GAC Aion launches Ray 7 pre-sales from $19,160, targeting younger EV buyers

• Ray 7 pre-sales start at 128,800 yuan ($19,160), with a CLTC range of up to 702 km.
• All variants feature Huawei electric drive systems, with LiDAR-equipped versions starting at 138,800 yuan.

GAC Aion, a unit of GAC (HKEX: 2238), opened pre-sales for the Ray 7 on Saturday, with the electric sedan aimed at younger buyers starting at 128,800 yuan ($19,160).

The Ray 7 is available in 5 variants, with pre-sales prices topping out at 158,800 yuan. It is the first model in Aion's new Ray series and the first to feature the brand's redesigned logo.

The pre-sales opening gives Aion a new product to support its push to attract younger customers. The brand announced the Ray series in July and first displayed the Ray 7 in August.

The 5-seat sedan measures 4,960 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width and 1,455 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm. It features fastback styling and semi-concealed door handles.

The cabin includes a digital instrument cluster, a floating central touchscreen, wireless phone charging and integrated front sport seats, reflecting the model's focus on younger consumers.

The car offers 2 main CLTC range options of 530 kilometers and 702 kilometers. All variants use Huawei's DriveONE integrated electric drive system, with a single rear-mounted motor.

The 530-kilometer version is available in Driving Fun and LiDAR trims, with pre-sales prices of 128,800 yuan and 138,800 yuan, respectively. The 702-kilometer version comes in 3 trims priced from 138,800 yuan to 158,800 yuan.

The 530-kilometer variants use a 45.58-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with cells supplied by Aion's Yinpai Battery unit.

The 702-kilometer variants feature a 62.98-kWh lithium iron phosphate battery with cells from CATL (HKEX: 3750), incorporating Aion's magazine battery safety technology.

With the optional high-performance package, the 702-kilometer variants have a CLTC range of 600 kilometers. CLTC energy consumption is 9.7 kWh per 100 kilometers for the 530-kilometer variants and 9.8 kWh for the standard configuration of the 702-kilometer variants.

All variants have a peak motor output of 180 kW (241 hp) and maximum torque of 235 Nm. The 530-kilometer and 702-kilometer versions can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds and 6.9 seconds, respectively.

The 3 LiDAR-equipped variants offer navigation-assisted driving on urban roads and highways, with pre-sales prices starting at 138,800 yuan.

Aion said its driver-assistance algorithms share the same technological foundation as those used in WeRide (Nasdaq: WRD) Level 4 robotaxis.

The LiDAR-equipped variants feature 27 sensors, including 1 192-channel LiDAR unit, 3 4D millimeter-wave radars, 11 cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors.

The top trim, with a pre-sales price of 158,800 yuan, exclusively features Huawei's DriveONE chip-level integrated drive-and-brake architecture and EMB fully electric brake-by-wire system. The other 4 variants use a Onebox integrated braking control system.

The new series arrives as GAC Aion's sales continue to recover. The brand sold 39,667 vehicles in September, up 45.32% year-on-year, marking its seventh consecutive month of year-on-year growth, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.

GAC Aion's sales totaled 283,747 vehicles from January through September, up 56.41% year-on-year.