Aion starts presales of new marque Hyper's first model

Chinese carmaker GAC Aion started presales of the first model under its new marque Hyper in Shanghai on Sunday, two days ahead of the Shanghai auto show.

The Hyper GT is available in five variants, and one of them is compatible with battery swapping technology. They are priced from 219,900 yuan ($32,002) to 339,900 yuan.

Built based on Aion's AEP 3.0 platform, the one-motor rear-wheel-drive version can generate a maximum output of 250 kW and a top torque of 434 Nm. A dual-motor version will be available as well.

Featuring a sporty design that cuts its air drag coefficient to 0.197, the model can finish the zero to 100 km/hour sprint in 4.9 seconds. The model is slated to hit the market in June.

Aion said the marque targets at tech-savvy young car buyers, and all its models will feature the latest technology from the carmaker. The marque is expected to take on rivals including Tesla.

It will build an independent sales network for the new marque, which is expected to cover 350 dealerships by the end of the year.

Aion unveiled the Hyper marque in 2022. As one of the most popular EV makers in China, Aion saw its sales increase by 97 percent year-on-year to 40,016 units in March, bringing the total to 80,308 vehicles in the first three months of 2023.