The GAC Emkoo Hybrid completely changes the way I see this crossover

When GAC Motor Philippines launched the Emkoo compact crossover at the 2023 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS), it got the motoring media and general public’s attention with its striking and futuristic design, and competitive pricing. That’s all well and good but it left me wanting more after I tried it out myself.

Let’s just say the turbocharged powertrain delivered well in terms of power, and it also provided excellent comfort for its occupants. However, it just really felt like something was missing, until now.

For this year’s edition of the MIAS, the Chinese automaker previewed the Emkoo Hybrid. Fast forward to today, it’s finally available in local dealerships and we’ve gotten our hands on it for a day on a quick drive from Makati City to Tagaytay City with some industry colleagues and friends.

And to summarize it all, I’m impressed. Keep reading to find out why.

Our drive started at the Discovery Primea in Makati City at 8:00 AM, peak rush hour. I was the lucky person who would have to deal with this as I took on the first set of driving duties from there to a lay-by along the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) in Silang, Cavite.

To start things off, let’s talk about the new electrified powertrain.

Under the hood of the GAC Emkoo Hybrid is a 2.0-liter Inline 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated gasoline engine that runs on the Atkinson Cycle. It produces 140 horsepower and 180 Nm of torque on its own.

It is paired to a 134 kW electric motor that makes 300 Nm or torque, and a lithium-ion battery. Total combined output is 238 horsepower, making it among the most powerful in the segment. It is then mated to a two-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).

Right off the bat, I knew that I was going to like how this drives. As expected from a full hybrid, it accelerates extremely smoothly and on full electric power when at low speeds. Once the gasoline engine kicks-in, you will hardly notice it as the transition is seamless.

Once on the highway, you can immediately feel that it is a lot more powerful than your usual hybrid suspects. This having a series-parallel hybrid system, it drives very smooth and quietly, a lot like the Honda CR-V e:HEV and GWM Haval H6 HEV.

NVH insulation is a very strong point for this with barely any outside noises coming into the cabin. Vibrations are very much not present even when the internal combustion engine activates as mentioned and you can barely hear it too.

Road noise is also very well insulated and the Giti tires equipped on our tester were surprisingly very quiet which was not the same experience I got from other vehicles equipped with the same brand.

GAC Motor Philippines claims that the Emkoo Hybrid is capable of returning a fuel economy figure of 22.1 km/l. For this drive, it returned 15.4 km/l by the time we arrived at our destination—Anya Resort in Tagaytay City. 

Quite far from the brand’s estimate but do note that we did have four people inside the vehicle, went through some heavy rush hour traffic, did most of the driving on the highway, and also had to drive uphill a lot.

Now we can talk about how the Emkoo Hybrid looks as it’s nothing different from the pure ICE versions, specifically the 1.5 GL DCT variant.

In front it still gets the V-shaped front grille matched with T-shaped LED headlights, while the side gets the same 19-inch two-tone alloy wheels, and the rear’s easily recognizable Laser Sword taillights which I really like. The interior is also largely the same with its Chinese scroll-inspired central airconditioning vent design, dual screen setup, and rotary interior door handle.

It still gets a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster. 

Really, only setting this apart from the GL are the ‘Hybrid’ badging and blue highlight on the GAC emblems on the outside, and the inclusion of an energy monitor on the interior screens to see how power is distributed within the hybrid system.

It also gets a few added safety features compared to the GL with blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, and rear collision warning. This is on top of other standard driver-assist systems such as adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking.

Other standard equipment are also the same as the GL variant such as leather seats, ventilated front seats, power tailgate, a panoramic glass roof, rain-sensing wipers, a six-speaker audio system, and ambient lighting.

After a little bit of relaxation, a filling lunch, and talking about the latest industry updates from fellow motoring media at the Anya Resort in Tagaytay, it was time to head back to Metro Manila where we continued to enjoy the Emkoo Hybrid’s comfort from the backseat which was far from anything to complain about. Well there is one thing…

That’s the placement of the hazard button and starter button for the powertrain. These two are placed too close to each other and can be confused for either function. If you’re not used to it (like one of my carmates), you might end up shutting-off the vehicle when your intention is to turn on the hazards. Safety issue? It might just be.

And I guess we can add how this lacks a wireless phone charger. Instead, we still get a spot that looks designed for one, complete with a phone icon and rubberized surface, just without the charging capabilities.

Now let’s go back to the title of this review as the Emkoo Hybrid certainly changed how I perceive this model. 

Like I said, the other variants were good, but they just really did not feel like they stood-out enough, especially with the competitive nature of this model’s direct rivals. The hybrid powertrain changes it all though. We had a good turbocharged powertrain, but this is just so much better.

It’s a lot more fuel-efficient, it’s a lot quieter, it’s a lot smoother. Those are enough for the brand to actually sway buyers in this direction especially with its Php 1,698,000 retail price. That’s Php 200,000 more than the previously top-spec GL variant but right at the same league of other rivals such as GWM Haval H6 and BYD Sealion 6 (should we call it the Emkoo 6?), and much much less than the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V e:HEV.

GAC Motor Philippines also knows that the Emkoo has been overshadowed by its own models such as the smaller GS3 Emzoom. Perhaps with this, the compact crossover can finally have the market share it deserves.