GAC Motors Malaysia's debut is scheduled for tomorrow

KUALA LUMPUR: Yes, that’s right. The Chinese automaker GAC Motor is coming to Malaysia tomorrow! The news gets confirmed via two teaser images published on the automaker’s Facebook page.

As per the teaser images, GAC will make its Malaysian debut with its B-segment SUV rival GS3 which will rival the likes of the Proton X50 and Honda HR-V. The teaser images don’t reveal much except for the car’s headlight suggesting we’d be getting the facelifted version.

In Malaysia, GAC Motor will be represented by WTC Automotif (WTCA), a subsidiary of Tan Chong Motor Group. An MoU was signed by both companies last year for the potential sales and assembly of GAC vehicles in Vietnam and Malaysia. Hinting towards the possibility of the local assembly of GS3 in Malaysia, however, there’s no official confirmation on the matter yet.

No information about the Malaysian spec GAC GS3 is revealed yet, so meanwhile, it’s best to look at the China-specific model which is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo mill available in two tunes. While in the lower-end model the mill makes 161 hp and 235 Nm of torque, in the rest of the range the engine generates 166 hp and 265 Nm. In both cases, the power is sent to the ground via a six-speed manual or automatic transmission.

The SUV is expected to come loaded with several modern amenities like a floating digital instrument cluster and a Mercedes-Benz-like infotainment unit.

Obviously, the Malaysia-spec GS3 will benefit from the ADAS system, however, we are unclear as to how many of the features will be a part of the suite.

We are pretty excited about GAC Motor and its first and many offerings in the Malaysian market, the GS3 SUV.

Also Read: GAC Motor flagship SUV updated, meet the 2022 GS8