WILD child: GAC Emzoom GS3 1.5T R-Style review

When it comes to the GAC Emzoom, if you’re the sort of person who considers the origin of their ethically sourced merchandise, you may have questions about where it comes from. Firstly, GAC stands for the Guangzhou Automobile Company, and it is the twelfth – yes, number twelve – Chinese carmaker to enter South Africa. It is a state-owned entity in China, and classified as the fifth-largest vehicle manufacturer there.

However, as The South African explored recently, there is genuine concern that due to the rapid influx of affordable Chinese cars, the new-car market might become oversubscribed. Nevertheless, that’s no reason to dismiss the GAC Emzoom right off the bat. Far from it, because – even though it’s a constantly moving target – we’re confident this is the best Chinese car we’ve evaluated yet …

GAC EMZOOM

You’ll have noted several joint ventures (JVs) between established carmakers – think Volvo, Volkswagen, Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover (to name a few) – with ambitious Chinese upstart marques. As a result, the line between what’s a ‘Chinese car’ and not is not so easy to define anymore. The reason for this is purely financial. The Chinese car market has been boom-town for the last two decades and where there’s a market, there’s production. Labour in China is plentiful and relatively affordable. Critically, because it produces cars in right-hand drive, and we have the BRICS arrangement, South Africa has the potential to be one of its biggest export markets.

Genuinely, the GAC Emzoom GS3 1.5T, to use its full title, is the best Chinese compact crossover of its type we’ve driven. Not only is it mechanically sound but it also comes with all the bells and whistles you’d imagine from an ambitious, up-and-coming brand. And yet, it doesn’t wear some bloated price tag for the honour – just R549 900 for a fully loaded do-all. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol motor delivers meaty, hot-hatch-like performance. It produces 130 kW and 270 Nm of torque, to a brilliant thrummy exhaust note.

QUICK AND PRACTICAL

The claimed zero-to-100 km/h performance is 8 seconds, and it feels like it can deliver that figure repeatedly. Fuel economy is nothing to stress about either – 8.0 l/100 km over our test period. Throttle response is excellent anywhere in the rev range (usually a bugbear of some Chinese vehicles). And because the vehicle isn’t too heavy, it reacts instantly to throttle, braking and steering inputs, and the turning circle is excellent for the city, too.

So, the GAC Emzoom is a hoot to drive and surprisingly quick off the mark, but what about the important practical stuff?  Well, measuring 4 410-mm long and with a 2 650-mm wheelbase it has space for five adults and plenty of luggage. And if you fold the rear seats flat it easily swallows up longer items. Where it really shines for the money are its nice-to-haves. We’re talking fully digital touchscreen and high-definition driver’s display. Automatic climate control, LED headlights, wipers and 360-degree view cameras and parking sensors. Of course, there are steering wheel controls and ambient mood lighting for the cabin. But the GAC Emzoom takes it up a notch with one of the better semi-autonomous drives yet.

WILD THING

Adaptive cruise control works seamlessly, even at low speeds. The display in the driver’s binnacle keeps you abridged of how far you have left to the car ahead. And we enjoy the safety element of it showing if your brake lights are activate while on the move. Moreover, the lane-keeping technology keeps you safely dialled between the white lines. Systems of this ilk either steer too much or don’t steer enough, but the GAC Emzoom is well judged, without removing conventional steering feel either.

So, it’s a thumbs-up from us, but there’s got to be a catch, right? Well, to a casual observer, the wild R-Style packaging might dissuade them from taking the GAC Emzoom seriously. Yes, styling is a subjective matter, but there’s precious little subtlety on display here. The orange pinstriped grille and Ginsu knife slashes don’t exactly scream – here through thick and thin. It’s like a team of junior designers were let loose and incorporated every crazy design element they could find.

THE VERDICT

If there was an Automotive Overstyling handbook, the GAC Emzoom wrote the forward to it. Which is a shame, because beneath the fighter-jet aesthetic, orange flashes and slasher-movie angles, it’s a genuinely impressive and refined vehicle. But we’re not writing it off by any means. In fact, we’re quite partial to the 18-inch wheels, twin central exhaust outlets and rear boot spoiler. Because who would’ve thought the Chinese could attain such heights in a short space of time?

You’ve got to acknowledge that the nation is a rising superpower and new entrants like the GAC Emzoom are shifting the market away from traditional values. What the nation may lack in outright talent it is quickly making up for with sheer ambition. The GAC Emzoom is only somewhat hampered by its overconfidence. Once it fixes that with a less challenging design, it will comfortably broaden its appeal.

THE FIGURES

• GAC Emzoom GS3 1.5T R-Style
• Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol
• Power: 130 kW @ 6 000 rpm, 270 Nm @ 1 500 – 4 000 rpm
• Performance: 0-100 km/h 8 seconds (claimed)
• Tyres: 225/55 R18
• Economy: 6.2 l/100 km (claimed/combined), 8.0 l/100 km (tested)
• Transmission: 7-speed automatic
• Price: R549 900

WOULD YOU CONSIDER A CHINESE CAR?

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