Gradually, Chinese brands are starting to reach the national market and after Maxus, it's time for airways , which arrives in Portugal next year
The representation of Aiways in Portugal and Spain will be in charge of Astara (formerly Bergé Auto), that is, the same company that already brought us the (also) Chinese brand of commercial vehicles Maxus and which is responsible for the presence of Fuso here, Isuzu, Kia and Mitsubishi.
The first Aiways model to arrive in Portugal will be the U5 electric SUV, scheduled for launch in April 2022. This will be followed by the 100% electric Aiways U6 «coupé» SUV.
An ambitious expansion plan
In total, the Chinese brand should be present in around 10 dealers in the Astara universe network in Portugal.About this launch, Jorge Navea, Executive Director of Astara said: “We are extremely pleased to represent an innovative brand of 100% electric vehicles like Aiways (…) the Aiways U5 is the perfect candidate to introduce these vehicles to a wide range of court hearing".
The first SUV to reach the national market, the Aiways U5 will be sold in a total of nine European countries: Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland.
Alex Klose, Executive Vice President of Operations at Aiways.We are quietly but confidently building a strong presence across Europe. We are in a good position to offer affordable yet high quality eco mobility (…) Every year we will launch a new Aiways model in our markets.
the ways
Founded only in 2017, Aiways was the first Chinese brand to introduce an electric vehicle to the European market, with the 2020 launch of the U5, an electric SUV that the brand produces in Shangrao, China.
The U5, despite being a «newbie» in the market, is part of the list of candidates for Car of the Year in Europe in 2022 (Car Of The Year). Measuring 4.68 m long, 1.87 m wide, 1.70 m wide and a luggage compartment with 432 liters capacity, it is part of the C-SUV segment.
Energizing the first Aiways model sold in Europe is an electric motor with 140 kW (190 hp) and 315 Nm. Powering it is a 63 kWh battery that offers, according to the brand, 400 km of autonomy .
As for charging, the Chinese brand advances that in a fast charger it is possible to replace between 30% and 80% of the battery capacity in just 27 minutes.
As for the Aiways U6, it was unveiled in 2020 still as a prototype (with the U6 ion designation) — it should have been shown to the public at the canceled 2020 Geneva Motor Show — and its pre-production kicked off last May, with production starting still during 2021.
