{"id":624892,"date":"2026-04-23T03:27:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/624892\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T03:27:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:27:17","slug":"gacs-answer-to-the-toyota-kluger-one-step-closer-to-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/624892\/","title":{"rendered":"GAC’s answer to the Toyota Kluger one step closer to Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2026 GAC Aion S7 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has been launched in the UK \u2013 its first right-hand drive market \u2013 making the Toyota Kluger<\/a>-sized large SUV more likely to be released in Australia.<\/p>\n

According to Autocar<\/a>, the S7 will receive specific chassis tweaks to suit the roughest British roads ahead of its 2027 launch in the UK<\/p>\n

Apart from the Kluger hybrid, the Aion S7 is a rival for the BYD Sealion 6<\/a> PHEV and Mitsubishi Outlander<\/a> PHEV mid-size SUVs sold locally.<\/p>\n

GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group) was launched in Australia in 2025<\/a> and has plans to offer models across its Chinese-market sub-brands \u2013 including Trumpchi, Hyptec and Aion \u2013 under a unified GAC identity.<\/p>\n

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to get a great deal.<\/p>\n

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In the UK, however, it has taken a different approach, with Aion positioned as a standalone brand without reference to GAC.<\/p>\n

The automaker aims to be a top-10 selling brand in Australia by 2030, with at least 10 models due in local showrooms including a ute and a large SUV by the end of 2027<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The GAC Aion V<\/a> mid-size electric SUV was one of three models offered from launch locally, but the S7 PHEV made a surprise appearance at the brand\u2019s Australian launch event in Sydney last November.<\/p>\n

GAC said its unannounced showing was designed to gather feedback from dealers and prospective customers.<\/p>\n

An unregistered left-hand drive S7 was displayed alongside the Aion V, the petrol-powered GAC Emzoom<\/a> hatchback, and the M8<\/a> PHEV people mover.<\/p>\n

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A fourth model has since been added to local showrooms with the GAC Aion UT<\/a> \u2013 a Toyota Corolla-sized electric hatchback to rival the BYD Dolphin<\/a>, MG 4<\/a> and GWM Ora<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The S7 \u2013 also sold as the Xiangwang S7 and Trumpchi S7 in China \u2013 is the first GAC model to use the brand\u2019s new EV+ architecture, and features monocoque construction like its key rivals.<\/p>\n

It adopts a blocky, Range Rover-esque stance with flared wheel-arches and a 2.6-metre-wide, AI-powered \u2018expressive\u2019 front light bar \u2013 but lacks an external tailgate-mounted spare wheel like the Land Rover Defender<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Measuring 4900mm long, 1950mm wide and 1780mm high, the S7 is slighter shorter but wider and taller than the Kluger (4966\/1930\/1755mm), and also has a longer wheelbase with shorter overhangs.<\/p>\n

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The S7 is also larger than the Sealion 6 and Outlander PHEV mid-sizers but offers only five seats, whereas the Mitsubishi is available with seven.<\/p>\n

However, boot capacity is quoted at 720 litres, expanding to 2050L behind the front seats.<\/p>\n

Inside, equipment includes leather upholstery, a 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, 60W wireless phone charging, and a panoramic sunroof.<\/p>\n

Powertrain specifications for the UK have not yet been confirmed, but Chinese-market versions come with a 118kW\/220Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine paired with either one or two electric motors.<\/p>\n

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Single-motor variants produce 170kW\/470Nm and drive the front wheels, offering a claimed electric-only range of 82km (WLTP) with a 21.3kWh battery, or up to 145km with an optional 36.1kWh battery.<\/p>\n

Dual-motor versions deliver 250kW\/393Nm with all-wheel drive, with claimed electric-only range of 136-145km depending on the variant. Their claimed 0-100km\/h acceleration figure is 5.8 seconds, compared to 7.9 seconds for single-motor grades.<\/p>\n

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include LiDAR, radar and camera-based systems, supporting functions such as automated parking and semi-autonomous freeway driving, including on- and off-ramp capability.<\/p>\n

GAC Australia currently offers an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty on the Aion V, while the M8 PHEV is covered by a seven-year vehicle warranty and an eight-year\/200,000km battery warranty \u2013 likely indicative of the aftersales coverage to be offered with the S7 if it\u2019s sold locally.<\/p>\n

MORE: Explore the GAC showroom<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 GAC Aion S7 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) has been launched in the UK \u2013 its first right-hand…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624893,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-624892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}