GAC GM8

Step into the cabin of the GAC GM8, and the overall interior layout seems very much similar and inspired by that of its closest rival, the Kia Grand Carnival. The dashboard feels wide and premium with its dual-tone black and beige upholstery, and the three rows of seats with the middle one having captain seats are incredibly spacious with lots of room for all passengers.

The four-spoke multi-functional steering wheel as well as wide and informative instrument console with a colored MID screen in between looks purposeful and has a wide appeal to it. The center console of the dashboard too looks quite wide, with a large touchscreen infotainment system with vertically laid AC vents on its either side.

The lower panel of the center console is finished in premium piano black theme and houses the transmission lever on the left side and cluster of buttons for climate control on the right side. There are fine touches of faux wood on the door panels as well as center tunnel, with the cabin also getting a plethora of small storage spaces here and there in the entire cabin.

For a premium MPV, the GAC GM8 looks quite sophisticated and premium, thanks to the bold front and rear profiles. The side profile of the GAC GM8, however, lacks the modernity of the front and rear and looks rather plain.

Starting then from the front, the GAC GM8 looks quite bold with the large imposing front grille, which is laid in a vertical manner and gets four smart looking chrome slats one over the other. The swerved theme for the front headlamps looks cool, and the coolness quotient is doubled by the presence of quad-LED projector bulbs and smooth S-shaped daytime running LEDs in both of them. The trapezoidal-shaped LED fog lamps are adjoined to each other by a long chrome element in the lower portion of the front bumper.

Moving towards the sides, and the GAC GM8 looks very simple, however, the large side window panels for all the three rows accentuate its large appeal even more. The prominent shoulder line running from the edge of the headlamp to that of the tail lamp adds some appeal to the otherwise bland side profile. 

At the rear, the GAC GM8 might look as boxy as other MUVs, however, what makes it look youthful here is the large tail lamp assembly. These tail lamps are adjoined by a sleek red coloured reflector, leaving a trapezoidal area below it, which also houses the GMC logo. The slightly upper positioned license plate housing and dual exhaust ports on the rear bumper with chrome element between them completes the look of the vehicle at the rear.

The GAC GM8 offers a very comfortable ride experience, with all the three rows of the seats offering abundant space and cushioned seats. The Macpherson struts at the front and multi-link setup at the rear are set on a softer side, so as to offer a plush ride quality to the passengers seated on the inside.

The engine and gearbox combination doing its duty under the hood of the GAC GM8 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine coupled to an 8-speed automatic gearbox. The engine makes a maximum power output of 252 PS, while the peak torque output tops at 390 Nm.

The list of safety amenities made available in the GAC GM8 include front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, traction control, electronic stability program, reverse parking sensors, reverse camera, hill start assist and hill descent control.

The GAC GM8 looks quite suave for a large MUV, whether you take its exterior design into consideration or its interior cabin layout. The GAC GM8 scores high on features and comfort levels, the two topmost priorities one seeks from a large MUV.