Chinese brand has described the reduction across all variants as not a sales tactic, but in response to local market conditions.
Its South African operations launched at the beginning of last year, GAC Motor importer, Salvador Caetano Auto has announced price cuts across the GS3 Emzoom and Emkoo ranges it says has been as a result of “prevailing market conditions”.
Value boosting
A line-up set to be joined later this year by electric sub-brand Aion simply titled Y crossover, the cuts range from R50 000 to R60 000 for the GS3 Emzoom, and between R80 000 and R100 000 for the Emkoo without any changes to specification or powertrain.
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“This price drop for the Emzoom and Emkoo is a testament to our belief that consumers deserve to benefit directly from favourable forex movements,” GAC Motor South Africa Managing Director, Leslie Ramsoomar, said in a statement.
“This is a win for everyone – from our valued customers to our partners, who will see the fruits of our strategic investments in the market”.
GS3 Emzoom
Commencing the GAC range, the GS3 Emzoom range still spans three derivatives; Comfort, Executive and R-Style, with all deriving motivation of an in-house developed 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine developing 130kW/270Nm.
As with the majority of other Chinese vehicles, the amount of twist gets routed to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
In terms of specification, the Comfort comes standard with the following:
- LED headlights and fog lamps;
- folding electric mirrors;
- 18-inch alloy wheels;
- cruise control;
- 3.5-inch instrument cluster display;
- automatic air-conditioning;
- height-adjustable driver’s seat;
- dual front airbags;
- 10.25-inch infotainment system only with Apple CarPlay;
- keyless entry;
- rear parking sensors;
- reverse camera;
- tyre pressure monitor;
- Hill Start Assist;
- Electronic Stability Programme
Building on the Comfort, the Executive swaps the 3.5-inch display for a full seven-inch digital instrument cluster, the synthetic leather upholstery for real hide and the cruise control for Adaptive Cruise Control.
Completing the spec sheet are;
- leather-trimmed steering wheel;
- rear air-conditioning air vents;
- driver and passenger side airbags;
- Automatic Emergency Braking;
- Lane Departure Warning;
- Traffic Sign Recognition System;
- Forward Collision Warning
Complete with its sportier bumpers, door sills and model denoting decals, the R-Style’s additions cover the Executive include rain sense wipers, and electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, rear passenger curtain airbags, a wireless smartphone charger and ambient lightning.
Auto High Beam Assist LED headlights, type-C USB ports, Hill Descent Control and a 360-degree surround-view camera system rounds the R-Style off.
Offering between 341-litres to 1 271-litres of boot space, all GS3 Emzoom models are outfitted with a drive mode selector as standard incorporating three settings; Eco, Comfort and Sport.
Emkoo
Showcased mere weeks after the Emzoom’s reveal, the Emkoo utilises the same drivetrain, but in a line-up spanning two models; Executive and Executive Plus, with boot space rated at 420-litres without the rear seats lowered.
Spec-wise, the both come standard with type-A and type-C USB ports, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay only, push-button start and keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, automatic air-conditioning with rear vents, a six-speaker dts sound system, leatherette electric front seats, folding electric mirrors and rain sense wipers.
Taking care of safety are six airbags, Automatic Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keep Assist and a 360-degree surround-view camera system.
While both models also receive the drive mode selector with the same settings as the GS3 Emzoom, the flagship Emkoo Executive Plus additionally gains an electric tailgate, a wireless smartphone charger, heated and ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, Park Assist, Hill Descent Control, Lane Change Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Automatic Braking, and 19-inch alloy wheels in place of the Executive’s 18-inches.
Price
Included with each model’s price tag is a five-year/150 000 km warranty as well as a five-year/100 000 km service plan.
- GS3 Emzoom 1.5T Comfort DCT – R419 900
- GS3 Emzoom 1.5T Executive DCT – R439 900
- GS3 Emzoom 1.5T R-Style DCT – R489 900
- Emkoo 1.5 T-GDI Executive DCT – R519 900
- Emkoo 1.5 T-GDI Executive Plus DCT – R559 900
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