GAC GS8 GE 4X2 Premiere

FIRST DRIVES

NEW CARS TESTED AND RATED

GAC GS8 GE 4X2 PREMIERE

There’s no denying that Chinese brands have gained a foothold in the local market and are here to stay. They have come a long from their first entry into the Philippines a little over a decade ago. Despite a good majority of filipinos purchase choice dictated by budget, we are by nature, a finicky, brand loyal culture, basing our choices on reputation. Often shying away from new brands without so much of a track record, unless a Tito can vouch for the quality of a new brand, we probably won’t give them the time of day. And that’s one of the biggest obstacles that Chinese brands have to deal with here in the Philippines. So are the motoring media your stand-in Tito who will make that recommendation? Well, if the shoe fits…

GAC, which is short for Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. entered the Philippines in 2018 under the exclusive distributorship of Legado Motors, Inc. at a launch graced by the President Duterte and Hollywood movie star Steven Segal. Remember that him?

Well, GAC has your standard line up of models for the different local market categories and we got to try out their Flagship, mid-sized SUV, the GS8.

BIG ON THE OUTSIDE

When you first see the GS8, you’ll probably do a double take on how big it is, perhaps due to how wide it looks compared to it’s mid-sized competitors. GAC stuck to typical SUV proportions and lines, maybe not bothering to “reinvent the wheel” as it were. Looking more like a full sized SUV with a silhouette similar to that of other Japan ese full sized SUVs, you’ll imagine it’s probably more luxurious inside, and it is.

Up front, you’ll see there’s quite an amount of chrome trim, there’s grille, the lip of the bonnet and around the fog lights just enough to give it a luxury/ executive feel. There’s also a brushed aluminium faux bash plate on the underside of the front and rear bumper. You’ll see the prominent LED DRL’s around

the projector HID Auto headlights with Follow me Home function and alarm for headlights left on.

On the side, only the A-pillars are painted with the rest blacked out to the rear to give it it a floating roofline. There’s also chrome trim on the opt and bottoms of the windows and a brushed aluminum roof rail. Around the back, there’s the illusion of a wrap around rear window. And on each side of the tailgate are square LED tail lamps, a rear LED fog lamps and an LED 3rd brake light.

POWERPLANT

Under the hood is a Euro 5 compliant turbocharged 2.0L gasoline engine that puts out 199Hp at 5,200 rpms with 320Nm torque between 1,750 – 4,000 rpms mated to a smooth shifting 6-speed automatic transmission.

INTERIOR

Getting into the GS8 is easy, with the (large) key fob in your pocket, approach the SUV and when you get near, the doors will unlock and the side mirrors will unfold with one beep of the horn. When you step out of the vehicle and walk away, the side mirrors will fold, you’ll hear the doors lock and then two beeps of the horn.

The interior of the GS8 is luxurious, with leather seats all around and a leather wrapped steering wheel with controls for the entertainment system and cruise control. Both front seats are power adjustable, the second row are 60/40 split and are slide adjustable while the third row are 50/50 split and fold flat.

Passenger comfort is assured by its three zone air conditioning, one–touch up and down power windows for all doors and there’s also a power sunroof. The vehicle we tested was fully tinted, but in stock form, it’s equipped with privacy glass or tinted glass from the rear doors all the way to the rear. Interior lights have a small form factor and effectively illuminate their zones.

SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE

The GS8 has front dual airbags, there are also front side airbags, curtain airbags, 3-point seatbelts for all 7 occupants, child safety door locks and ISOfix child seat anchors. It’s also equipped with Electronic Stability Program (ESP), hydraulic brake assist, hill-start control (HHC),

hill-down assist control (HDC), electronic parking brake (EPB) system with auto hold. Standard is the Theft Deterrent system, Engine Immobilizer, Reverse Camera, 8 front and rear parking sensors and crash automatic unlock.

WHAT WE THINK

After having checked the GS8’s measurements, at 1910mm, it is wider than other mid-sized SUV’s which average about 1850mm and that explains it’s roominess. It’s ride is more comfortable than most of it’s competitors as I mentioned earlier, as it feels and rides like a full sized SUV. Interesting, it has an ECO drive mode which stifles throttle response aiding you in being more fuel efficient and also makes for smoother acceleration from a full stop, but when you gun the gas, this seems to get over ridden. There are also different terrain modes too, but you’ll probably not need this feature here in the Philippines. Having driven in the city and out of town, we found ECO or Normal mode won’t leave you wanting.

The GS8 GE 4X2 Premiere is the entry level variant priced at PHP1,780,000. Compared to similarly priced variants of its competitors, it turns out the GS8 might be a good choice as it’s better appointed and has a better ride. Don’t take my word for it, go and sit in one and take it for a test drive, do the same with it’s competitors and see for yourself. The GS8 makes a good case for itself, and is a good value proposition. Since GAC and the GS8 is new in the market, and you don’t have a Tito to recommend it, we suggest you take a hard look and think about what you’ll get for your P1.8M between the GS8 and other brands. NEIL PAGULAYAN

GAC GS8 GE 4X2 PREMIERE AAAAB

Price PHP 1,780,000 Engine Turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder Power 199hp @ 5,200rpm Torque 320Nm @ 1,750-4,000rpm Transmission 6-speed AT Fuel Tank 66 liters Capacity