New GAC GS5 already in Russia - price, configuration

The Russian automotive market has been replenished with one more SUV. In the Russian Federation, the Chinese GAC GS5 was officially presented, having named prices and configurations. At home in the Middle Kingdom, the car occupies the middle segment, so far they have not seen success in sales, since in the first half of the year in China they managed to sell only 141,052 copies of the GAC company. Nevertheless, in the Russian market, the car began to be in demand.

The first generation GAC GS5 was introduced in 2012. It was based on a platform from Alfa Romeo 166. Almost immediately the car entered the market, but there was no particular success in the sale. The car sold best in 2014, when the manufacturer was able to sell 76,131 copies. In 2016, the car passed certification, but never appeared in Russia.

The company developed the second generation GAC GS5 independently and officially presented it in 2018. Almost immediately, the SUV went on sale in China, the novelty reached Russia only now. Since the GAC GS5 has not been successful in its home market, the manufacturer is targeting other countries.

The first GAC GS5 models will arrive in Russia with front-wheel drive, and in general the car will be offered only in front-wheel drive. Nevertheless, according to the manufacturer, all-wheel drive is provided by the design. A turbocharged gasoline engine with a volume of 1.5 liters will be installed under the hood of the new GAK GS5. The power of the unit is 137 horses and 216 Nm of torque. As a fuel, the manufacturer recommends gasoline with an octane rating of at least AI-92, that is, it is quite acceptable for the CIS countries.

If there is an inscription 235 on the engine cover, then this is the first indicator of the Chinese version of the unit, which can produce 152 hp. and 235 Nm of torque. In addition to the 235th, there is also a 265th unit with a capacity of 168 horses and 265 Nm. In tandem with the engine, most of the GAK GS5 configurations will receive an automatic transmission, and only the basic Comfort configuration will acquire a 6-speed mechanics.

The top grade GAC GS5, which was presented in Russia as an example of a new SUV, has acquired the most modern technologies. The list includes LED matrix optics, six airbags, blind spot monitoring, a panoramic sliding front roof and dual-zone climate control. With regard to comfort, it is worth noting the leather interior trim, electrically adjustable front seats, an electric boot lid, a rear-view camera and other useful little things.

Inside, the top-end GAC GS5 package looks no less attractive. The central part was taken under the 8 ″ display of the multimedia system, although in fact the picture looks smaller, and most of it is occupied by the frame. For the Chinese market, a 10.1 ″ display is put, but this option will not reach Russia. Likewise, Russia will not have a digital panel based on a 12.3 ″ color display. In the Russian Federation, the buyer of GAK GS5 will be offered an analog dashboard with a 3.5 ″ or 7 ″ color display of the on-board computer.

The transition from the panel to the central tunnel turned out to be stylish, but not practical. A smooth transition received functional buttons for controlling car systems, additional cells for small items and an armrest. The downside is that all this is decorated with black glossy plastic, which very quickly becomes covered with fingerprints and micro-scratches. As for the free space, there is enough of it both in the front and in the back. The second row of seats can be folded 60/40 if necessary. The luggage compartment also turned out to be free, but not without savings. Instead of reliable plastic and a seal, regular foam was used for the spare tire.

Now about the appearance of the new GAK GS5 2020. Like the Chinese version, the SUV for Russia is not particularly different. Depending on the configuration, the front optics can be conventional halogen or LED matrix. The designers stretched the radiator grille as horizontally as possible, with pronounced chrome stripes. On the side, the crossover turned out to be modern and very non-standard for Chinese cars. A minimum of chrome parts and a minimum of sharp lines. Side mirrors are located on the door panel.

According to experts, the main competitors of the new GAC GS5 in Russia will be the Haval H7, the new Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mitsubishi Outlander and Toyota RAV4. Taking into account the tendency of the emergence of new models of Chinese-made cars, it is not worth expecting an all-wheel drive version of the GAK GS5 for Russia, since the new generation will arrive sooner than all-wheel drive will be added.

GAC