GAC Motors to Debut Trumpchi GS7 SUV, Two Other Models in Detroit

Aston Martin, Porsche, and Tesla may be skipping the Detroit auto show, but Guangzhou Automobile Group Company (GAC) will debut three new vehicles in the Motor City next week.

In case you’ve never heard of them, GAC Motor is based in China and has been selling Trumpchi– and Gonow-branded vehicles for a number of years now. Trumpchi was first introduced at the Guangzhou auto show back in 2010. This isn’t the first time GAC has exhibited in Detroit, either. As recently as 2015, you could find a GAC booth somewhere in Cobo Hall.

The manufacturer will introduce its latest Trumpchi, the GS7 — a mid-sized SUV that looks a lot like the GS8 seen here, but is smaller and seats five instead of seven. No word on it having a comb over grille, but we are told it packs a “G-series 2.0T engine.”

GAC is also rolling out a hybrid crossover concept dubbed the Enspirit as well as an electric car named the GE3. This year, the company will be displaying its vehicles on the main auto show floor for the first time, alongside more established makers like Lexus, Toyota, and Volvo.

“We are very pleased to debut our GS7 mid-sized SUV in front of a global audience here in Detroit,” said Feng Xingya, GAC general manager, in a release. “And we are really excited about our new hybrid and electric vehicles as well.”

GAC says the EnSpirit is a plug-in hybrid crossover concept that is “designed to appeal to the millennial car buyers who enjoy the diversity of a hybrid.” And because of that the concept combines “the best elements of a sedan, SUV, and convertible together in one vehicle for the ultimate fun and freedom.”

But wait, there’s more — the government-owned Chinese automaker is also introducing an all-new EV, the GE3 with a claimed range of about 192 miles. It is built on GAC engineering’s new energy platform that’s “capable of quick DC charging and AC slow charging.”

Look out, Tesla! But don’t rush out and try to buy one just yet, as GAC has yet to break into the U.S. market. Perhaps the automaker will have more details on that front at its press conference in Detroit next week. Will GAC succeed where other Chinese brands have failed? We remain skeptical, but will keep you posted.

Source: GAC

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