If the introduction of new brands to the South African motor industry is anything to go by, our market is experiencing a significant regeneration. In the last three years, Chinese brand representation has grown from a handful to a dozen, with more on the way. As of this month, one of those is GAC, which has brought their GS3 Emzoom to market to compete with the likes of the Mazda CX-30, Omoda C5, and Toyota’s locally built Corolla Cross.
Founded in 1997, “Go And Change” Motor (or GAC) is China’s fifth largest carmaker by volume and has now made its debut in the local market by importers Salvador Caetano, a $70-billion turnover Portuguese firm employing upward of 8,300 people in 43 countries across three continents.
Responsible for almost 150,000 unit sales in 2023, Salvador Caetano knows a thing or two about selling cars and believes that the upward trajectory of compact SUVs in our country bodes well for the potential success of GAC’s GS3 Emzoom.
WHAT IS IT?
Officially positioned as a C-segment SUV (akin to the Mazda CX-30, Toyota Corolla Cross, Omoda C5, and others), you would be forgiven for thinking it is closer to a generously sized performance hatch than to an SUV, considering the attractively aggressive angular design that sets it visually apart from its market competitors. That said, the GS3 Emzoom is specifically targeted at style-conscious consumers who want to stand out from the crowd.
From its sharp lines and eye-catching taillights, sporty rear wing, hidden door handles, and key exterior design touches such as “Laser-eye” split LED headlamps (with 18 LED bulbs), the GS3 Emzoom offers a refreshing take on compact SUV design.
The story continues inside the cabin as well, where ergonomics are particularly good, and several luxury features, such as automatic climate control, electric windows, keyless entry, cruise control, rearview camera with parking sensors, and a 10.25” multifunction touchscreen, are included from the GS3 Emzoom 1.5L T Comfort (R469,900) range entry point.
Two additional models are available from GAC’s 20-dealer footprint, namely the GS3 Emzoom 1.5L T Executive (R499,900) and the GS3 Emzoom1.5L T R-Style (R549,900), and this is where the offering is elevated above the competition.
Firstly, a raft of safety systems come online, including adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking, forward-collision warning, a traffic sign recognition system, and lane-departure warning, among others. The luxury experience is also enhanced with rear reading lights, air-conditioning in the rear, leather seats, and a 7” digital instrument cluster.
Spring for the range-topping derivative, and also get a wireless smartphone charging pad, automatic headlights (with high beam assist) and tailgate, a sunroof, six-way driver seat electric adjustment, ambient interior lighting, hill-descent control, a surround-view camera system, and an R-Style exhaust system.
WHAT’S THE DRIVE LIKE?
We were limited to the halo “Style” model during the launch drive, so we benefited greatly from the luxury experience it offers. That said, all models are equipped with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol mill (producing a substantial 130 kW and 270 Nm) and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission combo, and are rated by GAC to do the zero to 100 km/h run in eight seconds flat.
The GS3 Emzoom’s eagerness to accelerate is immediately noticeable, perhaps even surprising. Although some may consider this a drawback in everyday running conditions, I prefer this almost-instant response when overtaking.
On the road, the GAC performs quite well, if slightly firmer than some competitors. This doesn’t detract from the overall experience, given its sporty appearance, and does make a difference to its commendable road-holding capabilities.
All models also feature six airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control, and stability control, and, notably, the compact GAC’s safety systems are less intrusive compared to some of its Chinese competitors, something we have highlighted as irksome several times before.
LAST WORD
As the number of new Chinese brands increases, South Africans can expect to see a shift in focus from an affordability to a quality perspective. The GAC GS3 Emzoom is an attractive option we believe will be well-received by the buying public as GAC Motors grows its footprint to around 40 dealerships by 2025.
Report by BERNIE HELLBERG JR | Images © GAC SOUTH AFRICA
