Look-a-like: GAC GS7/GS8 and…

GAC GS8 and its smaller brother GS7 (which made its debut in Detroit this week), are two of the more eye-catching cars to come from a Chinese manufacturer recently. What makes them stand out is that they have something that many Chinese (and, for that matter, other) cars lack – a clean and confident design that’s instantly recognizable thanks to a memorable lights and grille treatment that, with familiarity, might evolve into the “GAC family look”. That said, despite the end-product being pretty unique-looking, from the front the cars remind me more than a bit of a well-established American SUV… 

…the latest GMC Yukon. Now, clearly the two cars do look different from the front, but the GS7/GS8 look a bit as though the designers took the Yukon as a starting point, with its upright grille, vertical lights swept-back tops, a flat hood and fenders, and then proceeded to apply details (chromework, extra lights, creases) until the new cars were sufficiently different. I will say again – I think that GS7/GS8 are handsome beasts, probably better-looking than the Yukon – but once I realized what their front end reminds me of I can’t unsee it!