuinely competitive number. The wall charger inclusion removes one of the more common friction points for first-time EV buyers, and the 430km (WLTP) range figure gives the UT real-world credibility.

The Aion UT appears to be part of an aggressive local growth strategy from GAC Australia. President Kevin Shu has confirmed plans to bring more than 10 models to Australia over the next five years, with ambitions to grow to 100 dealers nationally by 2030.