The GAC GS8 has been one of the genuine surprises of the year. In our review, we called it a luxury crossover at midsize SUV prices. However, there was one thing missing in the GS8, and that was all-wheel drive. GAC Philippines has responded by finally giving its flagship crossover exactly that.
Simply called the GS8 4WD, it now serves as the top-spec model of the GS8 range, as well as the new flagship of the entire GAC Philippines lineup. It is also the only GAC product in the country with all-wheel drive.
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According to GAC, the GS8 4WD has all the standard equipment carried over from the front-wheel drive version. That means it has all the interior trimmings from its two-wheel drive counterpart, along with a 14.6-inch HD touchscreen display, wireless charging, tri-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and intelligent ambient lighting. On top of that, the GS8 4WD also comes with forward-collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree-view monitor with front and rear parking sensors.
So, what are the added features in the all-wheel drive version? Aside from the extra traction, the variant’s exclusive features include a 10-speaker Alpine Sound System, a ventilated front central armrest compartment, and a terrain management system (TMS).
Speaking of its TMS, the GS8’s all-wheel drive system is of interest. While it doesn’t have locking differentials like a 4x4, it has what GAC says is an ‘intelligent 4WD’ system. It shuffles the power between the front and rear wheels, depending on the drive mode. These modes include Economy, Comfort,Sport, Sand, and Snow/Mud. It remains to be seen how it performs on the rough stuff, but it’s worth pointing out that BorgWarner had a hand in its development.
Like the two-wheel drive version, the GS8 4WD uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. Power and torque figures are carried over from the other variant, meaning it makes 248hp and 400Nm of torque. It then shifts with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The GAC GS8 4WD will be offered at a special introductory price of P2,548,000.
