Disclosure: GAC Philippines lent us a 2024 GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style unit with a full gas tank for seven days.

When GAC Philippines launched the 2024 GAC GS3 Emzoom, it set its sights on the very lucrative subcompact crossover segment. The new crossover would have to fight against established nameplates such as the Geely Coolray, MG ZS-T, and the Changan CS-35 Plus.

However, the automaker was confident it could take on these established players thanks to the specifications it brought in with the new GS3. It also gave the crossover very competitive pricing aimed at the Geely Coolray.

With that said, here is our review of the GAC GS3 Emzoom in its R-Style trim set to take on and possibly even take down the Geely Coolray.

Tapping into your inner racer

Regarding styling, the GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style ticks all the right boxes if you want an aggressive-looking and sporty crossover. It has all the right angles and creases to appeal to your inner racer. 

It has angular LED daytime running lights positioned at the top of the front fascia near the hood, while its taillights are located lower in the front in the middle of the bumper. It was a feature that initially confused us, so we had to reshoot a segment of the review video with the new information. 

Another common thing we noticed with the R-Style variant is the multitude of orange accents. These can be found on the crossover's front chin, roof rail, C-pillar, and rear diffuser.

Moving to the side, it has even more triangular and angular accents to give the vehicle a bit more depth with its side profile. 

Lest we forget, this R-Style variant also rocks gorgeous 19-inch alloy wheels with orange accents wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires that give it extra grip for stopping, handling, and acceleration.

At the back, the angles continue with its sharp LED taillights, race-inspired roof-mounted spoiler, and power tailgate.

It has an active exhaust system that adds a bit more growl to the overall sound of the crossover. While it's more subtle than what's found on the GAC Empow, it still adds a subtle growl to the vehicle, especially when you put the pedal to the metal.

It's an overall great exterior package, but we wish GAC gave the vehicle bigger tire sidewalls as they are prone to get scratched with the pothole-ridden streets of the Philippines.

Premium interior

A breath of fresh air is what you get with the interior of the GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style, as it comes with a black and beige interior combination. It also comes with the brand’s geometric styling for the beige interior accents, which is a nice touch.

Compared to its competitors' red and black interiors, the interior color scheme gives the crossover a more premium look and feel. It's an excellent change of pace, especially if you want something different from what the other brands offer.

Like its competitors, the R-Style has power-adjustable seats and a remote start function to cool the cabin off. It also has a panoramic sunroof if you want more natural light to enter the cabin.

At the center, it has a 10.25-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay. Sadly, no Android Auto is available, which would have been a plus for us. Still, the GS3 Emzoom does come with screen mirroring for Android phones. 

Overall, it's a great interior combination that can put its rivals to shame with its quality and execution, as the seats are very supportive and comfortable.

Turbo power

Under the hood, the GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 174 horsepower and 270 Nm of torque. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels via a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. 

The turbocharged motor can quickly rocket the vehicle from 0 to 100 in a matter of 7.5 seconds, and thanks to its brakes, it can stop from 100 to 0 in about 35 meters.

One feature that would have completed the GS3 Emzoom R-Style was the addition of paddle shifters to give you some manual control over the vehicle. Unfortunately, the GAC crossover is not equipped, which would have made it even better.

However, its transmission tuning is good enough for your daily drive and if you want to get into some spirited driving.

For its fuel economy figures, the GS3 Emzoom could do 8.3 to 12 km/l in the city and 12 to 16 km/l on the highway. These figures aren’t bad considering that the turbo spools as early as 1,400 rpm and the transmission likes to keep the motor in low boost. 

Driving and handling

As for its driving and handling, we noticed during our time with the vehicle that the brakes can feel a bit numb. Nevertheless, it can stop the car with the claimed 35-meter distance, and acceleration is also on point.

Much like it's bigger than Emkoo, the GS3 suffers from the same DCT issues while in traffic. There are times when the transmission won’t bite and will only do so once you hit 2,000 rpm; when that happens, the car rockets forward, causing you to hit the brakes immediately. It's not ideal for traffic situations but is better for open roads. 

As for its ride, the 19-inch wheels don’t make much of a difference, as the vehicle is still very comfortable. We can attribute it to its excellent suspension and its comfortable leather seats. 

Safety

As for its safety features, the GS3 has six airbags, comes with ABS with EBD, and has the following:

• Adaptive Cruise control
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Traffic Sign recognition system
• Traffic Jam Assist
• High Beam Assist
• Integrated Speed Limit Control
• Lane Keep Assist

However, like its bigger brother and other GAC products with lane keep assist, we noticed that it couldn’t be fully trusted as it will often suddenly turn off at awkward times. It's a great feature to have on while the roads are straight, but once there are slight curves, you must keep an eye on it.

We can trust the adaptive cruise control system as it works well and is smooth when it gets back up to speed. 

Verdict: A true Geely Coolray rival

In every sense, the GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style is geared to take on its rival, the Geely Coolray. Not only does the crossover compete with it in pricing but also in power and features.

Priced at ₱1,198,000, the GS3 Emzoom R-Style undercuts its Geely rival a lot, especially when comparing it to the Geely Coolray Sport. The Geely crossover is ₱99,000 more expensive than its GAC rival, which means savings in your pocket if you go for the GS3.

It has almost everything the Coolray has and admittedly does it slightly better. Even the pricing of the GS3 very similar to the launch price of the Coolray when it first launched. It indicates that GAC wants to take a stab at Geely and a piece out of the very lucrative subcompact crossover market.

Overall, the GS3 Emzoom delivers on being a “warm” crossover thanks to its powerful turbocharged engine, excellent feature set, and grippy set of tires. It's targeted at young Filipino buyers or the young at heart who want a fast yet frugal crossover that can hit 0 to 100 times of a sports car.