New Chinese brand locked in for Oz

Another Chinese carmaker has confirmed its arrival in Australia.

GAC — or Guangzhou Automobile Company — has long made no secret of its plans to launch in Australia, but now we know its first vehicles will go on sale in just a matter of weeks.

Deputy General Manager of GAC Australia Cheney Liang said, “Launching GAC in Australia is an exceptional milestone for our brand."

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"I have no doubt that Australian customers will welcome our range of high-quality, innovative models with keen interest, and become accustomed to the elevated ownership experience we are set to offer.”

The newcomer will launch in Australia with a three strong line-up, with petrol, plug-in hybrid and electric power on the menu.

First up is the Aion V mid-size electric SUV, which is pitched at the Geely EX5, Tesla Model Y and Kia EV5.

Then it is the big M8 plug-in hybrid people mover to target the Kia Carnival. Finally there is the Emzoom petrol-powered small SUV, which is aimed at the MG ZS, Chery Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion.

GAC Australia hasn’t revealed any details of the vehicles, but why have previously appeared in government homologation documents.

We know the Aion V will be fitted with a single electric motor making 150kW and 240Nm.

A circa-75kWh battery delivers a claimed driving range of 602km, via the more generous NEDC test cycle.

The bulky M8 people mover uses a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and electric motor to produce a combined 274kW and 630Nm..

This is paired with a 25.5kWh battery that allows for up to 120km of electric only driving, again calculated via the NEDC testing regime.

It has a total claimed combined range of 1032km thanks to a 56L fuel tank. It has a DC charging capability of 40kW, allowing for a 30-80 per cent charge in half an hour.

GAC’s Emzoom compact SUV uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine to make 125kW, which is paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.

GAC is no minnow, having sold more than two million vehicles globally in 2024.

It also has several key partnerships, including with Toyota. This partnership has delivered several Toyota electric vehicles in China using GAC’s technology.

One vehicle is the Toyota bZ3X, which has just launched in Hong Kong, another right-hand drive market.

It uses a 150kW/210Nm front-mounted electric motor, with range stated at 565km although this is to the more lenient NEDC standard.

The 70kWh LFP battery has some limitations, namely just 90kW peak charging speed on DC, with the AC inverter also limited to 6.6kW, making for comparatively slow charging times.