Chinese newcomer Aion will challenge the Volkswagen ID 3 and MG 4 EV with the UT, an electric hatchback priced from less than £30,000.

Due in showrooms from October, it officially offers 268 miles of range and can be charged from 30-80% in 24 minutes.

It's powered by a front-mounted electric motor with 204bhp, giving a 0-62mph dash time of 7.3sec.

Designed in Milan, Italy, the UT is slightly longer and wider than the ID 3, owing to Chinese buyers’ demands for interior space.

GAC-owned Aion has previously described it as “China’s version of the Mini”, owing to its small footprint and upmarket aspirations.

As with the larger Aion V SUV (the brand’s debut model in the UK), the interior goes big on digital touchpoints, with a 14.6in infotainment touchscreen and an 8.8in instrument display.

In Chinese-market examples, the front seats can be folded flat to form a bed-like arrangement with the rear bench – although it remains to be seen whether this functionality will be offered in the UK. 

Aion claims the UT will offer “high-quality materials” for the class. For example, its windowsills are moulded to give the impression of stitched leather, despite being plastic, while the backing of the doorcards has a geometric finish that mimics carbonfibre.

The UT will be offered in a single trim level, but there will be an optional package that adds luxuries such as ventilated front seats, a panoramic glass roof and a powered tailgate.

Aion said it has tweaked the UT’s chassis to suit pockmarked British roads, creating a different set-up for the springs, dampers, bump-stops and anti-roll bar compared with European and Chinese examples.