WITH the proliferation of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from China, there are so many models that come with interesting and unique equipment and features for the respective brand.
The GAC Emkoo is undeniably one of them with a surprising range of fittings that one wouldn’t come to expect for the price it is available at.
This is the Premium Pro variant, the pricier version at RM133,800 on the road without insurance that remains a very competitively tag.
Of course, the lesser variant Premium is even more attractively priced fetching RM10,000 lower to retain its good value stance with its strong array of features.
These attractive prices are made possible because the GAC Emkoo is assembled by WTC Automotif in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, the assembly plant under the Tan Chong Group.
Likewise, the Emkoo is distributed by GAC Malaysia, a subsidiary company under the Tan Chong Group.
GAC stands for Guangzhou Auto Company and in China, it has joint ventures with a few car companies such as Toyota and Honda.
Those joint ventures are viewed in a positive light as GAC believes it could learn from its partners about producing reliable and quality passenger vehicles.
The Emkoo turns heads with its striking bold lines such as the unconventional V-shaped front grille slats that are complemented by angular LED (light emitting diode) daytime running lights.
The same angular light design is also adopted for the rear to make for a balanced look that catches the eye.
We have had our share of SUV motorists slowing down to take a closer look from both rear and front.
As there appear to be fewer GAC Emkoo SUVs on the road currently, having being launched in October last year, the novelty of its presence on Malaysia roads remains high.
Getting acquainted with the Emkoo, we were pleasantly surprised that the driver’s seat has this easy entry and exit feature.
What it does when you open the door is the seat being moved electrically rearward to facilitate easy entry; it would do likewise when you open the door after switching off the engine to get
out.
This feature is programmed to remember the last set driving position and would resume that position each time.
That is convenient and practical if you have different people driving the vehicle although it means re-adjusting the position for each change of drivers.
However, it doesn’t resume the set driving position until the engine is started, which means you would have to stretch your leg to step on the brake pedal to bring the engine to life.
This is compensated somewhat by the location of the press start/stop button on the central console instead of the usual place on the dashboard.
Another novelty is the compact crystal gear selector that acts somewhat like a toggle switch with which you flick up or down to get Reverse, Neutral or Drive.
There are three drive modes but the selection is not done via any control on the central console; you would have to use the 10.1-inch centre infotainment display to select Car mode and pick Eco, Comfortable or Sport.
Of the three, we found Comfortable to offer the best driving experience as engine response to accelerator input was about right.
Selecting Eco was only good for stretching the petrol ringgit as engine response was less lively while driving in Sport mode gave a more spirited feel, with the turbocharged engine all eager to unleash the horses at bay.
This is a 1.5-litre Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection (TGDi) engine that puts out 130kW/177PS and 270Nm of torque which peaks early at 1,400rpm and plateaus till 4,500rpm.
Power is channelled to the front wheels via a seven-speed Wet Dual Clutch Transmission (7WDCT).
It is said to sprint from 0 to 100kph in a fairly quick 8.8 seconds (given that its kerb weight is 1,540kg) and its top speed is 190kph.
Its average fuel consumption is given as 6.6 l/100km (NEDC – New European Driving Cycle) or about 15km/l.
We covered more than 200km during our weekend drive and there was still more than half a tank of fuel left.
The 10.25-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) instrument panel has two view options and we chose the one with the combined engine and road speed dial in the centre.
Our favourite item is the HUD (head-up display) with the visuals in clear definition on the front windscreen.
The information is sufficient with the road speed, lane discipline with distance to the vehicle ahead, mileage available and drive mode, all easily gleaned at a glance.
Matching it in size is the 10.1-inch multifunctional touchscreen through which a variety of controls is accessed.
Manual adjustment for the air-conditioner temperature could be done by the front passenger via a knob beside the centre air-conditioner vents, more for the novelty over the touchscreen approach.
Opening the doors from the inside follows the toggle switch format that needed some initial getting used to and we were still getting used to it when we returned the Emkoo.
Its premium standing is boosted further by the panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade, which we didn’t use due to the blazing hot days over the weekend.
The rear passenger space looks good with the seats offering reasonable thigh support and ample legroom, made possible with a wheelbase of 2,750mm.
Likewise, the luggage space looks sizeable offering some 638 litres that could be expanded to 1586 litres by folding away the 60:40 split rear seat rests.
Contributing to this roomy luggage space is the use of a space saver spare wheel rather than a full-size one.
The 19-inch alloys add a nice touch to its profile and are fitted with 235/55 R19 Continental EcoContact tyres.
Its front Macpherson and rear multi-link suspension appeared well tuned to provide reasonably good ride comfort for the varying road terrain we covered daily.
Bumps and potholes were taken with impacts that were more pliant than bumpy at normal road speeds.
We also enjoyed the Emkoo’s winding road manners as we tore through our favourite bends and corners at good speeds; the well-controlled body lean gave us the confidence to push that little bit harder where possible.
It has a good range of safety systems too including Traffic Jam Assist, Forward Collision Warning (that we heard a few times), Automatic Emergency Braking (which we didn’t get to experience with prudent driving) and even Traffic Sign Recognition System.
The chink in the armour was its crawl speed braking performance; it gripped hard too suddenly towards the end of the slowing down motion for a jerky ride.
Nevertheless, the Emkoo grew on us day by day as we learnt to access the respective drive modes and functions, and got to enjoy more of its performance quality.
Given its very competitive prices, we weren’t surprise to learn that the first batch of CKD Emkoos were sold out and the assembly plant was under pressure to deliver more to meet mounting orders.
SPECIFICATIONS
GAC Emkoo Premium Pro
Engine: 1,497cc, 16-valve, DOHC, 4-cylinder TGDi engine
Maximum power: 130kW/177PS at 5,500rpm
Maximum torque: 270Nm from 1,400 to 4,500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed Wet Double-Clutch automatic
Suspension: Front MacPherson struts; rear multi-links
Features: Driver memory seat with auto easy entry and exit function, head-up display (HUD), compact crystal gear selector, ventilated and power adjustable front seats, multi-colour interior ambient lights, Air Quality Sensor (AQS), leatherette seats, 50W wireless smartphone charger, panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade, hands-free power tailgate, tyre pressure monitoring system, 360-degree Surround View system, front parking sensors, Adaptive Vehicle Dynamic Control (AVDC), Integrated Cruise Assist (ICA), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Traffic Jam Assist (TJA), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking - Vulnerable Road Users Protection (AEB-VRU), Intelligent High Beam Control System (IHBC, Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Blind Spot Detection (BSD). Door Open Warning (DOW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), Traffic Sign Recognition System (TSR), Full Automatic Parking Assist (FAPA)
Price: RM133,800 (OTR without insurance)
