Chinese brand partnering with Honda and Toyota is now heading to the Czech Republic to compete with the Škoda Enyaq

5 days ago

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GAC is launching with well-equipped electric cars starting at CZK 629,900, with hybrids to follow.

Dark blue GAC AION V SUV with open doors, assembled by Magna in Graz, Austria, for the European market — The GAC AION V for the European market is assembled in Graz, Austria. Production is carried out by Magna

Chinese car manufacturer GAC is entering the Czech market through the importer Colmobil. Sales start with electric vehicles, and hybrids will follow at a later stage. The cars are assembled in Europe at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria. The manufacturer has long-standing partnerships with Honda and Toyota. GAC aims to impress not only on price, but also on quality and equipment.

Czech buyers have so far shown little demand for Chinese cars

More than twenty Chinese automotive brands currently offer new passenger cars on the Czech market, and this number is set to grow again shortly. Today, the Israeli automotive giant Colmobil announced its entry into the domestic market as the importer of vehicles from the GAC group (Guangzhou Automobile Group). This brings together two relative heavyweights: a strong importer group and one of the largest Chinese automotive groups, which sold 1.7 million vehicles worldwide last year.

Although the GAC name may still be unfamiliar to most Czechs, the group is by no means a newcomer to the automotive industry. It has been cooperating with Honda since 1998 and with Toyota since 2004, producing vehicles for the Chinese market through joint ventures with both. Nor are these partnerships a thing of the past: this year, Honda extended its cooperation until 2038, and in October, Toyota announced a further expansion of the partnership.

“The Czech Republic is currently one of the European countries with the lowest share of Chinese car brands in new car sales. That is why we see great potential here,” says Matěj Macháček, Country Manager of Colmobil for the Czech market, presenting a map of the market shares of Chinese brands in individual countries last year. While the figure for the Czech Republic stands at just over four percent, in the United Kingdom, for example, it exceeded 15 percent. Until recently, Matěj Macháček held the same position on the Czech market for the Chinese automotive giant BYD.

“We are starting with the GAC group, but we also intend to import other brands, and beyond passenger cars, we are preparing to transform the truck market as well,” reveals Lars Pauly, Head of European Operations at Colmobil. He, too, can look back on an interesting professional career, having worked for many years for the Mercedes-Benz brand as well as serving as Country Manager for BYD on the German market.

GAC AION V dashboard with a large central display, steering wheel and the clean design of the light interior — The dashboard of the GAC AION V shares many similarities with other Chinese vehicles. It is dominated by a large display and a clean design.

Starting at CZK 629,900

The GAC brand will present itself to potential Czech customers already next week at the eSalon exhibition. Which models will be on display? “We will present the compact electric hatchback AION UT, starting at CZK 629,900,” reveals Macháček. “It is assembled at Magna's plant in Graz, Austria.” Measuring 4.27 m in length, the hatchback offers up to 150 kW of power and a 60 kWh battery, enabling a range of more than 400 km on a single charge.

A second electric model, also produced in Graz, will arrive on the Czech market in the coming weeks. “This will be the GAC AION V family SUV. With it, we aim to compete with the Škoda Enyaq,” reveals Macháček. Prices start at CZK 849,900. Output remains at 150 kW, while battery capacity increases to 75 kWh, providing a range of over 500 km.

A first look inside confirms that this is by no means a vehicle intended to compete on price alone. The SUV makes a very luxurious impression. Highlights include the sleep position of the front passenger seat and the “Bentley table” on the back of the front seats for rear passengers. See the gallery from the premiere.

Gallery of the GAC AION V presented in Prague:

In addition to these two models, Colmobil is expected to present the future flagship at the eSalon, a plug-in hybrid SUV measuring almost five meters in length, as well as a sports car with more than 1,000 horsepower. This does not yet mark the start of sales for GAC vehicles, which is likely to follow at the beginning of next year. “By the end of 2027, however, we would like to have 15 to 20 dealers in the Czech Republic,” says Macháček, outlining his ambitious plans.