Trumpchi GS4, GS8 and M8 From 2015 to 2026, Including the GN8 and E9

At the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, GAC Group told visitors that its Trumpchi GS4 would cost less than a Toyota RAV4 if it were ever sold in North America. It never was. In 2019 the company shelved its American plans, yet by late 2025 one of its minivans was on sale in Australia.

What are the Trumpchi GS4, GS8 and M8?

The GS4 is a compact SUV launched in 2015, the GS8 is a mid-size SUV launched in 2016, and the M8 is a full-size minivan that arrived in 2017 as the GM8. GAC Group builds all three. In China they wear Trumpchi badges, and abroad they are sold under the GAC Motor name.

GAC took the GS4 to Detroit in 2017 promising it would undercut the RAV4, and two years later shelved its American plans.

What is the Trumpchi GS4?

The GS4 is a compact SUV, and its first generation came in three forms: petrol, plug-in hybrid and pure electric. It first appeared as a pre-production concept at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. The finished car followed at the 2015 Auto Shanghai and then went on sale in China.

The first-generation car, codenamed A28, shares a platform with the GA3S sedan and sits between the GS3 and GS5. Prices started at around 80,000 yuan and ran to about 120,000 yuan, which converts to $13,000 - 19,360.

What is the GS4 EV and the Leahead ix4?

The GS4 EV debuted at the 2015 Guangzhou Auto Show and reached Chinese showrooms in the second half of 2016. An electric motor delivers 140 hp and 250 Nm, enough for a range of 240 km and a top speed of 120 km/h. The 0-100 km/h run takes under 11 seconds.

A full charge from a 220V supply needs 12 hours, while a fast charger takes the battery to 80 percent in 30 minutes. In China, GAC Toyota rebadges it as the Leahead ix4.

How does the GS4 plug-in hybrid work?

The GS4 PHEV is a series hybrid, which means its petrol engine never drives the wheels directly. The 1.5-litre engine (71 kW, 97 hp, 120 N.m) works only as a generator that feeds the battery and the motor. The motor, at 177 hp (130 kW) with 300 N.m, does all the driving.

Think of it as a power station under the bonnet with a conventional electric car behind it. There is no gearbox in the usual sense; the motor's torque reaches the wheels through a fixed-ratio gear set, and a rotating dial replaces the usual selector lever. Total range tops 600 km, and the car can cover 58 km on electricity alone.

Other brands used the same hardware. Mitsubishi's joint venture with GAC sold it as the Eupheme PHEV, and the Honda joint venture sold it as the Shirui PHEV. Both versions have restyled front and rear ends but still carry the GAC badge.

How did the GS4 change after 2018?

GAC launched a facelift in June 2018, codenamed A32, with restyled bumpers, new wheels that echo the GS3's and a fresh dashboard. Two months on came the Millionth Edition, adding LED headlights and a panoramic sunroof.

In July 2019 an updated GS4 arrived to meet a new Chinese emission standard. It dropped the earlier engines for a turbocharged direct-injection unit called the 4A15J1, rated at 169 hp and 265Nm, paired with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed Aisin automatic.

What did the second-generation GS4 bring?

The second generation, codenamed A39, debuted in September 2019 and reached Chinese buyers that November. Its 1.5-litre turbo engine makes 169 hp and 265N.m, working through a third-generation six-speed automatic supplied by Aisin. A fastback called the GS4 Coupe followed, keeping the engine but swapping to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The plug-in version, the GS4 II PHEV, came in April 2020. Its 1.5-litre turbo makes 150 hp with 220N.m, while the motor contributes a further 177 hp. The battery holds 13kWh and comes from CATL, giving a pure electric range of 61 km on the NEDC test.

What came after the second-generation GS4?

Three more GS4 models followed the second generation: the GS4 Plus of 2021, the GS4 Max of 2024 and the car of 2026.

The GS4 Plus launched at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show with completely redesigned front and rear ends and 19-inch alloy wheels, while its interior still resembled the second-generation GS5. It uses Baidu's CarLife for infotainment, with CarPlay and voice command as options on higher trims. The engine is a 2.0-litre turbo, codenamed 4B20J1, producing 390 N.m (288 lb ft) of torque alongside 185 kW (248 hp; 252 PS), through a six-speed automatic.

In March 2024 Trumpchi announced the GS4 Max, a redesigned version of the Emkoo. It uses a 1.5-litre turbo with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, producing 130 kW (177 PS; 174 hp) and 270 N.m (199 lb ft). Trumpchi claims fuel consumption of 6.8L/100km on the WLTC cycle and a range of 800 km (497 mi). The Max was meant to bring the GS4 line together and replace the second-generation GS4 and the GS4 Plus.

What is the 2026 Trumpchi GS4 like?

The newest GS4 debuted in June 2026 and is essentially a rebadged Aion i60, with the front bumpers restyled to take in more air for the petrol engine. It is 4,680 mm (184.3 in) long, 1,860 mm (73.2 in) wide and 1,675 mm (65.9 in) tall, or 1,660 mm (65.4 in) without roof trim strips.

The wheelbase is 2,770 mm (109.1 in), with track widths of 1,600 mm (63.0 in) at the front and 1,606 mm (63.2 in) at the rear. The overhangs measure 967 mm (38.1 in) and 943 mm (37.1 in), and the approach and departure angles are 16 and 22 degrees. It seats five on a unibody structure and weighs either 1,520 kg (3,351 lb) or 1,550 kg (3,417 lb), depending on version, with a gross weight of 1,965 kg (4,332 lb). Tyre sizes are 215/60 R17 and 215/55 R18.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre turbo engine made by Guangzhou Qisheng Powertrain, displacing 1,497 mL (91.4 cu in). Maximum output is 174 hp (130 kW; 176 PS), or 168 hp (125 kW; 170 PS) net, and top speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).

