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The next big thing: GAC's Emzoom is a car worth shouting about

We’re feeling it. The GAC GS3 Emzoom will be a best seller for the brand in the Philippines, and here’s why we think that.

Earl Lee on Jul 03, 2023

We don’t usually do far-out predictions like this, but with how good the car is and how good the price is, it’s hard not to consider that this car will be a best-seller for the GAC brand in the Philippines.

If you’ve been watching the subcompact crossover segment for a while now, you might have noticed a pattern getting established over the years. Typically, brands will come in with a subcompact model with ample space, ground clearance, and a peppy engine. Whether the particular model is from a long-standing manufacturer or a new entry that is looking to take a slice of the pie, deciding on which one to buy will require a lot of dissection since specs are separated by a few millimeters and engines are separated by a few cubic centimeters or a few horses.

With that in mind, however, and even if the GS3 Emzoom is one such cookie-cutter crossover at first glance, we found that little dissection was needed after all of our stints in GAC’s other new models. We really think this model will be a top-seller for the Philippines, and here’s why we’re calling that as early as now.

Exquisite Exterior

There’s no getting around it, the Emzoom is a gorgeous car for its segment. It was like the second coming of the Geely Coolray in a way. Bold styling, interesting designs, and a ton of personality to get you going. The Emzoom looks kinda fast while it is sitting down. The design looks unique but it ties into the rest of the GAC lineup. It’s not out of character for GAC to bring in something like this, given that the Emkoo and the Empow are both sitting pretty in the stable.

The Emzoom has the makings of an “it” car, going with the trend but not going too over the top. We feel that the design of this car will age fairly well over time with clean lines but with a dash of attitude.

It does look sporty, and it does look quite fast and it’s akin to the other subcompact crossovers in the segment with a rather trendy design that is sure to turn heads on the road and at the dealerships. One other thing that it has going for it is the fact that the design is quite European, which is to say that it mixes in modern design elements with straightforward lines and edges. During its launch, we did a few double-takes, admittedly.

Empow, Emkoo, now Emzoom’s interior—still—impresses

It’s interesting to see how GAC has evolved from the GS3 to now. It’s also interesting to see the new wave of “Em” products coming to the market and offering consumers a ton of quality for reasonable prices. The materials in the Emzoom are notable, but the quality is not indicative of the price tag. The Empow got us first with its premium interior design and its materials, the Emkoo expanded upon that and gave us all of the premium-ness that the Empow delivered but in a more spacious cabin. Being the “baby bear” of the household, this is a Goldilocks car of sorts. Not too big, not too small, just right. Not too expensive, not too budgeted, just right. really, this car hits a sweet spot in terms of its price and its build.

On top of that, there is a lot of usable space in the back for cargo, from 341 to expandable to 1,271 liters, and a lot of living space for passengers at the back. On top of that, there are also tons of storage spaces in this car, akin to that of a crossover. The model that we get here in the Philippines also has interesting colors stitched into its upholstery, and it’s made all the better for it.

Plus, all the tech features you need (save for Android Auto, however), are there at your fingertips. You get a 10.25-inch multifunctional touchscreen infotainment system as well as safety and convenience driving features brought on by GAC’s own Advanced Driver Assistance System with adaptive cruise control and more.

Putting the “zoom” in Emzoom.

Powering this crossover is a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with GAC’s Mega Wave Power technology. At its core, the Emzoom can produce up to 175 hp and 270 Nm of torque, and if those figures look familiar, it’s because the motor is shared between the Emkoo and the Empow as well. Being the smaller car, compared to the Emkoo, the Emzoom is expected to be faster than its stablemate. With a lighter chassis, we also expect this crossover to corner relatively well, perhaps even as well as the Empow.

Among its rivals in the same price bracket, the Emzoom looks like it’s the most exciting, with a load of torque and also an eight-speed wet-dual-clutch transmission (Wet-DCT) that returns quick shifts and engaging driving characteristics, especially when paired with paddle shifters.

Because of our experiences with the Empow and the Emkoo, we’re expecting the Emzoom to be one of the most fun-to-drive crossovers, and while it may be too early to tell at this time—a few days after the launch—we’re expecting a new king of the hill soon enough, or at least a worthy challenger to the segment in terms of driving.

If anything, we’re also excited to try out the drive modes in the Emzoom along with all the driving features that come along with it. Plus, the car doesn’t look like it’s fast, so we won’t be surprised to see this thing zipping about at high speeds, but probably other road users will.

Truth be told, it’s one of the more exciting crossovers to come to the Philippine market in recent years, and every year it seems as if the brands are always one-upping each other and launching more and more exciting products. This is one of them, and the Emzoom is pretty much already a must-drive for us.

Price? Perfect.

All of this starts at P998,000 and tops out at P1,198,000. Need we say more?

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