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China's GAC Motor debuts at the Paris Motor Show
Watch as VP Zhang Fan speaks on GAC's global ambitions, plus a tour of the new GS5 SUV
On the 120th anniversary of the Paris Motor Show, event CEO Jean-Claude Girot headed to the stage to welcome “a new friend from China”. Not many Chinese manufacturers have exhibited in Paris in the last century, but for GAC Motor, the Paris Motor Show is the latest stop on a world tour to showcase their global ambitions for cars built, engineered and designed in the fastest-growing market in the world, with the reveal of GAC Motor’s brand-new GS5 SUV the centrepiece.
“This a car that has what it takes to succeed in the global market”, said VP of Research and Development Zhang Fan, minutes after the GAC Motor GS5 SUV was revealed to the world’s media. “It’s beautiful looking, and the flying dynamics grille on the front gives the car a good, forward-looking, strong stance. On the rear, we have put together 190 separate LED particles which will give the car a strong identity. In China, the interior also has a lot of expectations to have a certain value, and we believe it is going to be a success in China."
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“Hopefully one day we can bring it to the European market to be successful. We want to give people the signal we have ambitions in the global markets. That’s why we have brought all our star models here, to show what we are and what we are capable of doing, and we’re going to bring all the feedback back to China, and make our plans for the future”. And the GS5 is just the start.
On the future of motoring, Zhang Fan believes fully electric cars are key: “We are building a factory which has a capacity of 200,000 electric cars a year, and it will start working next year. We have an EV model called G3 on the market, and next year we will have two new EV models, and it’s going to be big. The barrier for customers is how they will get a convenient charge for their car, but once they get that convenience, EV cars are going to win. The whole driving experience is so much easier, more comfortable and so quick."
And Zhang Fan’s favourite cars of all time? “The Aston Martin DB9 is my favourite car, and I also loved the DBS. And the Porsche 911 993. These kind of cars are definitely my taste!”
EXCLUSIVE: watch below as VP of R&D Zhang Fan of GAC Motor gives a tour of the brand-new GAC Motor GS5:
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