The GAC brand has officially landed in Malaysia, with the first model being introduced here being the GS3. The GAC GS3 arrives in facelifted form as a fully-imported (CBU) model, and is available in two trim levels, starting with the Standard that is priced at RM 88,800 and followed by the Premium at RM 96,800. These are on-the-road prices without insurance and factor in the sales tax exemption (50%) that has been extended through June 30, 2022.
In terms of dimensions, the GS3 measures
4,358 mm long, 1,825 mm wide, 1,660 mm/1,685 mm tall (with/without roof rails)
and has a wheelbase spanning 2,560 mm. Compared to the popular Proton X50,
which also occupies the same B-segment SUV space, the GS3 occupies a larger
footprint in terms of length (+28 mm), width (+25 mm) and height (+51 mm/76
mm), but loses out in terms of wheelbase (-40 mm) – it’s the same story with
the Honda HR-V too. Other details include a boot space of 356 litres, which can
be expanded to 780 litres when the 60:40-split rear seats are folded flat. The
GS3 also gets MacPherson struts at the front, a rear torsion beam, all around
disc brakes and electric power steering.
Regardless of trim level, the GS3 is
powered by a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine that
serves up 114 PS at 6,000 rpm and 150 Nm of torque at 4,500 rpm. Drive
is sent to the front wheels via an Aisin-sourced six-speed torque converter
automatic transmission, with the rated fuel consumption being 6.9 l/100 km
(14.5 km/l) followed the NEDC standard.
As for equipment, the Standard gets
17-inch alloy wheels (with 215/60 profile tyres), halogen projector headlamps,
LED taillights, power adjustable side mirrors, fabric and leatherette
upholstery, an Eco drive mode, manual air-conditioning (with a PM2.5 air
filter), manual front seats, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with
Apple CarPlay and phone mirroring support. On the safety front, the Standard
comes with four airbags, ABS, EBD, Electronic Stability Programme, brake
assist, hill start assist, hill descent control, blind spot monitoring, a
rearview camera and Isofix child seat anchors.
The Premium builds upon the Standard and
is distinguished from the outside by its front fog lamps, power-folding side
mirrors, shark fin antenna, and with the mentioned colour schemes, a roof, roof
rails and side mirror caps in black. Other features that are added to the
Premium include a 3.5-inch LCD instrument cluster display, keyless entry and
engine start, purely leatherette upholstery, a second-row centre seat headrest
and armrest as well as two more airbags (for a total of six).
