EQS Sedan

Segment
Sedan

The Aehra SUV made its official debut in early November, but unlike most car companies, Aehra didn't have much to say. It has been drip-feeding information to stay in the news cycle, and this week it's all about the interior.

Thankfully, the all-new Italian manufacturer went to great lengths to Americanize its press release. According to Aehra, the SUV is large enough to accommodate four full-size NBA players. When it arrives in the USA and can't fit four Shaqs, we're calling BS.

This impressive claim is made possible by a 118-inch wheelbase and a fully flat floor on a skateboard platform. It also allows more room for several configurations and next-level interior entertainment technology.

The wheelbase is not that impressive. It is, for example, a full eight inches down on the Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan. Aehra's secret appears to be the previously mentioned flat floor and mounting the rear seats as far back as possible. Even so, the layout doesn't have a drastic effect on the trunk, but those particular figures have yet to be released.

One of the highlights of the interior is the full-dashboard-width Human Machine Interface (HMI). When driving, the screen sits lower to be less distracting while displaying valuable driving-related information. The outer areas of the screen also function as virtual exterior mirrors, which likely won't be legal in the USA.

When the vehicle is stationary, the screen can be extended upwards to create a home theatre or office space. It's an impressive screen but still smaller than the BMW Theatre Screen in the new 7 Series and i7. The reigning champion remains the 32-inch display in Buick's GL8 Century family van.

"From the outset, the Aehra SUV, and the Saloon that we will unveil early next year, were designed as true products of the digital age to reflect and accommodate our customers' modern and busy lifestyles," said Aehra Chief Design Officer Fillippo Perini. "With the screen fully extended, the occupants can relax and enjoy a movie, perhaps when the car is charging or when a parent is waiting to pick up a child from school or a party.

It also works for business people on the move. The screen is perfectly set up for video conference calls. Instead of using a smartphone with poor sound quality, you can use the high-definition display and a high-end sound system.

There's also a secondary screen mounted in the center of the hand-stitched leather dashboard. Aehra says this screen allows both front passengers to control functions like navigation, heating, ventilation, and infotainment. Hopefully, Aehra borrows Tesla's Steam integration idea because that would make charging time fly by.

Unfortunately, Aehra chose to equip the SUV with a yoke steering wheel. It's adorned with an Italian flag and a small digital strip that provides the driver with the most critical driving information. Mercifully, unlike Tesla, the top part of the steering wheel is included as standard.

In an earlier press release, Aehra announced that the sedan (could the Italians not have come up with a better name?) has a 120 kWh battery and a total power output of around 800 horsepower. The SUV will likely share this powertrain, which is why it needs carefully designed seats.

According to the Italians, the seat designs were inspired by the items you'll find in supercars. They will sufficiently support all occupants if the driver decides to unleash the 800 electric horses.

The seats are constructed from aluminum, recyclable carbon fiber composite, and leather. Thanks to the generous rear legroom, the rear seats can also recline far enough to allow for some sleep on a long journey.

So far, Aehra has been self-funded, but it's now busy with an aggressive campaign to find external investors to hit its late 2025 delivery date. Aehra's products will be exported to several markets, including North America.