GAC GS8

The cabin of the GAC GS8 will make you feel as posh and well-laid out as that of any other expensive European SUV, which is a testimony of its attention-to-detailing. While the design is clean and minimal, it is a good mix of elegance and futuristic appeal.

The cabin of the GAC GS8 can be chosen in one of the three upholstery colour options – Black, Green and a combination of black and green. The 10.1-inch TFT instrument console and 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the middle of the dashboard make the cabin feel new-age and tech-laden. The rest of the dashboard also looks premium with a wide engulfing layout featuring a satin silver finish, while the lower centre console looks wide and premium with its brushed aluminium layout, with rounded rectangular AC vents below the infotainment system.

The extensive list of features offered in the GAC GS8 includes a panoramic sunroof, powered and ventilated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, glove box and centre console box cooling, wireless charger, 10-speaker audio system and more. 

For a full-sized luxury SUV, a dominating road presence is a must, where the GAC GS8 scores heavily. This Chinese SUV can give many similarly-sized SUVs a run for their money with its unique and premium design, which is meant to draw attention wherever it goes.

At the front, the GAC GS8 comes with a massive-looking grille, which has tapered edges on all four corners and features slanted chrome inserts. Another interesting highlight of the front profile is the T-shaped all-LED headlamp clusters, which also come integrated with daytime running LEDs and LED turn indicators. The front bumper also has an aggressive-looking air dam flanked with angular housings for LEDs.

The side profile of the GAC GS8 has a mighty road presence, with a heightened stance and high ground clearance, complemented well by the large 20-inch alloy wheels, which have a machined finish as standard. There is a sharp character line flowing from the edge of the headlamp to that of the tail lamp, running sideways throughout the side profile. Another interesting highlight of the GAC GS8 is the fine chrome garnish for the window waistline and lower door insert, which further makes the side profile of the GAC GS8 look premium.

The extrovert appeal of the front profile of the GAC GS8 has been toned down a bit for the rear profile. While the tail lamps of the GAC GS8 come with attractive crystalline LED inserts, the rest of the boot lid looks a bit plain, with a hexagonal housing for the license plate at the back. Except for the trapezoidal exhaust ports, the rear bumper also has a simplistic design.

There are three off-road-spec drive modes offered in the GAC GS8 – Sand, Snow and Mud, which make this gigantic SUV an excellent vehicle to handle off-road terrains with ease. The suspension combination offered in the GAC GS8, including Macpherson struts at the front and an independent multi-link beam at the rear, is well-tuned to suit the GAC GS8’s claims of a comfortable full-sized SUV. 

Powering the GAC GS8 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which produces 250 PS of maximum power and 400 Nm of maximum torque. Mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the GAC GS8 feels brisk in the initial RPMs, however, the power delivery might not be impressive in higher RPMs. There are six drive modes on offer in the GAC GS8m, namely, Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sand, Snow and Mud. GAC claims a decent fuel economy figure of 12.5 kmpl.

The list of safety features in the GAC GS8 is quite long, as the SUV gets auto headlamps, adaptive driving beam, high beam assist, rain-sensing wipers, front, side, curtain and driver knee airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program, hill hold assist, hill descent control, electronic parking brake and tyre pressure monitoring system. The list becomes even longer with additional ADAS features like a digital video recorder, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition system, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

The GAC GS8 has a lot of good things working in its favour, such as an impressive road presence with stylish looks, a well-executed and comfortable cabin and a comfortable ride quality. It is a worthy option for full-sized European SUVs, only if you can compromise with their badge value.