GAC Aion V Premium Philippines: P1.598M Electric SUV Review, Specs, and Analysis

The Quiet Family EV Contender That Deserves Your Attention

The sub-P1.7-million electric SUV segment in the Philippines has become a battlefield. Every other week, a new Chinese brand rolls in with promises of longer range, more tech, and lower prices. Most of them end up forgotten within months. But the GAC Aion V Premium is different — not because it has the flashiest marketing, but because it might actually be the most sensible package in the lot.

I spent a week looking at what the Aion V offers, how it stacks up against rivals like the MG S5 EV and XPENG L03, and whether its 75.26 kWh battery makes sense for Filipino driving habits. The short answer: yes, but with a few honest caveats.

Specs at a Glance

Before the numbers, let me say this clearly: the Aion V is not a performance EV. It’s a family hauler tuned for comfort and daily usability. The single permanent-magnet synchronous motor puts out 201 hp and 240 Nm — enough to merge onto EDSA without drama, but not enough to make your passengers queasy. That tuning is intentional.

Pricing and the Current Discount

The Aion V Premium carries an official MSRP of P1,698,000. That places it squarely between the Suzuki e-Vitara at P2.02M and the MG S5 EV, which has been hovering around the P1.45M mark with promos. Right now, select dealers are offering a P100,000 cash discount, bringing the effective price down to P1,598,000 — and that changes the math significantly.

Here is how that stacks up in other currencies at approximate current rates (1 USD ≈ 63.5 PHP, 1 USD ≈ 95.2 INR):

• PHP: P1,598,000 (with current P100K discount)
• USD: ~$25,170
• INR: ~₹23.9 lakh

These are estimates only. The PHP price is the only one that matters locally, but the USD equivalent makes it easy to compare against global reviews. At ~$25K, the Aion V Premium is competing with compact crossovers that cost considerably more in the US or Europe.

What Others Are Saying

CarGuide.PH just published its review of the 2026 Aion V Premium, and the takeaways are worth reading before you book a test drive. The reviewer praised the build quality — “superb solidity” with no rattles even on rough pavement — and the comfort of the front seats, which they compared to lounge chairs. The rear space is generous, and the 60/40 split-recline levers (actual levers, not pull-tabs) are the kind of thoughtful detail that makes you smile during a long drive.

The criticisms are equally honest. The 510 km WLTP range is optimistic; in real-city traffic averaging 16 km/h, the review recorded just 6 km/kWh, which translates to roughly 450 km from a full charge. The suspension absorbs big bumps well but feels floaty over sharp joints, and the steering lacks precision near center. The biggest practical gripe: no glovebox, and the center console’s built-in refrigerator is clever but eats into small-item storage.

Practical Philippine Considerations

City Driving

Manila traffic is where the Aion V’s tuning makes sense. The single motor delivers power gently — no sudden lunges that catch passengers off guard. The 4,605 mm length is manageable in most parking slots, though the 11-meter turning circle is wider than the smaller Aion UT sibling, so tight U-turns in Makati or BGC require a bit more planning. With a 75.26 kWh pack, a week of EDSA commuting without a public charger is entirely realistic for most people.

Long-Distance Travel

Manila to Baguio is roughly 250 km. The Aion V can do that on a single charge with comfort, especially if you keep the AC moderate. The DC fast-charging claim — 30 to 80 percent in about 20 minutes — is achievable only under optimal temperature and charger-output conditions. In real life, plan for 25 to 35 minutes at a CCS2 station. The battery chemistry discussion on this site goes deeper into why LFP packs like this one degrade slower under frequent fast-charging, which matters if you are doing intercity runs every weekend.

Flooded Situations

The Aion V’s 171 mm ground clearance is adequate for typical city floods — the kind that swallow low-bodied sedans on España or Quezon Avenue during a typhoon. It is not a SUV built for wading, though. GAC has not published an official IP rating for the battery enclosure or a maximum wading depth for the Philippine unit, so I would treat deep water the same way I would any other car: avoid it if you cannot see the road surface. The good news is that, like all BEVs, the Aion V has no engine to hydrolock.

High Temperature

The Philippines is not exactly cold. The Aion V uses a liquid-cooled LFP battery, which is the right chemistry for 36–38°C afternoons. LFP cells tolerate heat better than NMC alternatives and are less prone to thermal runaway. The battery management system will throttle charging if temperatures spike, but that is standard behavior and not a flaw. The 14.6-inch infotainment screen and panoramic sunroof look great, but on a 1 PM drive to Tagaytay, expect the cabin to warm up quickly — ventilated front seats would have been nice, but they are reserved for higher trims elsewhere.

Bottom Line

The GAC Aion V Premium is not the cheapest EV in the sub-P1.7M segment. The VinFast VF 3 undercuts it by nearly a million pesos, and the Aion UT starts below P1M. But the Aion V earns its premium with real cabin space, a longer range, and a level of build quality that feels closer to a Toyota or Honda than to typical budget EVs. If you are a small family thatoccasionally drives to the province and wants a single vehicle that handles both without anxiety, the P1,598,000 promo price makes this the most compelling package in its bracket right now.

Just don’t expect it to drive like a sports car. That is not what it was built for.