GAC Emzoom Nova. Cheap and nasty? Or good value for money?
· Citizen
Be it from a legacy brand or one of the newcomers from China, consumers today are completely spoilt for choice when it comes to owning a compact SUV or Crossover.
And if you think that we already have too many options, think again. There is talk that another 10 Chinese brands are heading here to make their mark this year. How are they all going to survive? I have no idea.
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Keen pricing
In terms of pricing the GAC Emzoom Nova is in the middle of the pack when it comes to affordability at a sticker price of R359 900. And this includes a standard two-year / 30 000km service plan is complimented by a five-year / 150 000km warranty. Plus, a lifetime engine warranty for the first owner.
The GAC Emzoom Nova offers three driving modes: Eco, Comfort, and Sport. Picture: Supplied.Plenty on offer
One is almost too quick to dismiss value for money with cheap and nasty when it comes to Chinese products. And, I’m going to be honest with you, I was wondering if this was going to turn out to be a good week or a bad week.
On paper, the GAC Emzoom Nova offers plenty. Futuristic styling. Adequate space. An acceptable level of tech. Plus, a powerful enough engine and decent fuel consumption.
Pleasantly analogue
To jump inside, you must deal with those annoying hidden door handles that don’t pop open on their own. But once inside, you are greeted by a 10.25-inch HD infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, multi-function steering wheel and cruise control.
You also get a set of good old-fashioned analogue dials for speed and rpm. And I actually enjoyed the simplicity of this set-up because it also included basic rotary dial switches for the aircon and volume control, etc.
Simple set-up includes basic rotary dial switches for the aircon and volume control, etc. Picture: SuppliedOut on the road
The GAC Emzoom Nova runs the standard Chinese 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine mated to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox set-up. Producing 130kW of power and 270Nm of torque, there is enough go. But it’s not all plain sailing.
I know we have said this now one thousand times when evaluating Chinese cars. The throttle calibration is an issue. In the case of the GAC Emzoom Nova, it is not that bad, but as always, not much happens at first, and then it all tries to happen at once.
This is made worse by the fact that the car offers three driving modes: Eco, Comfort, and Sport. But it defaults to Eco every time you stop and start it again
Leaving you to dig into the computer settings on the infotainment screen to change it to Comfort. The mode I felt was the pick when it came to smooth and leisurely suburban driving.
The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine is mated to a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Picture: SuppliedFuel consumption
Stomp on the gas, and it does get up and go, and with some wheelspin to boot. GAC claims a 0-100km/h in just 8.0-seconds. Is this of massive importance to you in a budget-friendly car? I doubt it.
What will interest you more is fuel consumption. The claim is 6.2-litres per 100km. That is never happening during an average drive cycle. But we did manage a respectable 7.5-litres for the week we had the car.
Misleading safety claim
One little anomaly that popped up was that the press release issued to the media for the GAC Emzoom Nova talks about a high-strength steel body cage to go with state-of-the-art crash tech. And this is said to earn the car a 5-Star ASEAN NCAP safety rating.
But to earn this safety rating, a car requires a minimum of six airbags, and the Emzoom Nova only has two. The top-of-the-range Emzoom models have six and qualify for this accolade, but not this base Nova.
In defence of GAC, though, and before the AA comes knocking on their door, the Emzoom Nova meets all the set South African safety regulations. Maybe they could have just worded that claim a little better.
The GAC Emzoom Nova offers a high-strength steel body cage to go with state-of-the-art crash tech. Picture: SuppliedConclusion
At the beginning, I asked whether the GAC Emzoom Nova was cheap and nasty or good value for money. I think there is good value here, and the car deserves a test drive before you automatically make up your mind on anything at the same price.