AAA weekly
2021-12-09
Copyright FOURIN, Inc. 2024
Chinese Automaker GAC Group Adopts Aisin’s AT, Toyota’s THS
Chinese automaker GAC Group’s own-brand passenger vehicle production in 2020 decreased 7.8% year-on-year to 349,000 units due to the impact of the spread of the new coronavirus infection. However, thanks to solid sales of the Trumpchi GM8 and Aion S, sales increased 41.6% year-on-year to 223,000 units in the first seven months of 2021. It 2021, the company is expected to break free from sluggish sales which began in 2018. By 2025, annual sales of own-brand vehicles are aimed to surpass 1 million units. New-energy vehicles (NEVs) are intended to account for 50% of all sales and all NEVs are planned to be equipped with connected technology.
As the latest development, the second-generation Trumpchi GS8 mid-sized crossover SUV was unveiled in August 2021. The powertrain of the gasoline version combines GAC Group’s 2.0 TGDI engine and Aisin’s eight-speed automatic transmission while the hybrid model combines GAC Group’s 2.0L turbocharged engine and Toyota’s Toyota Hybrid System for the first time.
GAC Group: Recent Business Developments (As of September 2021)
| Subject | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Business strategy | Overall | ・In September 2021, GAC Group announced its business strategy up to 2025. - By 2025, GAC Group aims to sell 3.5 million vehicles of which 25% are planned to be NEVs. - Out of the 3.5 million units, over 1 million units are planned to be GAC Group’s own-brand vehicles of which NEVs will account for 50%. All NEV models will be equipped with connected technology. -GAC Group will focus on the popularization of battery swapping technology. |
| GAC Aion | ・GAC Aion, a group subsidiary specializing in NEVs, announced in July 2021 that it has set a sales target of 120,000 units in 2021. - The company sold 54,000 units in the first seven months of 2021. | |
| Actual product launches | ICEV | ・In October 2020, the Trumpchi GS3 Power, minor-change version of the Trumpchi GS3, was released. - It is available in three grades with a price range of 84,800 to 102,800 CNY. - The front face design and body color scheme have been revamped. In addition to the existing 1.5L three-cylinder turbocharged engine, a 1.5L four-cylinder turbocharged engine has been added. |
| ・In March 2021, the Trumpchi GA4 Plus, minor-change version of the Trumpchi GA4, was released. - It is available in four grades with a price range of 75,800 to 99,800 CNY. Another version with ride-hailing specifications was added in May with a price tag of 140,800 CNY. - The front face design, including the grille, headlights and bumpers, has been revamped. - The powertrain combines a 1.5L three-cylinder turbocharged engine with a six-speed MT or a seven-speed DCT. It has a max. output of 120 kW, max. torque of 235 Nm and 5.3L/100km fuel efficiency in NEDC mode. | ||
| ・In August 2021, a D segment sedan the Trumpchi Empow was launched. - It is available in four grades with a price range of 93,800 to 128,000 CNY. - The model has been developed based on GAC Group’s GPMA platform. - It is 4,700 mm long, 1,850 mm wide, 1,432 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,736 mm. - The powertrain combines a 1.5L turbocharged engine with a seven-speed DCT. It has a max. output of 130 kW, max. torque of 270 Nm and 5.7L/100km fuel efficiency in NEDC mode. - The model is equipped with smart functions such as ADiGO connected system, voice control and gesture recognition, and safety technologies such as ACC, FCW and LKA. | ||
| NEV | ・In April 2021, a B segment electric SUV the Aion Y was released. - It is available in five grades with a price range of 104,600 to 148,600 CNY after subsidies. - It is 4,410 mm long, 1,870 mm wide, 1,645 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,750 mm. - The model is equipped with a ternary lithium-ion battery with an energy density of 184Wh / kg. - The driving range is 410 km, 500 km or 600 km depending on the vehicle grade. - The motor has a max. output of 70 kW or 135 kW, and a max. torque of 225 Nm. - The model is equipped with smart functions such as face recognition and driver monitoring system, and ADiGO 2.0 driving support system including fully automatic parking, memory automatic parking, TJA, ACC, ICA and more. | |
| ・In June 2021, as the successor model of the Aion S, the Aion S Plus was launched. - It has adopted the exterior design and low air resistance solution of the ENO.146 concept car unveiled in November 2019. -It is available in five grades with a price range of 139,600 to 172,600 CNY after subsidies. - The driving range is 410 km, 510 km or 602 km depending on the vehicle grade. | ||
| Planned product launch | ICEV | ・In August 2021, a D segment SUV the second-generation Trumpchi GS8 was unveiled. The model was scheduled to be launched in October 2021. - The powertrain combines GAC Group’s 2.0 TGDI engine and Aisin’s eight-speed AT. It has a max. output of 185 kW and max. torque was increased from 390 Nm to 400 Nm. - The powertrain of the hybrid model combines GAC Group’s 2.0L turbocharged engine and Toyota’s Toyota Hybrid System (THS) for the first time. - It has 5.3L/100km fuel efficiency in NEDC mode. |