The arrival of Chinese cars in Europe is a reality regardless of whoever it is, and proof of this is the number of models that are already available in our market. One of the last to join the game has been the Airways U6, a 100% electric SUV coupé that is already in Spain, has 400 kilometers of autonomy and wants to unseat premium brands with a price of 42,140 euros… if we apply the MOVES III Plan.
And it is that therein lies the trick of the new U6, a car that, without government aid, flirts with 50,000 euros, a margin that many may not be willing to face. However, the people of Airways firmly believe that its second offspring comes with more than enough arguments to be in that price range, being one of them its standard equipment.
The new Aiways U6 costs almost 50,000 euros if we do not apply the MOVES III Plan
At least in Spain, the Chinese firm has launched the Aiways U6 with a single finish baptized as Prime. In other words: there are no more options with which to equip the electric SUV because absolutely everything comes as standard. This translates into equipment made up of a 12.3-inch central screen, rear view camera, full LED headlights, bi-zone climate control and heated front seats with electric adjustments, among others.
If we compare it with an Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron of similar power and autonomy, we find a starting price of 56,870 euros with the access finish. And it is that there should lie another of the key points of the new Aiways U6, in its benefits and autonomy, but is it really so?
In the case of the Chinese SUV coupe, we come across a mechanical scheme made up of a single engine producing 218 hp and 315 Nm of torque. These figures allow a 0 to 100 in 7 seconds and a top speed of 160 km/h, all courtesy of a 61.1 kWh net capacity lithium-ion battery that, under the WLTP cycle, guarantees 400 kilometers of autonomy.
We are talking about the same battery that equips its range brother, the Airways U5. However, it declares 10 more kilometers of autonomy despite having worse aerodynamics. But in his favor he plays a somewhat less powerful mechanic than that of the U6 and, above all, declaring on the scale 70 kilos less than his brother with the body of an SUV coupé.
But where the new U6 falters the most is not in its equipment, design or features, but in its load capacity. And it is that the Chinese SUV is capable of working in DC at a maximum of 90 kW -11 kW in AC-, while most of its rivals admit much higher charging powers, another problem is that these are available in Spain, but that is another topic.
In addition to the fact that the U6 has precisely that problem: its rivals. Although it is true that the Audi Q4 e-tron is considerably more expensive and has a worse price-equipment ratio, the one with the four rings is not the only electric SUV willing to fight with our protagonist. And it is that in the market we can find a Kia EV6 with 228 CV and 528 kilometers of autonomy for 42,220 euros. Another option is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that, with the same power as its cousin but with 480 kilometers of autonomy, It can end up in our garage for 37,610 euros.
