the Bucket: Styling

Showing posts with label Styling. Show all posts

Sunday, October 5, 2025

Bucket Seat: GAC GS3 Emzoom R Style

GAC, the relatively new comer to the South African market has been established in the country for about a year now and one of the first cars they brought in was the GS3 hatchback. The popular one in the line up was the Emzoom R Style which is there "hot hatch" variant of the model. The car itself has grown popularity with the local market with quite a few being sold, it is a very attractive car as we will touch on the styling shortly but does the engine have enough grunt to substantiate its sport looks and appeal? I spend a few days with it to find out and here are my thoughts.

DESIGN

If you like cars that make a statement, the Emzoom R-Style won’t disappoint, finished in Salt Lake Blue, the model was quite a looker with it commanding attention from everyone when I drove it. The R-Style trim pushes a dramatic, almost mecha-inspired look, with a large vertically-slatted grille, razor-sharp creases, pronounced wheel arches and orange contrast accents on the R-Style that emphasise sportiness. The rear treatment is similarly aggressive with a faux-diffuser and center-mounted twin exhaust outlets on the R-Style, styling cues that set it apart from conservative rivals. The overall effect is contemporary and polarising in equal measure: it stands out in traffic and on dealer lots. Practical details include retractable/electric door handles, 18” alloy wheels depending on spec, and a power tailgate on higher trims. The ride height and compact footprint keep city manoeuvrability while giving a confident road presence.

PERFORMANCE

Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 130Kw and 270 Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The spec combination gives the GS3 brisk acceleration that see's it accomplish a l 0–100 km/h time of around 8.0 seconds. The cars automatic gearbox selects sport mode when selecting drive and a further tap down then selects the normal drive gear, not sure if that is normal of a defect on the test car I had, but I found the accelerator extremely sensitive on the foot with the slight tap propelling the car forward like a jolt, this could be problematic in tight spots seeing that the car is so eager to go when in gear, it could be due to the dual clutch gearbox which normally show hesitation on take off so naturally it makes one tap the pedal harder.. On the move the Emzoom balances comfort and poise: reviewers report a taut but controlled suspension set-up especially on R-Style with grippier tyres, with neat steering feel. Several long-term and independent reviews mention slight DCT tip-in delay under certain conditions. Fuel economy in the GS3’s is pretty high for a small hatch, which the combined claim sits around 6.2 L/100 km, I was averaging around 8L/100km, not sure if it was due to me driving in sports mode most of the time.

COMFORT

Cabin space is surprisingly good for a car this size, the interior is extremely spacious and the seats very comfortable. The Emzoom’s wheelbase gives reasonable rear-seat legroom and a usable boot of about 341 L, comparable to class rivals. Front seats in higher trims are supportive and come with power adjustment for the driver; the panoramic roof brightens the cabin but may slightly raise interior heat in SA’s summer but still very cool option to have. The rear headroom is fine for the average adult, as normally with cars like this, many tend to bash their heads while getting in, you wont have that problem with the GS3. Build quality and materials feel modern with soft-touch surfaces, leather or PVC leather options, and tidy switchgear. I particularly liked the clean center console with everything driver centric giving you a cockpit feel in the car. The car comes with a dual-screen layout with a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen plus a digital instrument display. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android mirroring, multiple USB ports (Type-A and C), wireless charging and a surround-view camera that is offered in the R-Style package. The system runs a modern-feeling UI and includes connected features where available.

VERDICT

The GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style is a strong-value, feature-packed compact crossover that offers modern styling, genuine ADAS safety credentials and a compelling ownership package, notably the lifetime engine warranty for first owners. For South African buyers who prioritise kit, tech and safety over brand conservatism or who want a car that looks different from the usual suspects the Emzoom is a very attractive proposition and arguably one of the best value buys in the B-SUV segment right now. If you do lots of inner-city crawl traffic, test-drive the R-Style to judge the DCT behaviour for yourself and compare seat comfort over a longer route.

SPECIFICATION

Engine	1.5L Turbo
Gear Box	7-Speed DCT
Torque	270Nm
Power	130kW
0-100km	8 seconds
Price	R489,900

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Bucket Seat: GAC Emkoo

GAC is yet another Chinese brand that has entered our market, first with their hatchback the Emzoom and now with the crossover the Emkoo which I spent a few days with not too long ago. While all the Chinese brands have really great and interesting designs, GAC really know how to make a statement with theirs. It's really far our and extremely futuristic which I love. It's bold and cool, some might call it extra but it plays the part. While all Chinese cars come at a great retail price which are making peoples head sway away from the Europeans, many are still skeptical about the longevity of them. My gripe with the other brands is the gear boxes and the fuel consumption so I was looking forward to seeing how this new comer fairs against its Chinese competition.

