With a price tag of under R400 000 and a specification list longer than Dricus du Plessis’ reach, the GAC Emzoom Nova enters the compact SUV arena as the base model in the line up but also gaining some aesthetic tweaks.
Its stellar positioning puts it up against the likes of the Citroën Basalt 1.2T Plus, Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL and Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Million Edition on pure pricing but leaves them in its comet trail in terms of standard features.
Some great deals on dealer-backed pre-owned and demo GAC Emzoom variants can be found here
These include cruise control, 225/55R 17-inch wheels, 10,25-inch touchscreen, rear parking sensors, hill start assist, hidden door handles, electronic parking brake, 3,5-inch instrument cluster, multi-function steering wheel, synthetic leather and fabric seats, Android Auto and Apple Car Play, keyless and remote start function among them.
Up front is a 1,5-litre turbo-petrol engine, generating 130 kW, 270 Nm of torque, mated to a seven speed dual wet clutch transmission, that means the car can do nought to 100 km/h in eight seconds, but it also means that it maintains a fuel consumption at 6,2 l/100 km.
Brian Smith, Marketing Director of Salvador Caetano South Africa, the importers and distributors of the GAC brand, says: “It might be the entry point into the range but it has It has loads of tech, that great drive train, a 2-year 30 000 kilometer service plan and, of course, it has the GAC lifetime warranty for the first owner.”
A brief test drive in urban conditions reaffirmed what I have previously said when I had the original launch model on test – the engine may be small but its heart is big and it responds quickly and willingly to throttle inputs, while the steering in Normal mode is light enough make city driving and parking easy without losing any of the feel.
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Bumped to Sport mode both acceleration and steering are suitably sharpened and the Nova sits on a well balanced and tuned suspension setup that marries comfort and the ability to absorb those road imperfections Johannesburgers have to live with every day with the kind of sporty response that makes brisker driving a pleasure.
Anti-lock braking, traction control, stability control and tyre pressure sensor are all standard but the big downside comes with the fact it offers only driver and passenger front crash bags – wheras its price competitors all offer six crash bags.
The Nova is 4 410 mm long, 1 850 mm wide, 1 600 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2 650 mm with a load capacity of 371 litres rising to 1 271 litres with the rear seats folded.
There is no doubt car buyers are under heavy economic pressure and price is king in the selection process. The Emzoom comes with a 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating based on the six crash bag variants. However, the Nova is a variant and comes with the same levels of body and steel construction that earned it the rating in terms of adult and child protection.
Colin Windell for Colin-on-Cars in association with
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