We’ve known since last year that GAC Motor was
planning on entering the U.S. market by the end of 2019, and that the first
model to greet Uncle Sam would be the Trumpchi GS8.
These images surfaced on the GM Inside News Forum,
posted by somebody with the user name Z284ever. We’re not exactly sure where
the pictures were taken, but it’s clear that the vehicles were just recently
unloaded. Since multiple stickers say ‘China Airlines’, we’re guessing the SUVs
were flown in on a cargo plane.
The GS8 is a mid-size SUV with three rows of seats,
measuring 4,810 mm in length, 1,910 mm in width and 1,770
mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm. In China, it’s
priced from 163,800 yuan, which in USD means roughly US$ 25,742, although there’s
no reason to believe that’s how much it will cost once it starts selling in the
U.S.
Inside, Chinese models can have white leather,
light-color wood and piano black inserts. The dashboards also features a
10.1-inch infotainment screen, while the gauge cluster houses two analogue
dials with an LCD display in the middle.
Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged
four-cylinder unit, producing 201 HP and 300 Nm of torque. A
six-speed automatic gearbox then sends the output to either the front wheels or
to all four, depending on whether or not the SUV is equipped with 4WD – the one
pictured here is clearly the 4WD model.
How much success the GS8 will have in the U.S. is
hard to gauge right now. The Trumpchi name might actually do more harm than
good, given the current political climate.
