GAC Motor fuels excitement at first Abu Dhabi outlet by unveiling GS8 SUV

The Chinese manufacturer hopes to make inroads into the UAE market

GAC Motor's new showroom in Abu Dhabi. All photos: GAC Motor

Covers still on.

Participants prepare themselves for a GS8 test drive at Yas Marina Circuit.

Shehab Gargash, managing director and group chief executive of Gargash Group, addresses those at the opening.

Car enthusiasts and special guests watch as the GS8 is unveiled.

The GS8 will be followed by more models from the GAC fleet.

Traditional Chinese drummers announce the arrival of the GS8.

The GS8 during a test drive around Yas Marina Circuit.

GS8s on display outside the new showroom.

Guests await the arrival of the GS8.

Ahmed Lari, executive director of finance at Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management, addresses those at the opening.

The GS8 cavalcade sets off.

Visitors enjoy a closer look at the GS8's boot.

The GS8 cavalcade on Yas Marina Circuit's main straight.

GAC Motor's new showroom is a partnership venture with Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management.

The GS8 is all about comfort and convenience.

Not your usual Yas Marina Circuit line-up.

A new showroom is gearing up to advance the UAE's car market, as GAC Motor showed off its first outpost in Abu Dhabi.

The facility opened in partnership with Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management and is located in the shadows of Yas Marina Circuit, the home of motor racing in the UAE.

To mark the event, motoring enthusiasts and guests piled on to the island for a gala event, which was hosted by dignitaries from Gargash Group.

The showcase also marked the arrival of the GAC GS8, a new arrival aiming to break into the market dominated by Nissan Patrol and Toyota Land Cruiser. Other GAC models are due to arrive in the near future.

Shehab Gargash, managing director and group chief executive of Gargash Group, said: “We are proud to be one of the earliest international partners of GAC Motor.

“Since 2015, we have worked closely to provide a robust proposition to an ever-growing customer base in the UAE and deliver the utmost value to them.”

Worldwide, the manufacturer produces a series of sedans, SUVs and MPVs, as well as the Aion Y electric offering.

The new showroom on Yas Island is part of an initiative to join fellow Chinese-owned brands — notably MG, Haval, Geely and Great Wall — in making in-roads into the UAE market.

Zeng Hebin, general manager of GAC Motor International, said the Emirates is one of the most important strategic regions for the brand in the Middle East.

“With the cooperation of our partner Gargash Motors, we have achieved remarkable results in this market,” he said.

GAC’s sales continue to improve globally and last month the company reported an 84 per cent increase in the number of units sold from the previous year.

Watch: Supercar fans can now customise their Rolls-Royce in Dubai