One of the latest Chinese automotive manufacturers to confirm an Australian launch has ambitious targets that could see it outsell a number or established brands.
GAC — short for Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co — announced earlier this year that it would set up shop in Australia via a distributor, and now the company is shedding more light on what that will look like.
Speaking with CarsGuide via an interpreter at the recent Mobility Live show in Melbourne, General Manager of GAC International Wei Haigang said the Chinese giant was preparing to launch in Australia in quarter two next year.
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The first model to land Down Under will be the boxy Aion V electric SUV, and that will be followed by a number of other models, likely to also fall under the Aion sub-brand, before eventually rolling out GAC Motor-branded models. That could see some models that are badged Trumpchi in China wearing GAC badges in Australia.
Wei said GAC had taken longer to expand into global markets compared to some of its Chinese counterparts, like SAIC-owned MG and LDV, as well as Chery, GWM, BYD and more. He said the company was initially focused on the Chinese market, which meant development of global models and right-hand drive production took more time.
GAC is now finally launching the Aion brand in Europe, the Middle East, Central America and Australia. Aion is literally short for ‘AI on’. As in, ‘artificial intelligence is on’.
With only the Aion V locked in for Australia in Q2 next year, GAC’s sales targets are ambitious given how competitive and crowded the Australian new-vehicle market is.
“So because we are going to launch our cars in quarter two, so instead of pursuing the high sales targets, first, we want to build our brand here in a very good way and to establish our service and the quality here. And then we have a very rough target, which is 4000 units,” Wei told CarsGuide.
That figure is the first year sales target but that’s not a full year given it will land in Q2. Beyond year one, Wei has even higher hopes.
“And after that, we want to achieve better and better performance with the launching of new models here.”
Hitting 4000 sales in six to nine months would be an impressive feat, but it’s not impossible. Chery launched in the first half of 2023 and they achieved more than 5000 sales in that time. But that was with a small petrol powered SUV. The Aion V is fully electric and that could prove more challenging.
Of course GAC/Aion is not the only Chinese brand coming in 2025, with a number of others scheduled to launch. Leapmotor, Zeekr, Deepal, Skywell, Geely, JAC, Jaecoo and XPeng are all hitting Australian shores soon.
Wei said GAC is targeting some popular rivals with the spacious Aion V, naming the Volkswagen ID.4 and BYD’s Atto 3 as the key competitors.
While GAC will offer a direct sales option for anyone that wants to buy online in Australia, Wei said it will also adopt a more traditional dealer sales model as well.
He is also confident in the safety credentials of the Aion V.
“When we were developing these cars we want to meet global standards, so it can meet the stand for European five star, Australia, five star,” Wei said.
Wei is confident GAC can succeed in Australia, given its experience as a joint-venture partner to Toyota and Honda in China. He added that a sharp focus on customer service and technology will also set the company apart.
“We want to emphasise the service compared with the other OEMs. We always adhere to the philosophy of customer first and service first. So when we launch our cars in one market, for example, Australia, or other markets, we want to provide good services to our customers.
“So adhering to the philosophy of long-term development, we want to do our best in quality, technology, service and experience and to provide good services to our customers.”
GAC won’t just launch EVs in Australia either. Beyond the Aion V, other models will come with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and internal combustion powertrains.
Models to potentially follow the V include a hybrid large SUV called the GS8 and a people-mover called the M8. A new Corolla-sized Aion-badged electric hatch model has also just leaked and is likely to be considered for Australia.
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