GAC GS8 Reviews

Chinese manufacturer GAC has announced plans to expand its right-hand-drive model offering which could mean a bigger line-up for Australia.

Toyota’s newest electric car is making a splash.The bZ3X has launched in China for about $24,000. That’s a shockingly cheap EV.It is also slightly cheaper than the BYD Atto 3 in China, which is a better comparison, and would make it closer to $40,000 if it ever landed here.Toyota only sells its in-house developed bZ4X in Australia, with prices starting at more than $71,000, drive-away.The bZ3X is built as part of Toyota’s partnership with Chinese brand GAC.It shares its underpinnings with GAC’s Aion V electric SUV, which is due to go on sale in Australia this year.In China the bZ3X is available with three different sizes of lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries: 50kWh, 58kWh and 68kWh. Driving range is either 430km, 520km or 610km depending on the size of the battery. All these ranges are calculated using the more lenient China Light-duty vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC), expect range to be about 20 per cent worse if using the benchmark WLTP measurement. It is powered by a single electric motor that makes either 150kW or 165KW, depending on the variant, and drives the front wheels.It is also fitted with advanced self driving technology, which is a major selling point in China. It also has a huge 14.6-inch central multimedia display and a smaller digital driver display.Reports out of China indicate it is already a hit with buyers, with more than 10,000 orders in the first hour.Toyota has given no indication as to whether the bZ3X would be sold outside of China, so the chances of it coming here are low.Never say never, though. Mazda said its EZ-6 electric sedan built with its Chinese partner Changan was only for China, until it wasn’t. That car has been confirmed as the Mazda 6e that will go on sale in Europe and fellow right-hand drive market the UK, which opens the door for Mazda’s formerly China-only EV to be sold here.

Chinese automotive giant GAC has officially launched the Aion UT, an uber-cheap electric hatchback positioned for the global market. Priced at just CNY9600 (A$15,466) in China, the brand’s incoming model is shaping up as a strong chance for Australia as its electric sub-brand gears for a local launch next quarter with the Aion V SUV.

Chinese car giant GAC will launch its 1000km Trumpchi S7 plug-in hybrid within weeks in its home country and we have the vital specs on this large SUV ahead of the brand’s launch in Australia in 2025.

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A new small electric car from GAC’s Aion brand, which is set for a launch in Australia, has been leaked ahead of its global launch later this month at the Guangzhou Auto Show.The electric car, a hatchback to rival the likes of the BYD Dolphin, GWM Ora and MG4, has only been seen and detailed in leaked pictures and rumours, but it’s expected to be set for sale in markets outside of its home nation of China.Aion has confirmed it will launch in Australia with a Tesla Model Y rival called the Aion V to arrive first. Potentially following the V are a hybrid large SUV called the GS8 and a people-mover called the M8.The electric hatchback set for a launch soon is currently codenamed AY2, according to CarNewsChina, and is expected to ride on the same platform as the Aion V, which is now in its second generation.The 400V platform uses a lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery though further details of the hatchback aside from what it looks like on the outside are yet to come.The images leaked appear to be, as noted by CarNewsChina, intended for use with China’s approval system under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), a common source for ‘leaked’ images and details of yet-to-launch Chinese cars.While dimensions of the car aren’t confirmed, it’s about the size of a Toyota Corolla according to previous reports, while pricing is expected to land around 100,000 yuan in China (A$21,300).If the AY2 does make it to Australia, it’ll be more expensive than that, likely north of $30,000 if pricing of rivals like the BYD Dolphin or GWM Ora are anything to go by.

A brand new battery electric sedan made by Aion has been revealed in Chinese homologation documents ahead of the brand’s Australian debut next year.According to CarNewsChina, homologation documents submitted to the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reveal the brand’s latest EV sedan, which the publication speculates could be named the Aion RT.The documents indicate two powertrain options that deliver either 150kW or 165kW. Both are paired with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, although its capacity was not provided.The Aion RT looks fairly conventional, with similar rounded edges, closed-off front end, sleek headlights and retractable door handles to the BYD Seal or Tesla Model 3.At the rear, slim tail lights expand across the tailgate, with a ‘AION’ logo between.The images also reveal an RT badge, accompanied by additional 'T' and 'VT' badges, most likely indicating other trims.Dimensions for the Aion RT come in at 4865mm long, 1875mm wide and 1520mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2775mm. That makes the RT bigger in all directions than a Tesla Model 3 or BYD Seal.Four curb weights were declared: 1670kg, 1700kg, 1750kg, and 1780kg.Additional interior and exterior features include six front and six rear LiDAR sensors, an optional sunroof, privacy class and the option of different coloured door handles and charging port cover to create a two-tone exterior trim.Aion is China’s third best-selling battery electric car brand behind BYD and Tesla. It is an electric-only subsidiary of the state-owned Gangzhou Automible Group (GAC), which announced it was eyeing up a 2025 entry into the Australian market back in May.GAC currently manufactures and retails vehicles under sub-brands Aion, Trumpchi and Hycan as well as foreign-branded vehicles through partnerships with Honda and Toyota.The brand’s model portfolio for Australia is yet to be determined, although it is rumoured to be spearheaded by the brand’s Model Y-sized Aion V SUV, which is priced at between ¥129,800 and ¥189,800 (A$27,000 to A$40,000).A GAC-branded GS8 hybrid large SUV and M8 people mover are also likely entrants.GAC’s more performance-focused Hyper range could arrive later, although it is not rumoured to be in the pipeline as of yet. It currently produces three models that utilise the brand’s 800-volt architecture, the Hyper GT sedan, the HT SUV and the SSR sports coupe.GAC has claimed each model can be charged to a range of 415kms in just 15 minutes, though this figure hasn’t been verified according to WLTP standards.

It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole. Almost weekly there are announcements from new brands promising better technology, longer driving ranges and cheaper prices coming to Australia and a great deal of them hail from China.

GAC is taking aim at the Tesla Model 3 with its new “global model”.