Aiways U6

Sharply styled electric SUV shows plenty of promise

- Dirk Branke

WHAT'S in a brand name? In the case of Aiways, it's fairly simple: 'ài' means love in Chinese, while 'ways' comes from the English for paths. When they're combined, you end up with the monicker of this modestly sized Chinese start-up, which was founded in 2017.

Aiways has had at least one false start in Europe already - although Covid-19 didn't help its cause but now it's trying again with the U5 and this model, the U6.

While the U5 is a conventionally shaped SUV, the U6 is a bit more rakish, with a sharp front end, a flat windscreen and a sloping rear. The whole thing is garnished with all kinds of aero elements, which gives it some fussy surfacing in certain areas, but they clearly work; the drag coefficient is 0.248Cd, which is respectable for a 4.8-metre-long SUV.

On board, the cabin feels airy and the rear is spacious, with plenty of room for long legs. Only the headroom is slightly restricted, due to the sloping roof of the swoopier U6's body. Boot capacity is a useful 472 litres, or up to 1,260 litres with the rear seats folded down.