Truth be told, the Philippines is a country where the roads are filled with Toyota Innovas. But the prominence of the nameplate is being challenged by a newcomer from  Guangzhou Automobile Corporation (GAC).

Launched back in February, Legado Motors Inc. (LMI) introduced the GN6 in the hope of taking a chunk of the MPV market — especially now that buyers are showing a great appreciation for light commercial vehicles.

However, unlike the segment leader, the GN6 MPV is offered in a sole variant. Can it keep up? Let's find out.

Dimensions

The GAC GN6 270T is 4,780mm long, 1,860mm wide and 1,730 tall with a 2,810mm wheelbase. Simply put, this vehicle has no problem giving occupants enough room up to the third row, making it a good getaway vehicle with family or friends, without compromising any of the passenger’s comfort.

While providing a relaxed seating position for seven people, it can still carry 324 liters of cargo (that can easily fit four five-gallon containers).  Should one need more space, the vehicle can be configured to provide cargo space of up to 1,100 liters.

Exterior

When it comes to aesthetics, GAC vehicles have definitely come a long way — as seen in the GAC GN6 270T.

The designs are more conservative yet elegant (arches and body lines aren't very protruded) as expressed in the jumping dolphin curvature. The front fascia is not busy either — just the wing-shaped daytime running light inside the headlights flanking the four bold lines for its grille holding the logo. Meanwhile, its connecting rear lights sport a Euro-inspired look.

Front passengers get to have a sunroof while the middle and last-row occupants get a wide window view, preventing claustrophobia in those who sit at the rear. The overall aesthetics match the 10-spoke wheel design found within the GAC GN6 270T.

Interior

The vehicle is very child- and pet-friendly with its easy-to-clean combination of brown leather, black plastic and black carpet covering the interior of the GAC GN6 270T. The driver gets to enjoy a well-designed steering wheel, highly-readable analog gauges and a digital trip meter. Despite the steering wheel having a clean layout, one might need more to get familiar with the buttons in it.

It is also worth noting that this MPV dashboard layout reminds us of a certain Korean minivan model, just without the sliding doors. Further, the GAC GN6 270T has eight cubbyholes that can hold drinks, but it seems a little small to hold one (middle front portion).

Also, the GAC GN6 270T has a 7.5-inch second-row corridor that gives ample space to last-row occupants, providing easy ingress and egress.

Engine

After covering 309 kilometers of mostly highway (and driven in between 2,000-3,000rpm), the GAC GN6 270T had an average consumption of 13.5kpl, thanks to the 1.5-liter gasoline engine paired to a six-speed transmission (produced by Aisin Seiki).

The powertrain produces 169hp and 265Nm of torque, and gives no delays or shift shocks too.

Features

Front occupants get to enjoy a sunroof and a seven-inch infotainment screen where you can connect your device via Apple CarPlay or Bluetooth. The middle row has a pair of captain chairs and has access to air-conditioning control while the third row is given access to a charging port to juice up one’s mobile device while in transit.

Further, this vehicle has the following safety features: dual front airbags, front side airbags, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), traction control system (TCS), hill-ascend and descend controls, a rearview camera, parking sensors, electronic parking brake, three-point seatbelts with alarm, Isofix child seat anchors, brake hold assist, and engine immobilizer with anti-theft alarm. Bosch's latest ESP 9.3 fitted in the GAC GN6 270T corrects oversteering at sudden cornering and sudden lane change.

Conclusion

Priced at P1.35 million, the GAC GN6 270T is being very competitive against the segment leader whose automatic transmission offerings range from P1.355 million up to P1.754 million. But if paired with attractive offers, the vehicle could be doing wonders with all the features it provides.

Photos from Ruben D. Manahan IV

Also read:

Legado Motors finally brings Innova-challenging GN6

GAC cites 6 reasons why the GN6 is Filipino family-friendly

GAC will introduce GN6 in Q1 2021 and here’s what we need to know