The GAC Aion UT went on sale in March for $30,990 drive-away, but the conflict in the Middle East has helped to shift cars quickly, raising the entry price higher. All 600 examples of GAC’s new electric hatchback have sold out in just a few weeks, with the brand attributing the boom in EV interest to both demand and a sharp starting price. The GAC Aion UT was launched in March with an introductory price of $30,990 for the base Premium grade and $35,990 for the Luxury, drive-away.
The first batch of 600 was available at the discounted price until 9 April, with the marque confirming to Drive that it had sold out before the deadline. At launch, GAC executives said that following this period, the start price would flip to $31,990 plus on-road costs, but at the Melbourne motor show, it revealed new launch pricing of $32,990 and $37,990 drive-away for the two variants. “We are confident the Aion UT will be number one in this segment,” said Kevin Shu, CEO of GAC International Australia.
More than 14 per cent of new cars, or 15,839 vehicles, reported as sold in March 2026 were battery-electric as more Aussies made the switch due to the conflict in the Middle East and rising fuel prices. It was a record result, up 42.3 per cent compared to the month prior, and up 88.9 per cent compared to March 2025. “I think to some extent it has some influence, right?
It has to. It’s those people who were sitting on the edge wanting an EV who [were waiting for something] to have gone into the affordability range,” said Andrew Ratajczak, Director of Aftersales for GAC in Australia. “So it’s not [the case] anymore of going, ‘Oh, I really like that, but I can’t afford it’.
MORE: 2026 GAC Aion UT review – Australian first drive “If you put that into context, what’s happening in Australia with the fuel prices going up, even though it’s globally, I think people start to think the value for money is actually pretty good.” GAC now has four vehicles in the Australian new-car market, promising 10 all-new models will launch here over the next couple of years. So far, it has the M8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) people-mover, Emzoom small SUV, Aion V electric medium SUV, and the newly launched Aion UT electric hatch. → Add Drive as a preferred source in Google Search