GAC brought a plug-in hybrid SUV to Sydney that nobody here can buy. It went under the lights at Everything Electric, where GAC asked the public what they made of it. GAC S7 doesn’t reach right-hand-drive production until the second half of 2027, and local sale isn’t confirmed.
Everything Electric Sydney runs 18 to 20 September at Sydney Showgrounds, and GAC took Stand 012 with 4 cars. The other 3 you can order tomorrow. GAC S7 is the odd one out, a premium plug-in hybrid SUV built for the Large SUV class. The firmest commitment on offer is that GAC is “proactively looking to add” it to the local line-up. Looking, not adding. At the Showgrounds this weekend, it’s the one with people around it and no price tag in sight.
This is a temperature check in a display bay. GAC describes the weekend as a chance for prospective customers to give feedback “well in advance of a potential future debut”. It asks whether a large plug-in hybrid SUV would sell here before anyone signs a shipping order. That beats freighting in a car nobody wanted and discounting it by Christmas like certain other brands who remain nameless.
Above: Subaru Trailseeker is Fast, But is it Value?
#SubaruTrailseeker, #Subaru, #EVreview, #TeslaModelY, #GayCarBoys
Help Support Gay Car Boys Subscribe to our Youtube Channel by SMASHING THE BUTTON ABOVE
ABOVE: S7
GAC’s local range already stretches from the EMZOOM small SUV at $22,990 drive-away to the M8 at $76,590. Plenty of middle ground for a large plug-in hybrid SUV to occupy. Again, no local pricing or specification, and nothing to say how the range claims were measured. Visitors are asked to judge a car on another market’s numbers, which is a decent ask on a very warm Saturday afternoon.
GAC S7 Range Claims Come Without a Test Standard
GAC S7 drives all 4 wheels through twin motors, 170kW/220Nm up front and 80kW/250Nm at the rear. A 1.5T petrol engine covers the days the battery can’t. The battery is 36.3kWh, which GAC calls the Magazine Battery.
Claimed electric range is up to 150km. Claimed combined range, battery full and tank brimmed, is up to 1,020km. Both figures carry footnote markers, and the specification notes say “International specifications referenced”. Nothing names the test, so the 150km could be WLTP or CLTC, and nobody can tell which. A range figure with no standard attached is one to admire rather than plan a drive around. Whatever the standard turns out to be, a real run to Canberra comes in well short of it.
Aries Zhao, GAC’s chief executive in Australia, made the case for it. “The S7 allows GAC to compete in the highly competitive Large SUV segment and complements our existing range of offerings. To do so with our innovative PHEV technology also supports the significant demand for flexibility in how we power our vehicles, whether that be full-electric for short to medium trips around town, and the capability to take on bigger interstate road trips with ease.”
AION UT Brings Body Kits and a Tent
AION UT, the fabulous little hatch that won the Torino Automotive Design Award for Exterior Design, appeared with a new accessories range. Exterior body kits outside, lifestyle gear inside, up to and including a full camping kit. We drove the AION UT at 430km and 150kW for $31,990, then took a quick look at its over-the-air update. AION V, the mid-sized SUV, got the same accessory treatment.
Zhao called Everything Electric one of the leading shows for electrified vehicles here, then asked for feedback again. “We look forward to welcoming everyone to our stand throughout the remainder of the weekend and encourage their thoughts on the S7 and our accessories range for both AION UT and AION V.”
M8 PHEV Is the One With a Price on It
M8 PHEV completes the stand, from $76,590, and it’s the only plug-in hybrid MPV on sale in Australia. Range is 1,032km with a full battery and a full tank. Central captain’s armchairs and electromagnetic suspension are pitched squarely at executives and fleets with an eye for bargin VIP transport. Acoustic glass keeps the world outside where it belongs. We drove the M8 and called it the van that killed the Carnival, so the executive pitch isn’t marketing bollocks.
Right-hand-drive production for GAC S7 starts in the second half of 2027. That leaves close to 2 years where the only S7 in the country stands on a carpet under lights. GAC’s export plan targets the China export crown by 2030, and it needs volume models in markets like this one. A large plug-in hybrid SUV would slot in above the AION V without treading on it. Prices and further specification details to follow. Until GAC confirms a local launch, that second-half-2027 build date is the only firm number attached to GAC S7.
GAC S7
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Large SUV, plug-in hybrid |
| Drive | AWD, twin motors |
| Front motor | 170kW/220Nm |
| Rear motor | 80kW/250Nm |
| Petrol engine | 1.5T |
| Battery | 36.3kWh, GAC’s Magazine Battery |
| Electric range | Up to 150km claimed, no test standard named |
| Combined range | Up to 1,020km claimed, no test standard named |
| Right-hand-drive production | Second half of 2027 |
| Australian availability | Not confirmed |
| Price | To follow |
More GAC Stories
- 2026 GAC EMZOOM Premium Undercuts Small SUVs at $22,990
- GAC Aion UT Review, 430km and 150kW for $31,990
- 2026 GAC Aion UT OTA Quickie Review
Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
Leave a Reply