We tested the Aiways U6: a well-equipped Chinese SUV coupe that wants to overshadow the Tesla Model Y

The European landing of the Chinese brand Aiways began with the U5, and its second model to reach our market was its older brother: the Aiways U6. After knowing its prices and ingredients, we have already taken control of this 100% electric SUV coupé, and therefore ZERO label arrived from the People's Republic.

This SUV moves in the premium segment and therefore has a less restrained price than other Chinese models that have reached the Old Continent. But it does not exceed 50,000 euros and that is where it stays: it has a single 218 CV version, equipped with extensive equipment and a technological arsenal at the service of safety and comfort

The Airways U6 can be configured and reserved in Spain, although deliveries will not begin until summer. Let's get to know a little more closely about this SUV that wants to stand up to the Tesla Model Y and the company

Spacious, convenient, and comfortable, but not always functional

This Airways U6 borders on the segment of large SUVs: 4.8 m long and not even 2.0 m wide, it has more than ample interior space for any of the seats, including the rear ones.

Even passengers over 1.80 will not hit their heads on the roof despite falling from the third pillar. Neither with the knees on the back of the front seats, leaving a wide gap. In addition, these rear seats are very comfortable (except the one in the middle, which is smaller), as are the front ones, in sports seats with an integrated headrest.

And as for the trunk, it is quite generous thanks to locating the battery on the flat bottom of the car: it holds 472 liters, expandable to more than 1,200 liters if we fold down the rear bench. However, it does not have a double bottom, so its capacity cannot be modulated. And it does not have a tray either, so it forces you to hold the load. It also lacks a front trunk, since the mechanics are housed under the hood.

The cabin of the Airways U6 stands out for being diaphanous thanks to the almost total absence of physical buttons: its nerve center is its generous 14.6-inch touch screen, tablet-style in a horizontal layout, from which practically all of the car's systems are managed. . Which has more pros than cons in terms of usability.

Be that as it may, the perceived quality and design rule in this Airways U6: the finishes are careful and use materials such as leather or Alcantara to cover the door panels or the dashboard, combined with rubbery surfaces that are pleasant to the touch. The feeling as soon as we get on is that we are dealing with a premium and essentially technological model.

At the controls of the Airways U6

There are two screens inside the Airways U6: the one for the instrumentation, narrow and elongated at 8.2 inches, which almost goes unnoticed in comparison to the aforementioned multimedia center that allows you to manage all the car's parameters, as is the case, for example, with the Teslas. So much so that before we put ourselves at the controls they give us a brief but complete briefing so that we know where to find the functions in its many menus.

And it is that, for example, even the adjustment of the seats, with a memory function, is managed from this display. Although, fortunately, in this case, there are physical buttons to regulate them electrically. But in the central tunnel, we only find the gear lever of its automatic transmission, which imitates that of an airplane. To say that despite the design fantasy, it is comfortable to operate.

Very configurable dynamically, but too much prominence for the screen. The Airways U6 has five driving modes: Normal, ECO, Sport, Pedal, and Custom, and all of them can only be configured from the display, as there is no physical control to select them. This makes it necessary to adjust them before starting the march, when we are stopped, since doing so while driving will mean taking our eyes off the road too much.

Although the first four are configured in closed parameters, the Custom allows us to adjust them to the letter: from the delivery power to make it more or less dynamic, through the retention for energy recovery, the air conditioning power, the steering hardness or the force of the brake pedal, among others. All this can be selected in up to three levels to adjust to the needs of a route or driving style, which is really striking.