GAC GA8

Ture to its calling, the 2024 GAC G8’s interior is designed to cater to an upscale lifestyle and shuttling between business meeting. The cabin looks vibrant with the faux-wood trim and beige leather. The dashboard comes in a symmetrical wing-styled wood trim with anodized silver accent. It divides everything upfront into half. The upper section of the dashboard gets a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. It also includes air-conditioning vents, entertainment system, and dark-contrast textured soft plastic. The GA8 logo sits in the middle. Some of the hard plastics do upset the look and feel of the cabin. The lower part of the dashboard is a little cluttered with 30 buttons squeezed in the center console. The 2024 GAC G8 can accommodate 500 litres of cargo.   

The exterior design of the 2024 GAC G8 seems to be inspired by Mercedes-Benz cars. The G8 is an executive sedan and GAC has purposely styled the car to look European. The grille gets chrome accents but that up the visual appeal. The car gets all-round LED lighting and the headlights get an interesting shape that’s neither simple nor too complex. A single-piece lower intake houses the fog lamps. The side gets a long crease. It extends from the headlight up to the taillight, just above the door handle on both sides. There’s a lower character line, on the door’s bottom part. The rectangular exhausts are a bit misleading. These are actually regular pipes hidden behind a rectangular housing 

The cabin of the 2024 GAC G8 is hugely spacious. All seats come with sumptuous legroom and headroom. Three adults can sit on the rear seat without adjusting their seating position. Back rests on all seats are really supportive, making long trips much less tiring. The rear windows get retractable sun shields. The two front seats come with memory function of up to four seating profiles. The three-zone automatic climate control cools the cabin instantly. Ther’s also a built-in air-purification function for smoking passengers. The suspension system is nicely tuned and absorbs all road imperfections. But it does appear stiff at times.   

The 2024 GAC G8 is hauled by a turbocharged, four-cylinder, 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 194 PS/300 Nm. The motor is mated to a six-speed automatic. The powertrain is quite aggressive. The roar is satisfying and so is the power build-up. The low gears sometimes shift abruptly but that doesn’t hinder the performance. The steering wheel is nicely balanced and promptly responds to driver commands. In the night, the cornering lights add some fun, particularly in areas that have limited light. Handling the 2024 GAC G8 is easy. The low approach angle in the front makes driving the car off the parking lot a bit hard. 

The 2024 GAC G8 offers a 360-degree view of the car during backing up at the parking lot. The projection is displayed on the touchscreen unit. It includes four different view options. Two cameras are placed beneath the side mirrors, practically eliminating all blind spots. There’s even a parallel and perpendicular park-assist system. Other standard safety equipment includes front and rear parking sensors, seatbelt reminder, impact-sensing door unlock, anti-theft alarm, multiple airbags, and an engine immobilizer, making the GAC G8 one of the best-equipped executive sedans.

At a starting price of AED 112,900, the 2024 GAC G8 is much affordable than most of its rivals in the executive saloon class. The car offers nice riding comfort with the plush seats. It’s a big car and targeted at buyers who want a premium ride without straining their pockets.