GAC Aion Hyper HT previewed in Malaysia – EV SUV, Tesla Model X-style “falcon” doors, end-2024 launch?

Aion, GAC’s electric vehicle sub-brand, may have taken off in Malaysia with the launch of the Aion Y Plus, but at the Malaysia Autoshow, the company is showing another car that will bring it to new heights. This is the Aion Hyper HT, part of a new crop of Hyper models (a sub-brand within a sub-brand) tasked with lifting this mainstream EV maker further upmarket.

Whereas Aion cars – which include the S sedan and the LX and V SUVs – have rather funky angular designs, the Hyper HT features a sleek, streamlined “coupé” SUV look reminscent of the Tesla Model Y. But the inspiration from the Silicon Valley carmaker doesn’t stop there.

You see, just like the Model X, you can spec the Hyper HT with “falcon” rear doors, replete with hinges near the roof that fold slightly as the doors go upwards, enabling them to open in tighter parking spaces. Measuring 4,935 mm long, 1,920 mm wide and 1,700 mm tall, it’s actually closer in size to the Model X (5,057 mm long) than the Model Y (4,751 mm), although this car is still resolutely a five-seater.

Inside, the Hyper HT features a minimalist cabin typical of many Tesla-aping Chinese EVs, dominated by a massive 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen. The driver environment, however, takes a leaf out of the Peugeot book, with a small steering wheel sitting below an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster. Both run on Qualcomm’s ubiquitous Snapdragon 8155 flagship automotive chip.

Despite its premium positioning, the Hyper HT is only available in rear-wheel-drive form, its single motor producing either 245 PS (180 kW) and 355 Nm of torque or 340 PS (250 kW) and 430 Nm. The zero-to-100 km/h sprint is completed in 6.8 seconds and 5.8 seconds respectively.

Four sizes of battery are available – the less powerful motor can be had with either a 70 or a 72.7 kWh battery providing a CLTC-rated range of 550 km and 600 km respectively. Meanwhile, the high-powered version can be specced with either an 80 or 99.5 kWh pack that can travel up to 670 km and 825 km respectively.

Interestingly, only the more powerful versions have an 800-volt electrical architecture for faster DC charging, with Aion claiming that the Hyper HT can gain up to 425 km of range with just 15 minutes of charging. The 400-volt versions, on the other hand, receive up to 140 km of range with ten minutes of DC charging.

No details on Malaysian availability have been released just yet. However, dealers at the show have let slip that distributor Warisan Tan Chong Automotif (WTCA) may be looking at bringing the Hyper HT in as early as the end of the year. No surprise, given that the car is already open for booking in Thailand with an introductory price of around 1,999,900 baht (RM257,000).

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