In the sea of Chinese EVs entering the Malaysian market, it seems that the initial interest in providing an X50 rival has somewhat diminished among Chinese manufacturers. But one little SUV still has that ambition and it is the 2024 GAC GS3 Emzoom. Previously launched in 2 variants, the Emzoom is now only available as the Premium R variant which costs RM126,900. It is also now locally assembled.
It’s hard to miss the GAC GS3 Emzoom in traffic as its aggressive styling is unique among its peers. Its design screams fighter-jet inspired and the body kit and real valvetronic exhaust that it has suggests that it isn’t your average econobox with a “sporty” kit. If we were to judge the Emzoom by its looks alone, it might just be an easy winner among its peers.
Standard exterior items on the GAC GS3 Emzoom include its “Laser Eye” split-LED headlights, LED DRLs, “Light Dart” LED taillights, and flush pop-out door handles. Completing the Emzoom’s aggressive styling is its set of 18-inch alloy wheels.
As for the exterior colour options, the GAC GS3 Emzoom comes with several exterior colour options like Ivory White, Super Star Silver, Salt Lake Blue, Asphalt Black, and Graphene Grey. The particular unit you see in the images here is finished in Ivory White.
Powering the GAC GS3 Emzoom is a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that adds 1 extra cylinder over the Proton X50. Yes, the GAC GS3 Emzoom gets a 4-cylinder engine and it makes 177 hp and 270 Nm. The engine is paired with a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission and power is sent to the front wheels only. This setup enables a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 8.0 seconds and a claimed average fuel consumption of 5.9 l/100km.
Inside, the GAC GS3 Emzoom adopts a less radical approach as it sports the typical dual-screen setup and a seemingly conventional cabin. What’s a bit different would be its blue soft-touch trims on the dashboard and door panels. Although unique compared to its rivals, the blue interior colour trim is similar to what you would find in the Chery Omoda E5 and the BYD Atto 3.
Standard interior features of the GAC GS3 Emzoom include its leather upholstery, 7-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch head unit, a multi-function steering wheel, and a surround-view camera system. Exclusive features in the range-topping R Style variant are automatic climate control, a 6-way power-adjustable driver seat, a wireless phone charger, a panoramic sunroof, and a multi-colour ambient lighting system.
Safety-wise, the GAC GS3 Emzoom comes equipped with a decent suite of advanced safety systems. This includes items like Adaptive cruise control (ACC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), front collision warning (FCW), traffic sign recognition (TSR), lane departure warning (LDW), intelligent speed limit control system, high beam assist (HMA), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and blind spot vision (BSV). An exclusive item for the Premium R variant is its fusion automatic parking assist (FAPA) system.
Special for the first 2,000 registered units of the Emzoom are a 7-year/180,000 km engine & powertrain warranty and a 5-year/150,000 km general warranty. A 3-time complimentary scheduled service maintenance is also included.
GALLERY
