The GAC GS3 Emzoom is a refreshing and a different offering in a flooded SUV market

Mail & Guardian

31-05-2025

Sporty and stylish: The GAC Emzoom is a refreshing addition to the compact SUV market.
It might come to the point where we lose track of how many Chinese brands there are in South Africa.
We might even begin to lose track of how many compact SUVs are in the market because it has become congested with them.
Chinese brand GAC Motor entered two SUV models into the South African market in the middle of 2024: the Emzoom and the Emkoo.
In typical fashion, both cars looked good and came with all the fancy technology that we have become accustomed to getting in Chinese cars.
The
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got behind the wheel of the Emzoom, which is available in three variants: Comfort, Executive and R-Style.
We were lucky enough to get the top-of-the-range R-Style model and I was pleasantly surprised.
I knew that the exterior and interior were going to be appealing, because Chinese manufacturers always put a lot of emphasis on bringing out a neat product.
However, I did find some styling similarities with BMWs. For starters, on the R-Line trim, the black grille gets three gold panels, much like some BMWs, which have M-specific colours on their grilles.
The colour coding on the inside also provided some similarities. The same blue plastics you see around the aircon vents in BMWs are present in the Emzoom R-Style.
This is probably because Thomas Schemera, who has held key roles at both BMW M and Hyundai, is now the chief operating officer and senior vice president of GAC International.
Alongside the ambient lighting inside the Emzoom, the air conditioning and volume dials also get a rainbow light around them. These style features give the car a fun and sporty atmosphere.
Manufacturers sometimes try too hard to make compact SUVs feel luxurious with fancy screens, decked out interiors and the absence of buttons. While the Emzoom still has the fancy screens and is decked out, it doesn't aim for a luxurious interior, but rather something that boosts adrenaline.
The Emzoom comes with the standard 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine that we are accustomed to getting in Chinese compact SUVs. Paired with a dual-clutch transmission gearbox, it will deliver 130kW of power and 270Nm of torque.
The coolest feature of the car is the exhaust system which is designed to produce sound through 'active exhaust valves'. These can be toggled between open and closed, allowing for a louder and more sporty sound when open, especially in the sport mode.
It adds to the fun feel the Emzoom was meant to have. You could actually fool people into thinking you were driving a sports car.
But this feature also has a downside. I became obsessed with the exhaust sound, continually putting the car into sport mode. This exposed the sensitivity of the accelerator, making the car move too quickly. This is not ideal when navigating into tight parking spots or even pulling into your garage.
Besides that, the Emzoom provides excellent handling and effortlessly picks up speed when you need it to.
I experienced some turbo-lag, but it was not bad at all. It didn't make the vehicle feel unresponsive.
The other downside is the fuel consumption. This is a pretty compact vehicle and, while GAC claims a consumption figure of 6.2 litres/100km, I averaged 8.1 litres/100km.
Overall, I really enjoyed the GAC GS3 Emzoom. It felt different and refreshing. I loved the fact that GAC went all out in making it a fun and sporty experience without producing a performance monster.
You get everything you need — and the lovely exhaust sound as a bonus but, in a flooded SUV market, it is difficult to say whether the Emzoom will make a splash.
Pricing
GS3 EMZOOM 1.5L T Comfort — from: R419 900
GS3 EMZOOM 1.5L T Executive — from: R439 900
GS3 EMZOOM 1.5L T R-Style — from: R489 900