DESIGN

The Emkoo’s exterior design is arguably one of the most futuristic in its class, making it ideal for those who want a vehicle that stands out on the road. The GAC Emkoo is a head-turner, featuring a cyberpunk-inspired design that sets it apart from more conventional compact SUVs. Some key exterior highlights include an aggressive Front Fascia which has distinctive V-shaped front grille with integrated LED daytime running lights (DRLs) gives it a high-tech appearance. The grille has an intricate, angular design that blends into the front bumper. The slim, angular sharp, split-type LED headlights add to the vehicle’s futuristic aesthetic. A sloping roofline, sculpted body lines, and blacked-out pillars create a sporty, coupe-SUV look. The car boasts air ducts and sharp creases that improve aerodynamics while enhancing its aggressive stance. A connected LED taillight design and angular rear bumper complete the bold look.

PERFORMANCE

The GAC Emkoo comes powered with a 1.5L Turbocharged Engine which delivers 130kW and 370Nmof torque with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The 1.5L turbo engine offers a good balance of power and efficiency, making it suitable for city and highway driving. The DCT gearbox shifts quickly but may feel a bit jerky at low speeds, which is typical for dual-clutch transmissions. The steering is light and responsive, making it easy to maneuver in urban environments. The suspension is tuned for comfort, absorbing road imperfections well while maintaining decent handling characteristics. While the Emkoo is not a performance-oriented SUV, it delivers a refined and comfortable drive with enough power for daily use. 1.5L Turbo with a claimed consumption of 6.4L per 100km in mixed driving conditions.

COMFORT

The cabin of the GAC Emkoo is equally futuristic, blending a minimalist layout with high-tech features, a large 10.1-inch or 14.6-inch touchscreen (depending on the variant) dominates the dashboard, offering a clean and modern look. The driver gets a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster with customizable displays. Premium Materials: Soft-touch materials, leather upholstery (on higher trims), and metallic accents enhance cabin quality. The minimalist design eliminates excessive buttons, focusing on touchscreen controls and a sleek gear selector. Comfortable Seating: The Emkoo offers well-cushioned seats with ample legroom for both front and rear passengers. The rear seats are slightly reclined for added comfort. Customizable LED ambient lighting adds a premium touch, enhancing the driving experience at night. While the interior design is sleek and modern, some may find the heavy reliance on touch controls less intuitive than traditional buttons. Being Chinese, the Emkoo is loaded with tech, some of the key features being, the 10.1-inch or 14.6-inch touchscreen runs GAC’s latest UI, supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Intelligent voice commands allow you to adjust climate settings, navigation, and multimedia functions, Wireless Charging, Premium Audio System, Advanced Connectivity: Includes Wi-Fi hotspot functionality and over-the-air (OTA) software updates. The cabin is much more spacious than it looks in pictures with ample headroom for the front and rear, the luggage space is a decent size too, with more than enough room to pack bags for a family holiday.

VERDICT

The GAC Emkoo is a bold, high-tech, and efficient compact SUV that stands out in a crowded segment. With its eye-catching design, premium interior, and modern safety features, it offers strong value for money. With an eye catching affordable price like other Chinese variants, its also packed with safety features such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, Traffic Sign Recognition. It also has Multiple airbags (front, side, and curtain), Rigid chassis construction, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system that is really cool and high-definition. The Emkoo’s safety package is competitive, positioning it well among rivals like the Honda HR-V, Toyota Corolla Cross, and Haval H6. While the name GAC isn't as prominent on the roads as Haval, Chery and BYD.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	1.5 Turbo Petrol
Gear Box	7-Speed DCT Auto
Torque	370Nm
Power	130kW
Avg Fuel Economy	6.4L per 100km
Price	R599,900* base model

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Bucket Seat: Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion

A while back I had one of the range topping Amarok's to drive around in, the Pan Americana V6 and while the 3.0L V6 was a lovely engine to drive around with, the diesel price was taking a huge knock with it ascending in price faster than Bitcoin can crash. While there are some that don't really bother with the price of fuel, for many of us, making it pay cheque to pay cheque every month, something a bit economical would be preferred. That is where my next test vehicle came in to be the saving grace, almost like Superman it was also in Bright Blue but minus the cape and red speedo, the Volkswagen Amarok 2.0-litre BiTDI rolled into my driveway for 7 days of testing and what I really wanted to deduce from this bakkie is how economical this new engine is. As we all know now, the Amarok and new Ford Ranger share the same platform and are built in the same factory up the road there in Silverton, there are minor tweaks to suspension and other mechanical stuff but at the heart of it, so to many its practically a Ford on paper. I wanted to also see how true that was an what other things differentiate this from its twin other than the different badge on the grille.

