DRIVEN: The GAC GS3 Enzoom is a refreshing alternative which banishes boring and generic SUV vibes

It seems like every second day there’s a new Chinese SUV on the market, fighting for a slice of a saturated market, but in the end it is a winning game for consumers seeking top value.

The downside is that most of these new offerings come across as somewhat generic, as if someone asked an AI programme to design a new SUV for the year 2024.

You can get out of one and into another, and the overall experience remains rather similar.

But that’s not the case with GAC, whose recently released GS3 Emzoom and Emkoo crossovers actually boast spicy styling, largely matched by the driving experiences, which we’ll get to in a bit.

It’s as if someone went into the office one morning thinking “I really want to create a cool new SUV today”.

The GS3 Emzoom, which we had on test recently, is the smaller of the two, and is available in three versions: Comfort (R469,900), Executive (R499,900) and R Style (549,900).

The Chinese carmaker believes the Emzoom will appeal to style-conscious South African consumers, and it certainly is striking with its razor-sharp body creases, ‘flying mecha’ frontal design and bold rear wing and diffuser, the latter with large dual pipe outlets. The car comes with 18-inch alloy wheels which are standard across the board.

Some might find it a little OTT, but it is refreshing in a sea of generic SUV designs, and those sentiments are only heightened when you crank the ignition.

The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, fitted to all three variants, has a raspy tone that reminds one of a performance hatchback, accentuated further when you press the active exhaust button on the steering wheel, which has to be done in Sport mode to take effect.

It makes for a more entertaining driving experience, but with 130kW and 270Nm on offer it’s not quite what you’d call a performance model. Don’t get me wrong, performance is on the brisk side, and keeping up with fast paced traffic is an effortless experience in this vehicle, but it’s no street racer.

I also found the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to be a little jerky at times while navigating low-speed traffic.

Yet as far as the overall driving experience goes, the Emzoom feels a step above the Chinese norm, and that most certainly applies to the steering feel and ride quality as well. It feels both planted and comfortable on the road.

As for economy, our test car drank 7.3 litres per 100km on a highway run, but you can expect that figure to surpass 9.0 l/100km once some town driving is thrown into the equation.

But is the GAC Emzoom a practical car?

At 4,410mm, its length puts it between a Toyota Urban Cruiser and Corolla Cross, but in a practical sense it is on the smaller side due to its somewhat striking, sloping-roof design. The boot, for instance, is on the small side at 341 litres, beaten by most SUVs in this price class, and rear legroom is adequate at best.

Interior quality is really impressive though, and the interior surfaces and materials look and feel like they belong in a premium class car.

The infotainment screen measures 10.25-inches, and incorporates wireless Apple CarPlay, via the CarbitLink App, as well as Android phone screen mirroring.

The system is relatively user-friendly, and as a further bonus there are physical controls for the climate control system.

Interestingly, all versions come with Type A USB ports upfront but only the R-Style has Type C ports.

The Executive and R-Style models have a 7-inch LCD digital instrument cluster with edgy graphics that match the overall design attitude of this car.

As for standard features, the base Comfort model comes with automatic air conditioning, cruise control, reverse camera, dual front airbags and ESP stability control.

But it is quite disappointing that they can’t offer six airbags at this price point, especially when Mahindra does it at R255,000.

The Emzoom Executive grade adds leather seats to the equation, as well as driver assist gadgets like Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning. It also gains front side airbags.

The range-topping R-Style, which we had on test, boasts a sunroof with electric sunshade, auto tailgate, electric front seat adjustment, ambient interior lighting, wireless phone charger, Surround View camera system and High Beam Assist.

VERDICT

The GAC GS3 Enzoom is a refreshing alternative to the often generic Chinese SUV alternatives. It has a genuinely sporty feel to it and is quite a pleasure to drive, for the most part. But its engine and gearbox software calibration could perhaps do with further fine tuning.

In pricing and value terms it’s also not quite the bargain that many of its Chinese rivals are in the marketplace.

The dealer footprint is a little on the slim side, but the Salvador Caetono Group, which represents the brand in South Africa, is aiming to have 20 dealerships up and running by the end of 2024, with plans to expand that to 30 in 2025 and 40 in 2026.

GAC also recently announced a lifetime engine warranty, which applies to first owners who conduct all service and repair work at centres authorised by GAC motor. This comes in addition to the standard warranty of five years or 150,000km and the Enzoom also comes with a service plan valid for five years or 60,000km.

IOL