First look inside the Aehra Impeto as VIP SUV’s name is released
The US-Italian brand will bring plenty of style to the all-electric luxury coupe-SUV segment
Gaining entry to the VIP section of the electric SUV market isn’t easy, especially for a new brand, but Aehra is hoping it will get past the bouncers with the new Impeto. Initially called the ‘Aehra SUV’, the Impeto is expected to hit the market in 2026, priced at around £157,000.
The Imepto was scheduled to begin testing on the road in 2023, after its original unveiling in late 2022, but it appears to have been delayed. The SUV will sit alongside the new Aehra Estasi saloon, the two models sharing plenty of technology and design at a similar price point. Aehra claims the Impeto name comes from “the emotion of ‘impetus’”.
The exterior of the pre-production car doesn’t look to have changed in the latest images, although the interior certainly has. The full-width dashboard display screen has been replaced by a more conventional portrait-orientated touchscreen with readouts for drive modes and vehicle condition. The dash has been restyled with more prominent air vents and there’s a new driver’s screen too. The oblong-shaped steering wheel has been retained, however - this time featuring Aehra’s new badge. A party piece of the Impeto are the four top hinged doors which also come with touch-sensitive panels in place of door handles.
With a wheelbase of 3,025mm and a flat floor, the Aehra is said to offer enough space for five tall adults, with both four and five seat layouts available. The front and rear seats can recline and passengers are greeted by an enormous screen that spans the base of the windscreen, which includes speed, navigation and climate information during normal driving.
Powertrain, battery and range
Aehra has previously said it was looking for a battery capacity of 120kWh in the SUV - which would make the unit one of the largest available in a production electric car. It will power three electric motors - one on the front axle and two on the rear - providing up to 805bhp and a sub three-second 0-62mph time. Despite the large battery, charging should be up with the fastest in the EV world with plans for market-leading 925V architecture to recharge at a rate of 350kW - meaning a 10 to 80 per cent top up should take 15 minutes. Range has been indicated at 497 miles - the same as the Estasi.
The same platform and battery will also feature on the Estasi, which will also offer the same lengthy three-metre wheelbase. The SUV sits on a monocoque body with carbon-fibre used in its construction and Aehra says this will offer "exceptional agility and driving pleasure". A kerbweight of under two tonnes was being targeted for the SUV, but Aehra claims the Impeto will sit at 2,300kg (around 2.2 tons). Despite the size of the vehicle, its drag coefficient is just 0.21. To put that into perspective, the longest range electric car on sale is the Mercedes EQS saloon which has a drag coefficient of 0.20.
Sustainability is a key driver, says Aehra, and the structural components of the SUV and upcoming sedan will be able to be recycled up to 5 times, with non structural elements potentially being used further. Both cars share 70 per cent of components as well, keeping costs down. Aehra is looking to produce 20,000 to 25,000 units of each car once production is underway.
Following on from the saloon model, a 2+2 sports car is even being planned - utilising the shortened version of Aehra’s modular platform.
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