DESIGN

Like the PanAmericana, the design is very much the same without the graphics and black inserts, to me the the styling on the "Style" package looks more refined and, I want to use the word elegant but I don't think that Volkswagen or any bakkie owner would appreciate that term, so I'm just going to say it looks a lot cleaner. The brushed aluminium bash plate contrasts well with the Bright Blue colour and rounds off the front end quite nicely. The IQ LED headlights are a main focal point of the car as its not only functional but also serves as a cool design element too. The clean grille and large VW emblem complete the front of the car quite nicely, the profile of the car looks the same as any but I like that they come standard with the side step because even for me, standing at 1,83 meters, the clearance on the Amarok is quite high so help is needed to get into it, not to mention the side step adds more design charactor to the car. The bin has the roll bar on it which like the PanAmericana, extends almost the entire bin but on the Style its finished in shiny chrome, another functional element that is also a nice design feature. The rear lights of the Amarok are quite stylish, I don't think I touched much on this in the other review , but there is a nice element of design to it with the white reverse lights in the center. The design of the door of the bin is also integrated into the lights with the double lines following the top and bottom of the tailgate. Another large VW badge is featured dead centre with the name "Amarok" punched into the mental. Has that large American pick-up look and feel to it.

PERFORMANCE

Right, coming back to the engine, what the brochure will tell you that the Amarok 2.0-litre BiTDI which is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox with "E-Shifter" (sorry VW fanboys, no DSG here) produces 154kW and 500Nm of torque. Ample power for a bakke this size, but more than 50% of the buyers won't care about that, the only time that matters is when they standing with a group of their mates and bragging about their cars, "Yas okes, my bakkie can klap your car in a rce, its pushing 154kW on the wheels my China". The real test is the consumption of this beast on the daily run around and commutes versus the long distance travels, which is why I am here and that is exactly what I did. Filling up this bad boy, like the Ranger will bring tears to your eyes, no its not from the petrol fumes burning your eyes, but from the bouser screen looking like a slot machine spinning out of control with you screaming in your head "MAKE IT STOP!". Guys filling up 80-litres ain't no joke, you're forking out over 2 grand every time you pomp a full tank, that is not lekker so the least you can expect from the car is to give you some decent return. That's where the 2.0-litre shines in my opinion. Basic running around town saw me average little over 10 litres per 100km, yes, I know that is still quite high but for a bakkie that weighs over 2 tonnes, not so much and it gets better over long distances where I managed to get it down to 7.9L per 100km which is close to the claimed 7.5L in the brochure. A single tank gave me approximately 900km, thats less than a litre every 10km. I didn't do much dirt road driving with it but it managed pothole riddled roads with ease and the steering was nimble enough to dodge the bigger ones even when spotted late.

COMFORT

One really can't talk much about comfort when it comes to a bakkie but the guys at Silverton cooked something different with this Amarok. The suspension in the car makes the drive so smooth, even with the Multi-Terrain tyres, the car didn't bounce around like a basket ball during a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition. The tyres do make a hell of a lot of noise in the cabin but that's fine because the Harman Kardon sound system is there to drown that out. The interior is spec'd similar to the PanAmericana but with different options of textures and trims. The 12.4-inch screen remains the main attraction with physical switches below it for menu activation and a volume knob. With the electronic handbrake, it gives the center consol a lot more room for the 4x4 controls which consists of a dial to select the type drive you want and the buttons for diff lock, traction and other off-road uses. The seats are finished off in two-tone leather seats with perforations and sporty design. This particular model came with heated seats and there is an option for cooling as well. The front passenger and driver get dual climate control with the rear passengers getting vents and USB charging ports. The front also gets two USB ports (USB C + USB A) along with a wireless charging tray.

VERDICT

Overall, the VW Amarok 2.0L BiTDI really proved its worth to me, as a work horse and as a family / recreational vehicle. Just like the PanAmericana, it can serve the dual purpose with ease being a versatile bakkie or a family car. There are elements to it that seem a bit cheap, like the coating the bin is finished in, looks like its been sprayed with some adhesive but there are cool elements like a power outlet in the bin and also a measure on the bin door. The car drives really well and gives a decent fuel economy which is rare to find on big bakkies these days. It's truly a good contender for those looking at getting a double cab to purchase.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.0L BiTDI
Gear Box	10-Speed Auto
Torque	500Nm
Power	154kW
Fuel Average`	7.5L per 100km
Price	R900,000

