Fancy a free ice-cream and air con? Test drive an Aion V and you’ll get both
Newest Chinese brand in the UK has a tempting offer if you fancy keeping cool in the heatwave – and it’s free!
By Steve Fowler
There are plenty of reasons to take a test drive before buying a new car. Checking whether everyone fits, seeing if the boot will swallow the family’s usual clutter and working out whether you can actually live with all those touchscreen controls are all pretty sensible ones. But free ice cream and a chance to cool down with air con? That is a new one.
Chinese electric car brand Aion is offering a free ice cream and a chance for a bit of cooling air conditioning with every test drive of its new Aion V electric SUV until the end of June, as Britain finds itself sweltering during the latest heatwave.
It is an offer built around one of the Aion V’s more unusual optional extras: the CoolHot box. This 6.6-litre compartment lives in the centre console and can be used as a fridge, freezer or food warmer, operating at temperatures from -15C to 50C.
So, yes, it can keep ice cream frozen on a hot day. Or drinks cold. Or, perhaps more usefully for anyone who has ever brought home a takeaway after a long drive, dinner warm – just maybe not this week.
The CoolHot box comes as part of the Aion V’s £1,495 Premium Pack, which also adds leather seats, front-seat massage and a fold-out table for rear passengers. It is certainly not an essential option, but it is one of those things that could prove far more useful than it sounds once you have it.
Even without the optional box, the Aion V comes with plenty of ways to stay cool. There is multi-zone air-conditioning, ventilated front seats and a full-length panoramic roof with a retractable blind. The roomy cabin should also be welcome when the temperature is rising, especially for families heading away for a summer weekend.
Aion only launched in Britain earlier this month, with the V its first model here. The brand says customer deliveries are now under way, and it plans to have 30 retail sites open by the end of the year.
Jon Wakefield, managing director of Aion Auto UK, said: “We’ve only been on sale for three weeks and have already delivered our first cars to happy customers: they’ll certainly be the coolest drivers on the block during this incredible weather.”
Prices for the Aion V start at £36,450, while the firm is also offering PCP deals from £379 a month over 18 to 48 months at 2.9 per cent APR representative. The electric SUV also comes with Aion’s Great 8 Promise, which includes eight years of warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MOT cover. It is a sizeable ownership package for a new brand trying to win the confidence of UK buyers.
In The Independent’s recent Aion V review, the car earned an 8/10 verdict for its upmarket interior, generous space, impressive standard kit, strong claimed range and long ownership cover. However, the review also found that its ride can feel firmer than expected for a family SUV, so it is worth trying it on the sort of roads you use every day.
The free ice cream offer is available at Aion retailers across the UK until the end of June, while stocks last.