GAC GS3

The GAC GS3 has got a decent-looking layout for the cabin, which might not be the most modern place to be seated in, but it gets the job done by being decently equipped with good fit and finish levels. The GS3 gets a conventional instrument console placed within a rounded rectangular housing behind a good-looking three-spoke multifunction steering wheel.

The central layer of the dashboard gets a soft-touch brown upholstery, which is extended on all four-door panels as well. The centre console looks wide with a rounded rectangular panel in the middle, which houses the touchscreen infotainment system with vertical AC vents on either side and an array of buttons for the audio system below it. The lower centre console of the GAC GS3 gets unique rounded rectangular themed buttons for automatic climate control.

The cabin of the GAC GS3 is spacious enough for five passengers and gets a few additional features like leather upholstery, electric sunroof, height-adjustable driver’s seat, and push start-stop button.

The GAC GS3 might not be the flashiest looking SUV on the market right now, but for the price segment to which it belongs, it certainly is the biggest SUV with a grand road presence. The overall styling and upright stance of the GAC GS3 make it look balanced and give it a proper SUV-ish stance, despite GAC rightfully calling it a crossover.

At the front, the GAC GS3 has a simple-looking trapezoidal grille, which gets two horizontally laid chrome slats and a rounded GAC logo in between. A pair of angular headlamps assist the front grille by presenting just adjacent to the side edges, which get LED projector headlamps and stripes of daytime running LEDs on their lower edges. Like a traditional SUV, the GAC GS3 also gets thick body cladding and silver skid plates on the front bumper, with the former extending on the side profile too.

The GAC GS3 has got a nice tall stance with an upright bonnet, which looks the best when viewed from the sides. There is a decent amount of body cladding at the bottom of the door panels and wheel arches. The GAC GS3 gets a nice crease flowing through the door panels which meet at the edge of the tail lamps. Even the upper and lower window lines run parallel to each other on the C-pillar, thus giving a floating roof effect to the SUV.

At the back, the GAC GS3 gets wraparound tail lamps which are stretched in the form of the wings of a butterfly. The Z-shaped C-pillar is the main attraction of the rear profile of the SUV. The license plate housing is positioned on the rear bumper, which gets heavy black cladding and rounded exhaust ports at both the corners, above which reflectors are placed.

The GAC GS3 has a sorted mechanical setup under the skin with Macpherson struts at the front and a twisted beam at the rear. While the body control is well under check, the GS3 is not too fun to drive around corners due to a lack of feedback from the steering. However, the ride quality is decently supple for even longer journeys.

The GAC GS3 is powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which claims to be the most powerful engine for SUVs in its price range. Available solely with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the engine makes a maximum power output of 137 PS and a peak torque output of 202 Nm. While these figures look healthy, the power delivery is inconsistent at times.

The GAC GS3 has a decent list of safety equipment which consists of front, side, and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, brake assist, hill hold control, hill descent control, electronic parking brake, parking sensors, and tire pressure monitoring system.

For its price, the GAC GS3 comes across as a practical SUV with all of its basic grounds pretty well sorted. The SUV is decent to drive and keeps you comfortable while it is being driven on the road.