Friday, May 26, 2023

Bucket Seat: 2023 BMW X1 18d

BMW's entry level SUV the X1 had its 3rd generation introduced to the market at the end of last year, with the launch taking place earlier this year. Having attended the launch and sampling both, the petrol and diesel variants, I was quite impressed what it had to offer. The X1 hasn't been the best selling X model but it has its place in the market and with the previous generation made decent inroads in sales for its segment competition, I foresee a greater interest with this model as for me, the competition have been playing slack when it comes to the entry level models, cutting corners and not even giving the end user a premium product that is associated with the badge. After spending a week with the new X1, it really gave me a great impression of what the brand is doing as a whole with their new focus and trends on upcoming models.

DESIGN

The new X1 looks stunning, while the previous models always had some err's about their design, I can honestly say this one is a beauty. My favourite angle to view it from is side on, while its not the biggest, the lines and curves give it so much presence that it looks bigger than it actually is. The front gets the new X look with larger twin kidney grille with is finished in brushed aluminium, this is standard across all lines, be it the M Sport, xLine or Signature trims. The one I had was in a metallic Utah Orange paint with 19-inch V-spoke Bicolour Black Grey, gloss lathed rims that really gave the car another dimension with the added detail. The new headlights straight edge angular that follow the lines of the front bumper and hood, with the adaptive LED matrix tech adding more detail with the upside down L shapes that feature the day time running lights on the car. Depending on the trim, the front diffuser changes to suit, with the xLine have a more pronounced curved styling with brushed aluminium accents and details which include a center skid plate in the front and rear of the car. These brush aluminium details also include side plates which give a tri-colour look to the side. I love the little things in the design of the new X1, the revised door handles which are blended in to the body, the new tail lights which have a really cool pattern embedded in them and way the roof line has that gentle gradient just adds to the character of the X1.

PERFORMANCE

While the badge read 18d, the X1 diesel is still powered by a 2.0-litre Turbo Charged diesel motor which produces 110kW and 360Nm of torque. For its size and weight, the motor propels the X1 off the line at quite a speed recording a 0-100km/h speed of 8.9 seconds. But performance on this type of vehicle doesn't mean its speed or how fast it can take a corner but rather pulling power with a load, fuel consumption and urban driving comforts which the X1 excels in every aspect. The urban consumption figures on the brochure read 4.5L per 100km but I managed to get around 5.6 which isn't terrible considering I was doing highway driving as well. With the 54-litre fuel tank, I managed to get just over 650km from a single tank of fuel. Even though the X1 in the xLine trim came fitted with 19-inch rims, the ride quality was very comfortable on any surface. The new design BMW steering wheel felt good in hand and general handling of the car was very good no matter the speed or surface you were traveling on.

COMFORT

While the X1 has grown ever so slightly from its predecessor, it does feel a lot bigger with loads more head room. This coming from a tall person says a lot about the design of the interior from BMW. Speaking of which, it comes with the new styled interior which BMW will be rolling out in all of the X range. The X1 comes with the new curved screen dual display, as mentioned before, a new design steering wheel, a floating center console which doubles as an arm rest with hidden storage under the cushion. The center console also has the new mini gear selector and driving mode selector. Under the floating arm rest is more storage as well as USB ports. The X1 has dual zone climate control for the driver and passengers. The rear passenger seats receive a new design which make it much more comfortable for 3 people to sit on the semi bench styled seat with a 40:20:40 split for the extension of the luggage hole. The modern design in the cabin extends to even the door panels with edgy designs that is contrasted in various materials from aluminium, plastic, leather and suede. It really adds great dimension to the overall look of the interior. The car comes with wireless connectivity for mobile apps which set up automatically once the bluetooth is activated giving you seamless integration. If you prefer to use the normal BMW OS, you'll be please to know that you will be receiving the latest version of it and with the ease of reach from the drivers seat, the infotainment screen is fully touch screen and there is no iDrive jog shuttle controls for it. The new BMW Maps with Connected navigation has Augmented Reality directions so it displays arrows when you need to take a turn or off ramp.

VERDICT

The BMW X1 is feature packed in terms of tech and safety, with its modern and stylish looks along with the host of textures, trims and rims to choose from, you can really spec your desired one to be totally different from the next. The overall driving experience is a good one, it feels like a better build that most of the other competitors in the market. I know this car is newly launched but it just feels mile a head of the rest and that should be the case, as its setting the standard for compact SUV's and BMW were the first to introduce this size to the market. While you won't get the same sporty performance type drive of a normal BMW, the X1 does well to fit into its roll as a family orientated recreational vehicle that is also super good to look at.