At the GAC Discovery Drive Fest, GAC Motor Philippines introduced a four-wheel drive variant of its highly popular GS8 three-row flagship SUV on Friday, August 25, 2023.

Also Read: GAC Motor Philippines celebrates 276% increase in Y0Y growth, launches new GAC GS8 4WD at ₱2,548,000

Along with the presence of GAC brand ambassador Dingdong Dantes, who shared his experiences with his GS8 and how it even makes cameo appearances in his ongoing soap opera, Royal Blood, the launch event also saw the band True Faith perform their greatest hits from the 1990s to the present.

Aside from the full GAC lineup on display at the Palm Drive Activity Center in Glorietta 2 Makati, the event also has test drives for interested car buyers.

"We chose this venue because it is airconditioned and convenient, all the cars can be inspected in the cool environment," says Franz Decloedt, marketing director of Astara Philippines, the distributor of GAC vehicles in the country. "And if customers want to test drive the cars, they just need to walk to the driveway, and the car will be there cool and ready," he adds.

While the GS8 4WD was indeed the star of the show, we couldn't help but notice the recently launched GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style as it stood out among the cars on display. 

"The demand for the GS3 is really high," confirmed Decloedt as he related how they were pleasantly surprised by the public's reception to the crossover. "We really fought for its price," he shared. The motoring scribes and content creators in attendance acknowledged how the GS3 Emzoom's price range, from ₱998,000 for the base model GS to ₱1,198,000 for the top-of-the-line R-Style, is one of the GS3's unique selling propositions. 

Also Read: FULL REVIEW: 2024 GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style: A true Geely Coolray rival

If only it were...

Amidst the marketing discussions at the sidelines of the event, one of our colleagues, Rey Gan of Reygan's Rides, commented that the only thing missing perhaps from the GS3 lineup is a hybrid version of it. To which we in the conversation agreed. 

Decloedt was quick to reply, "Just you wait. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata." 

Now to us present at the table, that friendly banter is short of saying, "It is coming, and soon." And it's not as if the Astara executive employed the US military SOP reply of neither confirming nor denying a statement when we repeated the question. It's just that Decleodt didn't exactly say when it would arrive.

During the global launch of the GAC GS3 Emzoom in February 2023, reports from international media indicated that a Plug-in Hybrid EV variant was in development for the model.

The GAC Global Platform Modular Architecture, which underpins the GS3 Emzoom lends itself to both plug-in and hybrid powertrains aside from the Internal Combustion Engine it has now.

We haven't seen any updates yet as to how far the development of this electrified version of the all-new GS3 has progressed. Or whether it will indeed be a PHEV or a full hybrid. Clearly, Decloedt knows something we have yet to find out.

So, will you be waiting for the electrified variant of the GS3? Or are you happy and enthralled with what the GAC GS3 already has to offer now?

You can still catch it and other GAC models on display until Sunday, August 27, 2023, at the Palm Drive Activity Center in Glorietta. Might as well test-drive one to see if it suits your taste.