The last time we wrote about Trumpchi was two years ago, when the brand, part of China’s state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group Company (GAC), unveiled its GS4 compact crossover SUV at the Detroit auto show. That vehicle, equipped with a fish tank in its rear center console, was supposed to be a precursor to an SUV the brand would sell in the United States as a 2017 model. Now, two years later, Trumpchi is back in the Motor City, using the auto show to debut another concept and two new production vehicles, the GE3 and the GS7.
Not to be confused with the other GE (General Electric), the GE3 is a compact electric hatchback with handsome, if forgettable, styling. At 170.7 inches long, GAC’s Trumpchi GE3 is more than half a foot longer than the Chevrolet Bolt and 4.3 inches smaller than the Nissan Leaf. Likewise, the GE3’s 161-hp powertrain and claimed 192-plus miles of range split the difference between the Bolt (200 horsepower, 238 miles) and the Leaf (107 horsepower, 107 miles). GAC supplied no information about the GE3’s battery pack, although the company claims that an 80 percent charge is possible in less than 30 minutes when using a DC fast-charging system.
The Trumpchi GS7, though, is the GAC vehicle that would be most likely to appeal to the American palate. About three inches longer than the new Chevrolet Equinox and sitting on a nearly identical wheelbase, the GS7 uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 198 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque at a low 1750 rpm, with a six-speed automatic transmission to handle the shifting duties. More boxy than beautiful, the GS7 is a relatively original-looking vehicle with an attractive enough interior design. While material quality and fit and finish are far from class leading, the GS7’s insides aren’t a horror show, either, driving home the point that the notion of a Chinese automaker entering the U.S. market isn’t a question of if, but when.
The Trumpchi GE3 and GS7, however, won’t be headed for our shores any time soon. The company is still in the process of establishing a timeline for entering the U.S. market. Should GAC someday come to the U.S., it’s possible the company’s first product instead might look something like the EnSpirit concept it also debuted at the show. Presumably a future Trumpchi, the EnSpirit is an SUV/coupe with a plug-in-hybrid powertrain. GAC claims combustion comes courtesy of a 1.5-liter engine, although its cylinder count seemed to be a point of some confusion—we were told that it’s a four-cylinder by one GAC representative and a three-cylinder by another.
In any event, the BMW X6–like concept includes attractive two-tone paintwork and a massive fabric sunroof, not to mention a four-place interior that features light-colored wood trim throughout and a bonsai tree placed in the center console between the two rear seats. Yes, a bonsai tree. And here we were expecting a fish tank.
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