Comfort zone
The well-specced GAC M6 Pro presents a serious challenge for the usual suspects
By Kap Maceda Aguila
A DRIFT TRACK is quite an exciting place to be, if you’re looking forward to gawking at — if not experiencing for yourself — dynamic driving. Everyday driving on usual routes should be a cinch for all vehicles worth their salt; but it is through pushing beyond the average that one gets a better idea of how well an automobile is put together.
That’s exactly the idea behind GAC Motor Philippines’ recent drive to highlight its M6 Pro multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).
Of course, dynamic driving — let alone a drift track — are not the usual concepts associated with MPVs, which are more known as point-A-to-B conveyors while offering comfort and varying levels of convenience (and luxury). So there was some incredulity with the decision of GAC Motor Philippines in choosing the R33 Drift Track in San Simon, Pampanga to showcase its M6 Pro seven-seater van to three batches of the press and content creators.
Ahead of the drive, GAC Motor Philippines Brand Head Franz Decloedt, in an exclusive interview with “Velocity,” reported on Astara Philippines’ growing business with the Chinese brand. “There’s great momentum that we’ve been experiencing since our first year with GAC. We ended 2023 with sales of almost 2,000 units; that’s almost 350% growth. This year, we’re continuing that momentum. By the end of May, we had already sold 1,351 units for the year. That means we’re almost at our 2023 levels. Growth is at 204%. GAC here is now the fastest-growing brand in the industry among all brands.”
When Astara Philippines took over the GAC distributorship at the end of 2022, the brand had six dealerships in its network. At the close of 2023, that number grew to 20. Today? “We’re currently at 26 operating dealers,” reported Mr. Decloedt, and he expects to get that total up to as many as 38-strong before the year is done and dusted. “We are blessed that a lot of new partners are wanting to carry the brand,” he insisted.
Right at the core of GAC’s success heretofore in the Philippines is, of course, its product mix — led in sales by the GS3 Emzoom subcompact crossover. Astara Philippines recently reported that the model breached 1,500 units in sales since its launch in June of last year. A source revealed that it accounts for up to 40% of local sales for the brand.
“There is so much more to offer in the MPV segment,” said Astara Philippines Training Head Dong Magsajo at R33. “This set of training exercises which consists of hard braking and maneuverability exercises in a proper track are enough to show that we have some advanced safety features that might not be standard, or not what people might expect in an MPV. Primary in anyone who buys a vehicle for the family is safety, so we chose to highlight that — on top of the comfort and tech features and the styling of the M6 Pro.”
The GAC M6 Pro is priced at P1.23 million for the GS variant, and P1.598 million for the GL. The latter is fitted with — among other niceties — a slew of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features. Both trims are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter mill delivering 174hp and 270Nm.
“We have one of the biggest entry access points,” stressed Mr. Magsajo, referring to the large rear doors which allow ingress for the second-row captain’s chairs, along with the third-row bench seats. GAC also has an elegant way of accessing the last row. “You can actually go through the middle of the two captain’s chairs,” he said, which means there’s no need to move the second-row chairs — though the armrests need to be lifted up for greater convenience.
There’s another interesting feature in the GAC M6 Pro that yields benefits for its users. The spare tire lies under the floor just behind the first row. “That means you don’t have to go underneath the car to access it,” said Mr. Magsajo. Another advantage with this move of the spare is that it frees up the rear compartment for more cargo space.
The seven (in 2+2+3 configuration) seater competes with several more established brands in the segment, and GAC Motor Philippines hopes that highlighting its set of features, as well as flexing its abilities through activities like our own drift track experience, will make car browsers take a closer look.
Speaking of, lead instructor Georges Ramirez and his family of motoring experts guided our group of media practitioners and content creators through an interesting course at the R33. Several exercises were designed to push the M6 Pro and see how it behaved in emergency situations.
In one exercise, we brought the MPV to a speed of about 60kph, made a turn, and then stepped hard on the brakes to see how the vehicle would behave. It stayed firm and unperturbed through the maneuver.
Another exercise was the so-called moose test, named thus because it warrants a sudden lane change, without time for braking, when an obstacle — such as, yes, a moose (in certain territories, of course) — suddenly appears on the road. You can feel intervening features (notably the electronic stability program) in the vehicle that enable the driver to focus solely on avoiding the obstacle.
Meanwhile, a soapy strip of linoleum was used to demonstrate the traction control on the M6 Pro. Even when the left tires went through the slippery surface (while the right tires were planted on the cement), the vehicle didn’t panic, and regulated the delivery of power and traction in an orchestrated fashion to keep the M6 Pro unbothered.
A test of the Surround View Camera System (available on the higher GL variant) revealed how much easier it is to maneuver and park the vehicle through aids like alerts and moving guidelines on the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen.
For GAC, it’s about ticking the boxes not normally ticked — and at lower price points. But the brand is, at the same time, keen on conveying a more upmarket quality to its offerings.
Stressed Mr. Magsajo. “We have, for example, the GS8 and the M8. These are vehicles that, once you actually go to the showroom, see them and test-drive them, will completely blow you away. You will understand, the moment you sit on those seats, how different the entire experience is. They’re huge, but they’re also packed with technology and features that you would expect from established brands.”
He concluded, “We’re not here to be mediocre. We’ll give you the best value for your money, regardless of your budget. That’s how we look at our role in this entire thing.”