What is the Trumpchi GS8?

The GS8 is a mid-size SUV from GAC Group. The first generation was launched in 2016, designed by Fan Zhang, who had previously worked as a designer at Mercedes-Benz. Its first public showing came at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show, where it was Trumpchi's biggest model, and it later went to Detroit.

The first-generation engine is a 2.0-litre turbo four. Peak power of 148 kW (201 PS; 198 hp) arrives at 5,200 rpm, while 320 N.m (236 lb ft) is on tap from 1,750 to 4,000 rpm. A six-speed automatic sends the power to the front wheels or all four. The full name of the car is the Trumpchi GS8 320T, and prices ran from 163,800 yuan to 259,800 yuan ($24,200 - 38,000).

What are the GS8S, the second-generation GS8 and the ES9?

The first-generation GS8 spawned a slightly smaller five-seat version called the GS7. It was facelifted in April 2020 and renamed the GS8S, and it sits just below the regular GS8.

July 2021 saw the unveiling of the second-generation GS8, which grew in body length, width and wheelbase. An eight-speed automatic sits behind a 2.0-litre turbo that delivers 400 N.m (295 lb ft) of torque and 185 kW (248 hp; 252 PS), and a hybrid with a 2.0-litre engine and Toyota-sourced THS is also offered.

The ES9 is the plug-in hybrid version. It pairs the 2.0-litre turbo with a single electric motor and a two-speed DHT transmission for a combined 274 kW (373 PS; 367 hp) and 630 N.m (465 lbf ft) of torque.

Why was the GS8 never sold in the United States?

GAC had intended to begin US sales of the GS8 before the end of 2019. At the 2019 Detroit Auto Show it moved that date to the first half of 2020. On 22 May 2019, as trade tension between China and the United States worsened, parent company Guangzhou Automobile Group decided to postpone its US plans indefinitely.

The SUV did reach other markets. GAC Motor and the GS8 were launched in Russia on 9 December 2019, and Lebanon's importer, Bazerji Motors Sal, offers it with a 2.0-litre engine, four-wheel drive, a back-up camera and parking sensors.

What is the Trumpchi M8, also called the GN8?

The M8 is a minivan from GAC Group. It started life as the GM8, shown first at the 2017 Auto Guangzhou, marking Trumpchi's debut in MPVs, and it was the largest passenger car GAC had built. In China it is classed as a full-size seven-seat MPV that competes with cars like the Buick GL8.

The GM8 reached the Chinese market in the first quarter of 2018. It was first shown with seven seats in a 2/2/3 layout, and GAC also offers a longer version with more seats. For the 2020 model year there were nine trim levels, all with the same 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four, which makes 252 hp (188 kW) and 390 N.m (288 lb ft), driving through a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

How did the GM8 become the M8?

In early 2020 Trumpchi added a longer, more upmarket GM8 Master Edition with a more pronounced nose and all of the extra length at the back. At the 2020 Beijing Auto Show in September, it revealed a facelift for the 2021 model year with a lower price and a new name, M8, to separate it from the dearer earlier car.

The updated car followed the Master Edition's design and was 23 mm (0.91 in) longer than before, measuring 5,089 mm by 1,884 mm by 1,822 mm (length, width, height) on a wheelbase of 3 metres. The Master Edition stretched to 5,156 mm. Inside, the instrument panel, steering wheel and touch-enabled climate controls were restyled, the gear switch moved to the top of the tunnel and the central display grew. The engine stayed, but an eight-speed Aisin automatic replaced the dual-clutch and only front-wheel drive was offered.

What changed with the second-generation M8?

The second-generation M8 debuted at the 2022 Chengdu Auto Show in petrol, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms. The petrol car has a new 2.0-litre turbo with 251 hp and 380 Nm. The hybrid takes a 190 hp version of that engine, built by Guangzhou Qisheng Powertrain, together with an electric motor using the fourth-generation enhanced Toyota THS II system. Gearbox choices are a CVT or an eight-speed automatic.

Inside, the cabin has a 12.3-inch driver display and a 14.6-inch central panel that appears to float, with a new three-spoke steering wheel.

What is the Trumpchi E9?

The E9, launched in 2023, is the plug-in sibling of the second-generation M8 and weighs 2.42 tons. A 2.0-litre turbo four makes 188 hp and 330 Nm, and an electric motor adds 180 hp and 300 Nm, linked through a two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission. Combined output is 367 hp and 630 Nm, good for 0-100 km/h in 8.8 seconds. It also has a Master Edition, styled almost exactly like the M8 Master.

Where is the GAC M8 sold?

The M8 and its relatives went on sale in a run of markets between 2025 and 2026. In Australia it was launched on 18 November 2025 as part of GAC's arrival in the country, in Premium and Luxury form, both with the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol plug-in hybrid.

GAC M8, GN8, E8 and E9 Launches by Market

Which engines and names do buyers meet abroad?

Every market in the table gets the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, with plug-in hybrid power in all but the Philippine E8, which is a hybrid. Names differ from country to country, so a search for a Trumpchi M8 or a GAC GN8 may lead to the same minivan. In Australia, buyers choose between Premium and Luxury, both with the plug-in hybrid.