You might find yourself overwhelmed by the number of Chinese options on the market today.
Best sit down, have a cup of tea and come to terms with the notion of your favourite European and Japanese firms possibly being supplanted by offerings hailing from the red flag country. There are more on the horizon.
Recently, a player named Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) landed in Mzansi. The manufacturer has about 20 dealerships across the country so far and a two model product range, which is set to expand with a fully electric model in coming months.
Responsible for its South African operations is a Portuguese concern named Salvador Caetano. Relatively unknown in our region, the company has a respectable presence in other countries on the continent.
It helps that there are sharp leaders behind the wheel of the local GAC undertaking. Leslie Ramsoomar is among them. His last post was MD for Stellantis, where he played a crucial role in negotiating the deal to build the Peugeot Landtrek bakkie in Gqeberha. Ramsoomar is certainly under no illusions about the challenges involved in building a brand from scratch.
In August we tested the junior of the GAC range, the GS3 Emzoom. Recently, the larger C-segment Emkoo arrived in our basement. We should address the name. Googling Emkoo reveals connotations around the mandarin word for shadow.
With its angular, edgy profile, the GAC does manage to cut quite a striking profile in the harsh light of day or dimness of night. Door handles that retract flush into the bodywork not only look cool, but purport some aerodynamic benefits.
Aggressive pleats and a decidedly pointy stance means the Emkoo is not likely to blend into the periphery of the C-segment arena. Which, as you might know, is quite crowded.
Seriously, this car faces a tough battle. On one hand, you have traditional rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage and Nissan X-Trail. But there are also competent Chinese rivals — think Haval H6 or Chery Tiggo 8 Pro.
Giving the interior a good touch and feel, it is clear they put in the effort to create a premium ambience. Pleasant soft-touch surfaces abound, and there are novel cues that hint towards a healthy imagination from the designers. The large, cylindrical insert that serves as the middle air-conditioning vent, for instance. Instead of typical interior door release levers, the Emkoo has chunky pull-up handles. Its seats are comfortable and well-bolstered.
But there were issues. That infotainment errs on the frustrating side, with a busy layout and dull screen response. Why must the screen's other functions completely disappear when the surround-view camera is activated? Annoying. The Bluetooth system seemed to be possessed, but seemed to behave after deleting and repairing my device. Our car also had a noisy air-conditioner fan and certain switchgear that felt loose.
None of the gripes were as startling as the amount of lag on take-off, however. GAC opted to retain the same 1.5-litre, turbocharged-petrol engine unit from the smaller GS3 Emzoom.
It works fine there, with its 130kW/270Nm and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The problem is, the larger Emkoo is also 170kg heavier. So the blunting effect is obvious. Off the line, the Emkoo is painfully lethargic. The in-gear acceleration is bearable though, if not specially confidence-inspiring where quicker overtaking manoeuvres are needed.
Average fuel consumption over 200km of driving was 13l/100km. Our best recorded consumption was 7l/100km. A colleague from a different publication showed me how he managed to achieve much lower, finessing the car on the freeway.
Ride quality and road manners are of a good standard. It has a plush feel, thanks to hydraulic shock mount elements to better filter out road imperfections.
Pricing kicks off at just under R600,000 for the Executive, while the Executive-Plus goes for R659,900. A five-year/150,000km warranty and five-year/100,000km service plan are included.
Snazzy looks, an interesting cabin and respectable road manners are strong suits of the Emkoo.
Thing is, you could also get those attributes — with fewer quirks and a more convincing engine — from other rivals in the segment.
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