Distinctively styled Emkoo will, for the time being, be GAC's flagship crossover in South Africa. Images: Charl Bosch
Having launched its South African operations earlier this month with the debut of the GS3 Emzoom, Guangzhou Automobile Group, better known by its abbreviation GAC Motor, officially debuted its second model at a gala premiere in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg on Tuesday evening (27 August).
For now its flagship until the arrival of the all-electric Y next year that falls under its Aion brand, the Emkoo ups GAC’s local model count to two as the step-up from the Emzoom.
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Unveiled in China two years ago, the Emkoo, similar to the GS3 Emzoom, rides on GAC’s GMPA platform but with dimensions of 4 680 mm in overall length, a width of 1 901 mm, height of 1 670 mm and wheelbase of 2 750 mm.
Although marketed under the Trumpchi brand in China rather than GAC as the Trumpchi Emkoo, for South Africa, it will be simply be called “GAC Emkoo” and comprise two models with the same drivetrain option as the GS3 Emzoom.
Conforming to a styling language GAC calls Mecha with the rear facia offering a passing resemblance to the previous generation Volvo XC60, the second generation Ford Focus and most prominently, the Saab 9-3 SportCombi, the five-seat Emkoo develops 130kW/270Nm from the same 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine as the GS3 Emzoom.
Sporting a water-cooled intercooler and what GAC calls a dual-channel turbocharger, the in-house developed engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that sends the amount of twist to the front axle.
For now, the bigger 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and the 2.0-litre hybrid, co-developed with Toyota thanks to a partnership with the GAC, remains a no-no for South Africa.
Inside, the interior adopts an aviation theme in utilising a roller drum-type design for the air vents GAC claims has been modelled on the vector thrusters of an aircraft.
Operating by a twisting motion, with the door pulls also rounded and integrated into the handles, the two model range, Executive and Executive Plus, both come standard with a seven-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a 10.1-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay but seemingly no Android Auto.
Also included are LED headlights, type-C and type-A USB ports, a DTS branded six-speaker sound system, an almost 1m2 long panoramic glass sunroof, push-button start and keyless entry, a drive mode selector with three modes; Eco, Comfort and Sport and electric front seats.
On the safety side, the Emkoo supports Level 2 autonomous driving and comes fitted from the off with a surround-view camera system, Automatic Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Jam Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring and Lane Departure Warning.
For the Executive Plus, 19-inch alloy wheels replace the Executive’s 18-inches with a wireless smartphone charger and an electric tailgate added to the specification sheet.
Broadening its list of items further is Automatic Park Assist, heated and ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a Head-Up Display and a memory function for the driver’s chair.
Set to go on-sale next month, both model’s sticker price include a five-year/150 000 km warranty plus a five-year/100 000 km service plan.
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