GAC makes a date with automotive history

A teaser image for the GAC GS7 is seen in this provided image. © GAC Motor

On Jan. 8, GAC Motor will become the first Chinese car company to unveil its cars on the main floor of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The past 12 months have seen a host of U.S. carmakers make record gains in China. Cadillac sold 116,406 cars, just 50,000 fewer than it did in the U.S. and a 45.9 per cent increase. Ford has seen a 14 per cent jump in demand and General Motors sold a record 3.87 million vehicles in the country.

And while U.S. firms are celebrating extraordinary gains, one Chinese car company will also be setting a record in January at the Detroit Auto Show.

GAC Motor is about to become the first Chinese car company in history to take a stand on the main floor of the North American International Auto Show.

It's one of the fastest growing automotive brands in Asia and it's hoping that the three completely new models its bringing to Detroit -- the GS7 five-seat SUV, the Enspirit concept hybrid crossover and an electric car called the GE3 -- will take that growth to a new continent.

The company claims that the GE3 will offer a usable range of 308 kilometres between charges and that its conceptual crossover is targeted firmly at the youngest generation of car buyer and there are suggestions that it could come with a removable hard top.

"The U.S. has one of the most developed auto industries in the world with a hundred years of auto history and culture, people have reached social consensus in the essential attributes of cars, and high-quality auto products have very broad market space," said Yu Jun, general manager of GAC Motor, who is clearly aware of the standards by which the company's cars are going to be judged.

And although the wraps won't be taken off any of GAC's new models until the press preview on Jan. 8, GAC has provided a conceptual sketch of the GS7.

The 2017 NAIAS opens its doors to the public on Jan. 14.