GAC has shown the Aion UT Cross at the Paris Motor Show, presenting a more rugged-looking version of the electric hatchback that went on sale in Brazil in June. Its Milan design studio developed the variant with unpainted body cladding, roof rails, a contrasting roof finish and new wheels carrying wider 225-mm tires. Ground clearance is up by 20 mm compared with the standard UT, a change intended to help with rough roads, steep ramps and drainage channels.
The Cross keeps the mechanical setup of the Brazilian-market UT Elite: a front electric motor producing 204 hp and 21.4 kgfm, paired with a 60-kWh battery. GAC quotes a 310-km range for the conventional model, but the article expects the Cross’s extra aerodynamic drag to reduce that figure; no separate range number is given. European-market equipment includes a heat pump and a heated steering wheel.
The car measures 4.27 metres long, with a 2.75-metre wheelbase. GAC lists 440 litres of luggage capacity for the European Cross, compared with 340 litres for the standard UT in Brazil. The Cross is due in Europe in 2027, with an estimated starting price of about £30,000 (around R$220,200). In Brazil, the regular UT is priced from R$139,990 for the 44.1-kWh Premium to R$159,990 for the 60-kWh Elite; GAC has not confirmed whether it will bring the Cross there. The company hopes the more adventurous styling will attract compact-SUV buyers, with the Renault 4 and BYD Dolphin named as rivals.