Well the GAC GS3 is certainly shaping up to be an interesting rival in Malaysia
Well, well, well. The SUV space in Malaysia is about to get really heated once again as the official website for Chinese automaker, GAC, has shown that its new GS3 SUV model is just about ready to be unveiled and it will also carry a price tag of below RM100,000. This is going to be interesting indeed.
Clearly, we have no shortage of Chinese brands popping up in Malaysia as of late, and of course, no shortage of SUVs on the market either. From large 7-seaters, to compact 5-seaters and everything in between, the SUV has become so popular these days, so will the GAC GS3 simply be drowned in a sea of competition?
Moreover, with many people in Malaysia shifting to electric vehicles (EVs) instead, will an old-fashioned (only figuratively, of course) petrol-powered engine even be able to stack up? Well, the sales figures for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in Malaysia are still much higher than that of EVs so I’m not worried.
Okay, so let’s get the obvious things out of the way first. The GAC GS3 is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre four cylinder engine making about 166hp and 265Nm of torque. This engine is paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission and is likely the only transmission we will get in Malaysia.
Exterior colours include 5 options, three of which are single tone namely Starlight Silver, Ivory White and Lunar Grey, while the last two are a two-tone finish specifically Rosefinch Red with a Black Top and Ivory White with a Black Top. This will likely give a floating roof design kind of finish.
On top of that, style-wise, the exterior of the GAC GS3 is nothing special really, but consider the competition for a bit. The main competitor is likely to be the Proton X50 SUV, but of course, that car is a fair bit cheaper. What it lacks though, is Android auto and Apple CarPlay so if the GS3 can add this, it should have an edge.
In terms of dimensions, the GAC GS3 is also wider and longer than the Proton X50 but is slightly shorter has a marginally shorter wheelbase as well.This puts it in a very good spot against other key competitors like the Honda WR-V and Chery Omoda 5, just to name a few.
So what do you guys think? Will the GAC GS3 be able to outsell most other small SUVs in our market upon launch? Check out the web page for the GAC GS3 linked here to find out more now.
