GAC M8 2025 Review

In recent years, competition in Malaysia's executive MPV market has increasingly focused on balancing efficient powertrains with luxurious features. Many family users and business professionals are starting to look for vehicles that combine low daily costs with a comfortable experience. The 2025 GAC M8 Premium, as a new option in this segment, highlights core features such as a 2.0T plug-in hybrid system, 120 km pure electric range, and premium configurations. It not only meets the needs of short-distance pure electric commuting but also handles long-distance travel, making its versatility worth attention. The main purpose of this test drive is to verify whether its performance, spatial practicality, and feature experience truly align with the positioning of an executive MPV.

From the exterior, the GAC M8 Premium's design maintains the stability expected of an MPV while incorporating some detailed highlights. The vehicle measures 5212mm×1893mm×1823mm, with a wheelbase of 3070mm. Its elongated body, paired with 18-inch wheels, features smooth side lines with no excessive decorations, presenting an overall business-oriented style. The front features a large grille adorned with chrome accents and paired with LED headlights, offering high recognition. At the rear, the full-width LED taillight design provides clear visual effects when illuminated, while the roof spoiler adds a touch of sportiness. The lighting system comes standard with full LED sources, including automatic headlights and front fog lights, ensuring convenience in daily use.

Opening the door, the interior quality and features exceed expectations. The dashboard adopts a symmetrical layout, with soft-touch materials on top that feel delicate, and meticulous seam processing. The dual-screen system, composed of a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch center touchscreen, offers smooth operation and supports basic navigation, multimedia, and vehicle settings functions. The seat configuration is a highlight: the front driver’s seat supports 12-way power adjustment, the front passenger seat supports 4-way power adjustment, and the rear seats offer not only 6-way power adjustment but also 2-way electric sliding functionality. Combined with standard sunshades and rear air conditioning, the seats deliver a comfortable seating experience. For storage, the front center armrest box is quite roomy, the door pockets can accommodate bottled water, and there are small compartments on both sides of the rear seats, providing adequate convenience for daily use.

Space performance is one of the core competitive attributes of MPVs, and the GAC M8 Premium does not disappoint in this regard. The 3070mm wheelbase provides spacious rear legroom, with a 175cm-tall passenger able to leave more than two fists' worth of space for their legs and about one fist of headroom, ensuring long-term seating comfort without feeling cramped. Although the official seating capacity is marked as two, the actual experience shows that the rear seats are wide enough. However, due to the absence of an additional central seat, it is more suitable for business trips with two people or scenarios where families prioritize privacy. In terms of storage capabilities, the regular trunk volume can meet daily shopping needs, and if larger items need to be loaded, the rear seats can be folded down, offering decent scalability.

The powertrain is a core advantage of the GAC M8 Premium. It is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged engine combined with a permanent magnet synchronous motor plug-in hybrid system, delivering a total system power of 372kW (506PS) and total system torque of 630N·m. The official 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 8.8 seconds. In actual driving, the vehicle starts smoothly in pure electric mode, with the motor’s 300N·m torque readily available, fully capable of urban commuting needs. When switched to hybrid mode, the engine and motor work together during acceleration to provide quick power response for overtaking. Even at highway speeds of 100 km/h, rapid acceleration delivers a noticeable push-back feeling. The driving modes include pure electric, hybrid, and sport, each offering distinct power output characteristics to meet various scenarios.

The control and chassis performance lean towards comfort. The steering wheel has moderate weight and little play, making daily driving relatively easy; the combination of front MacPherson and rear double-wishbone independent suspension effectively filters road bumps. The vehicle body exhibits minimal shaking when crossing speed bumps or uneven road surfaces, ensuring comfort for rear passengers. However, due to the vehicle's weight reaching 3000kg, the body leans noticeably while cornering, so speed must be controlled. The braking system is stable in performance, with linear braking force output and no abrupt sensations, giving drivers confidence during daily driving.

In terms of fuel consumption and range, the official comprehensive fuel consumption is 6.1L/100km, with a pure electric range of 120km. In actual testing, the range achievement rate for city driving under pure electric mode is approximately 90%, which can cover most users' daily commuting needs; in hybrid mode, the fuel consumption for long highway trips is about 7.5L/100km. Considering it's a 3-ton MPV, this performance is excellent. Regarding charging, using a home charging station takes about 8 hours to fully charge the battery. In fast-charging mode, it takes about 1.5 hours to charge from 30% to 80%, making it fairly convenient.

The details of driving and riding comfort are well-handled. Interior noise control is excellent, with almost no noise in pure electric mode and relatively low engine noise when it kicks in during hybrid mode. Both wind and tire noise are kept within reasonable levels when driving at high speeds. The seats are soft yet provide adequate support, allowing passengers to remain comfortable even during long rides. The energy recovery system offers adjustable levels, and even at the highest level, the drag sensation is not overly strong, ensuring the driving experience is not compromised.

In summary, the core advantages of the 2025 GAC M8 Premium lie in its versatile plug-in hybrid system, spacious interior, and rich features. Compared to other MPV models in the same class, it boasts a longer pure electric range, more comprehensive features, and a relatively affordable price, resulting in outstanding value. However, the design of only two rear seats might limit its application for families with more members. Overall, this vehicle is more suitable for business users focusing on efficient travel and a comfortable experience, or small families requiring short-distance pure electric commuting and hassle-free long-distance travel.

As a premium plug-in hybrid MPV, the GAC M8 Premium delivers mainstream-level performance in aspects like power, space, and features for its class. Its advantage of 120km pure electric range and low fuel consumption can effectively lower daily usage costs. If you're in the market for an all-around MPV that accommodates both business receptions and family trips, the GAC M8 Premium is worth considering.