GAC GS3 2021 Review

In the B-Segment SUV market of Malaysia, consumers are increasingly demanding more balance—they want an affordable price without compromising on features and space. The 2021 GAC GS3 Premium targets this exact demand, enhancing detail configurations based on the Standard version while maintaining the fuel-efficient characteristic of the 1.5L naturally-aspirated engine. This time, we took it for a drive on city roads and suburban highways to see if it could become the "no-brainer" family car option in this price range.

From a distance, the overall design of the GS3 Premium leans towards a youthful style without being overly flashy. The front features a large trapezoidal chrome-plated grille, complemented by sharp LED daytime running lights on both sides, giving it a high level of recognition and ensuring it doesn’t blend in with other small SUVs in a parking lot. The side lines of the body are simple, with a single waistline running from the front to the rear, paired with 215/60 R17 tires, keeping the proportions balanced. The design of the rear is relatively conservative, while the LED taillight assembly and silver skid plate on the rear bumper add a bit of SUV ruggedness. Its lighting system is a small highlight—not only does it feature LED daytime running lights, but the taillights also use LED light sources, providing clear nighttime visibility and appearing more upscale compared to other models with halogen-only lights in the same price range.

When you step inside, the GS3 Premium’s interior design is primarily practical, with a predominantly dark color tone complemented by silver trims to avoid looking cheap. In terms of materials, the upper part of the dashboard is hard plastic, but areas frequently touched such as the door armrests and seats are made of leather, offering a decent texture. The center console layout is clear, with an 8-inch touchscreen in the center that operates smoothly. It supports Bluetooth and USB connections, which is good enough for everyday music or navigation use. The instrument cluster combines a 3.5-inch LCD with mechanical gauges, displaying essential information like fuel consumption and speed. While it's not fully digital, it’s easy to read. In terms of configuration, it includes front side airbags in addition to the Standard version, bringing the total number of airbags to six—a solid offering for its price range. The front seats are adjustable, with the driver’s seat featuring 6-way power adjustments and the passenger seat offering 4-way manual adjustments, providing sufficient range for adjustments and comfortable seating over long periods. The rear seats support 60:40 split-folding and angle adjustment, adding flexibility for transporting larger items.

Space performance is consistent with the level of a B-Segment SUV. With a wheelbase of 2560mm, a front-row passenger at a height of 175cm can sit comfortably with about a fist of space above their head and ample legroom. The rear row can feel a bit cramped for three adults, but for two adults, there’s about two fists of legroom and a fist of headroom, making it comfortable without feeling claustrophobic. The storage space is thoughtfully designed; the door panels can hold two water bottles, there’s a storage compartment beneath the center console for items like phones or wallets, and both the central armrest box and glove compartment have decent capacity. The trunk’s standard capacity is 356L, which can be expanded further by folding the rear seats—sufficient for carrying items like a small wardrobe or a stroller.

In terms of power, the GS3 Premium is equipped with a 1.5L naturally aspirated engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 114PS and a peak torque output at 4500rpm. It is paired with an AT gearbox and only has a standard driving mode. The power output during startup is smooth without any jerky movement, making it suitable for slow city driving. During acceleration, the engine needs to reach over 3000rpm to show noticeable power, so it’s best to give it some throttle in advance when overtaking, especially on highways where it can feel slightly underpowered at speeds above 100km/h. The gearbox logic is relatively smart, providing smooth gear transitions during daily driving with no noticeable jerks, although it may lag slightly when downshifting under rapid acceleration. The official combined fuel consumption is 6.9L/100km. From our actual driving experience, it consumed around 7.5L in city traffic and dropped to 6L on highways, making this fuel consumption level very friendly for family users.

The handling and chassis performance are moderate. The steering wheel is relatively light, making it effortless for women to drive. The steering is quite precise, with no noticeable slack. The front suspension is a MacPherson independent suspension, while the rear is a torsion beam non-independent suspension. This combination is very common in vehicles at this price level. When going over speed bumps or uneven roads, the suspension can filter out most small vibrations, but when encountering large bumps, the rear seat may bounce slightly. During cornering, body roll is well-controlled and does not sway excessively like some compact SUVs, providing decent confidence. The braking feel is linear, slightly soft at the beginning, but with sufficient braking force when pressing deeper, ensuring smooth braking during daily driving.

In terms of driving comfort, its noise control is average. When the speed exceeds 80km/h, wind noise and tire noise become noticeably audible inside the cabin, especially the tire noise, which is quite evident on asphalt roads. The seat comfort is pretty good, with leather seats offering adequate support and good lumbar wrapping, so you won’t feel back pain even on long drives. The air conditioning cools quickly, and with rear air vents, passengers in the back won’t feel hot during summer.

Overall, the core strengths of the 2021 GAC GS3 Premium are its practical features, sufficient space, and fuel efficiency. Compared to similarly priced options like the Honda HR-V or Toyota C-HR, it offers more comprehensive safety features and is also more affordable, making it highly cost-effective. Its overall performance is balanced with no significant weaknesses, making it suitable for families who value practicality and safety, especially those who commute in the city and occasionally take family trips to the suburbs on weekends. If your budget is within 100,000 Malaysian Ringgit and you're looking for a worry-free family SUV, the GS3 Premium is worth considering.