So far, half of our team’s Grab rides from our hotel to ICE BSD City – home of the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2026 – and dinner spots, have been in the BYD Atto 1.
The renamed Seagull, launched at last year’s GIIAS, is now a common sight in this metropolitan area of 42 million people due to its low sticker price, which starts from the equivalent of RM45k. An EV for the price of a Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) is clearly an attractive proposition to many, making the smallest BYD a true game changer in the Indonesian market.
But Indonesians are not unfamiliar with cheap EVs. The Wuling Air EV, which this writer test drove in Jakarta three years ago, launched with a sub-Rp 200 juta price tag too. But the big difference between the Air EV and the Atto 1 is the latter’s superior usability from having two extra doors. The fact that it’s being used by Grab drivers says it all, even if there’s no way arms can move with three abreast at the back.
Here’s Wuling’s answer to the Atto 1. Launched at GIIAS 2026, the Aira EV is a cute little thing that uses the same template as the Air EV, but with four doors packed into a small footprint. Unlike the Air, Aira sports round lights at both ends for a cute look – the cartoonish image reminds me of the Daihatsu Canbus kei car.
Those flower wheels are 13-inch items; they look tiny, but are actually an inch larger than the rollers on the Air EV that we tested in 2023. Like that car, the Aira’s charging port is in front, but the Wuling logo is no longer stuck on the flap.
The Aira’s minimalist cabin has plenty of nice design touches. Of course, the plastics are all hard, but good design doesn’t add to costs, and the fake stitching on the dash, the punched-in ‘perforations’ on the IP and door cards, and the houndstooth pattern on the fabric seats all follow a theme. Wuling is pretty good at this, and you can see it in the Air EV and Bingo too.
The base spec Standard Range car you see here doesn’t even come with a touchscreen (10.1-inch on the Long Range), so for entertainment, you’ll need to Bluetooth your phone. The audio buttons on the steering’s right spoke and air con knobs are the only controls ahead of the driver – it’s really basic.
The Air EV has its drive selector and power window controls between the front seats – here, P, R, N, D is selected via a steering column stalk and the window controls are on the doors. There are just two speakers and the Standard Range doesn’t even come with keyless entry and start.
But it has four doors, and it’s very cheap. The Standard Range goes for just Rp 155 juta, which is just RM35,089. The Long Range is priced at Rp 175 juta, which is RM39,625 at today’s rates.
Like the Air EV, the Aira is powered by a 40 hp (30 kW) and 85 Nm motor, which sends power to the rear wheels. The SR uses a 16.2 kWh LFP battery while the LR gets a 25.1 kWh unit – CLTC range is 205 km and 301 km, respectively. That translates to around 170 km and 250 km on the WLTP scale, which is not much, but feasible.
GALLERY: Wuling Aira EV Standard Range at GIIAS 2026
