GAC GS8 test drive
We figure out that the SUV from the Middle Kingdom has charisma and cross-country ability, and we also explain how it is still correct to call it
There has never been a normal road to the so-called Romantsevskie mountains near the village of Konduki, Tula region, but vacationers and tourists manage to get to the old quarry even in the worst weather. The April rains and snowfalls turned the path through the field into a muddy swamp, so there are signs on the trees with the words "Off-road tow truck" and a phone number.
On the sandy hills, which remained in the places where brown coal was mined, people are drawn not only by completely cosmic views, but also by the opportunity to try themselves on hard off-road. Having overcome the mess of the field, you can get stuck already on the mountains themselves, which consist of very slippery soil, dotted with ulcers of gullies and gaps. Climbing to the top in such weather is not an easy task, even for a serious machine.
The main thing that confuses the Chinese car here and now is the modest ground clearance. The manufacturer claims only 162 mm, which is small even compared to the clearance of more serious crossovers, but the all-wheel drive GAC crawls on viscous clay quite successfully. The main thing is to turn off the stabilization system in advance and choose a trajectory without noticeable pits, so as not to sit on the bottom and not stop in this slurry.
You have to monitor the speed, because the ESP switches back to 80 km / h and immediately deprives the crossover of traction, putting it in a rather delicate situation. The mode selection “washer” doesn't help much either, but there is a feeling that the snow algorithm works best in mud.
On a harder surface, it is already easier, and the clever four-wheel drive helps to climb the hill. If you accidentally hang out one of the wheels, then a fairly effective imitation of cross-wheel locks will work. But going to the very top is still difficult: the wheels begin to slip and slide, and the geometry of the body is already lacking too clearly. There - the patrimony of more serious cars, to the level of which the "Chinese Land Cruiser" clearly does not reach. And it shouldn't.
To begin with, this is not an SUV at all. The GAC GS8 is built on a middle-aged modular CPMA chassis purchased from FIAT. The Italians made on it, for example, the sedans Alfa Romeo 166 and Lancia Thesis, the Chinese finalized the platform for a large crossover and adapted all-wheel drive. The GS8 has a monocoque body, passenger car multi-link suspensions, a transverse engine and an electronically controlled clutch.
The irony is that outwardly the crossover turned out to be so massive and solid that the title of the Chinese "Kruzak" was immediately stuck to it, without even comparing the technical characteristics. And, if you look, it turns out that the GAC GS8 is even smaller, although with its 4,8 meters in length and almost two meters in width, it occupies about the same large piece of parking space in the parking lot.
It looks just as solid on the road, and from certain angles it is almost worse than the reference Toyota: a powerful bumper, a huge radiator grille with thick chrome beams and a whole collection of light elements collected in headlights of absolutely incredible shape. At the rear, the car is less harmonious and looks heavy below the glass level, but the overall style is also quite formidable.
All this gives on the road the very effect for which Toyota Land Cruiser owners are happy to pay at least $ 65: GAC GS497 hastily skip ahead, and even see off with surprised looks. Moreover, the crossover itself is generally not against an energetic ride, since it normally stands on the road and can easily keep a fairly high speed.
The two-liter turbo engine develops a decent 190 hp. with. and in civilian modes it seems very high-torque. The big car classically crouches on its rear wheels when accelerating to the floor, the engine howls decently and gives passengers a feeling of good dynamics, although the specifications say a modest 10,5 seconds to "hundreds". The six-speed "automatic" works adequately, but sometimes it starts to fuss at track speeds, jumping off to a lower speed when driving uphill. It becomes hard for the engine to drag 2 tons of mass with square aerodynamics at speeds well over a hundred.
The sports and economical modes of the power unit are rather arbitrary: the character of the car does not change significantly, but in the second, all-wheel drive is disabled, which makes sense when driving on a dry road. Otherwise, fuel consumption does not drop below 10 liters. The change of modes does not affect the stability of movement - the GAC GS8 in any case normally stands on the road and does not twitch from the slightest movement of the steering wheel.
Comfort is also on the level, and the chassis only emphasizes the impression of a large and solid car. But at the hard joints of the asphalt, the car bucks up and makes noise with the suspensions, as if under the floor there was a really heavy off-road chassis. The big GAC GS8 is not capable of giving premium refinement of driving manners, but it seems that it fulfills its conditional $ 26 in full not only with the ability to drive majestically on the road, but also to comfortably accommodate passengers.
To begin with, it must be said that the crossover inside is as big as it seems from the outside. All versions are seven-seater, and without much exaggeration on the theme of the third row. "Gallery" is well thought out, classically tucked into the floor, easily returned to its place and does not offer to plug the ears with knees for riders of average height, which, however, for the sake of comfort, will need to move the second-row sofa forward a little. With the available space, this can be done completely painlessly.
Passengers in the second row have their own climate control with a touching green indicator, USB charging ports and a 220-volt outlet for more serious gadgets. The driver's toolkit looks more modern, but also without bends towards the touch panels: everything is controlled by the keys, and the “automatic” selector is a traditional fixed one. However, this is not for long - in China, an updated car is already being produced, in which a minimum of buttons will remain.
There are already two screens: a 10-inch touchscreen on the console and another one between the instrument dials. The graphics are in order both there and there, but the central one is unexpectedly also used as a monitor for a separate camera of the blind zone: it is worth turning on the right turn signal, and a picture of what is happening on the starboard side appears on the display.
Apart from the pretty atmospheric lighting in different colors, the "extra" camera is the only unusual technology on this machine. Otherwise, everything is classically normal here, and this is a rather surprising fact for a car from a country where there are still no traditions in terms of automotive technology.
The interior of the modern style looks restrained, but not poor, the keys are arranged geometrically neatly, the materials are of quite decent quality, and the assembly is commendable. The ergonomics and finish are so normal that you don't even want to find out if the Chinese are trying to sell, for example, leatherette under the guise of genuine leather. At least to the touch, everything looks natural and of high quality.
Large crossovers like the Hyundai Santa Fe or Toyota Highlander should be considered as direct competitors to the GAC GS8, but it still cannot be avoided from an emotional comparison with the Land Cruiser. The Chinese crossover will be cheaper than both, and the stylistic similarity to the “Kruzak” and visual ponderousness, if they really matter, is generally difficult to assess in money.
The minimum price is $ 24. for an exclusive GE front-wheel-drive package, which includes xenon headlights, 862-inch wheels, rain sensor, sunroof, heated windshield and steering wheel, electric driver's seat and front seat ventilation.
GL version starting at $28. offers a choice of drive types and additionally includes matrix LED headlights, 792-inch wheels, a panoramic roof and leather seats with memory function. The $19 GT trim also adds a package of electronic safety systems. It would be possible to do without them, but in this particular configuration the GAC GS32 is perceived as quite expensive and a little better in keeping with its extremely pretentious appearance.
| A type | SUV |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4836/1910/1770 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2800 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 162 |
| Cargo space, l | 270 – 900 – 1600 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1990 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | 2515 |
| engine's type | Gasoline R4 turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1991 |
| Power, hp with. at rpm | 190 at 5200 |
| Max. torque, Nm at rpm | 300 at 1750-4000 |
| Transmission, drive | Full, 6-st. AKP |
| Maximum speed km / h | 185 |
| Acceleration to 100 km / h, from | 10,5 |
| Fuel consumption, laughter. l / 100 km | n. d. |
| Price from, $. | 30 102 |
