2026 GAC M8 review: Quick drive

If you’ve ever seen footage of a popstar being driven into a venue or hotel, chances are the paparazzi caught them travelling in a luxury people mover with dark tint.

While it seems most mainstream buyers can’t get enough of SUVs in any size or price segment, the world’s richest and most pampered have themselves transported in a van with captain’s chairs.

Which brings us to the 2026 GAC M8, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) people mover, and the third model to be released by the Chinese newcomer brand in Australia – alongside the value-play Emzoom small SUV and the Aion V electric SUV.

Our limited time with both models left us impressed, with each vehicle offering excellent value for money – particularly the Emzoom – combined with surprisingly good ride and handling characteristics.

The M8 brings a different flavour to the table, positioning itself as a luxury family vehicle, while providing an estimated 106km of emissions-free driving, GAC claims.

While it’s sold as the Trumpchi M8 in its homeland, the company has taken the sensible route of selling all of its models under the GAC umbrella here, rather than introducing several sub-brands and confusing shoppers from the get-go.

Throughout the vehicle are ‘Master’ motifs, and that’s a little odd as ‘Master’ isn’t part of the model’s name or grade. However, it appears ‘Master’ is a reference to the grille and body kit fitted to the M8 as standard on Australian-delivered cars.

The M8 is also the only plug-in hybrid people mover on sale in Australia – though that’s expected to change soon, with Volkswagen set to introduce its plug-in hybrid Multivan in the coming months.

But despite currently being the only PHEV people mover here, GAC is launching the M8 into a VFACTS segment with no fewer than seven models in it – and with one month left in 2025, sales remain at less than 1500. For the entire segment.

So, it’s probably safe to say the M8 is more of a statement piece for GAC – rather than an expected volume-seller – perhaps in an effort to ensure the automaker isn’t pigeonholed just as a value brand by buyers.

However, as exclusively reported by CarExpert in recent weeks, the M8 could also be the source of some expensive headaches for GAC, given the company chose to give its people mover the same name as a high-performance coupe sold by BMW.

Though our limited time in the Emzoom and Aion V left us impressed, it’s worth noting we had even less time behind the wheel of the M8. We were chauffeured around while enjoying the comforts of the M8 from the second row, with the parking controllers at the airport wondering if Jack Osbourne had just arrived in town. (Probably.)

But what we want to know is, in the burgeoning luxury people mover segment, can the GAC M8 PHEV make enough of an impression?

How much does the GAC M8 cost?

The 2026 GAC M8 PHEV is priced from $76,590 before on-road costs for the Premium, with the Luxury variant starting at $83,590 before on-roads.

The leader (in this price segment) is the all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which is priced from $87,990 to $109,990 before on-road costs, and has a driving range of up to 452km, depending on the variant.

However, arguably the M8’s closest competitor is the LDV Mifa – another luxurious people mover from China – with prices starting from $63,501 drive-away for the comparable turbo-petrol Luxe version, which also offers second-row captain’s chairs. Step up to the electric Mifa 9 Luxe, and that pricing becomes $129,000.

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the GAC M8 like on the inside?

If there’s one thing GAC does well, it’s blending luxury and modern technology together within a relatively affordable package.

The driver and front passenger are well catered for, with an attractive wrap-around dashboard, digital screens, and an attractive steering wheel.

The shifter knob is more traditional in the way it works, but is anything but traditional in its design, featuring a giant round glass crystal that appears to have no actual function, other than being a fidget spinner for the driver.

You’ll be surprised to know that giant glass crystals aren’t typically part of my personal brand, and though I wanted to hate it, I couldn’t fight the enjoyment I had from the outside-the-box thinking by GAC’s design team.

Our time was exclusively spent in the range-topping M8 PHEV Luxury, which comes with a bi-colour leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-trimmed dash, and high-gloss panels with classy graphics.

Along with an excellent stereo, as with its siblings, the M8 comes across as being very well put together. However, there were glaring misalignments between the door panels and the dashboard, as part of its wrap-around design – and amplified by the rich cinnamon-coloured leather.

It’s a comfortable place to be, with hugging seats, good ergonomics, and decent visibility from the aggressively angled windscreen – yet the infotainment screen was a little on the small side for a technology- and feature-rich car, and the lack of buttons was also a point of annoyance. At least there are more knobs and buttons here than in the Aion V.

But it’s the second row of seats where the real pampering begins.

The two captain’s chairs are clearly the stars of the show, each featuring its own small touchscreen built into the armrest, controlling typical tilt-and-slide functions, as well as extras like heating, ventilation, and your choice of massage – which I naturally took full advantage of. For science, you understand.

There’s also a retractable leg rest (like a La-Z-Boy lounge chair), which was a little redundant – but cool, nonetheless – and dining tables that flip up from the back of the driver and front passenger seats.

During a period of waiting, I took the opportunity to escape the day’s heat and snuck into a parked M8, using it as a makeshift office. Except my normal office chair doesn’t have ventilation or massage functions.

A large roof panel above controls things like climate control, the electric sliding doors (one on each side), and the panoramic sunroof – while a vent above directs air straight to the face.

Curiously though, if you want to seat passengers in the third row, there’s no way to move the captain’s chairs out of the way. So they’re forced to either squeeze down the centre between the armrests, which isn’t really a huge inconvenience if they’re empty, but does come across as a bit of an oversight. Alternatively, you can climb in from the boot if you’re small and flexible enough.

The third-row seats, while trimmed in the same lovely cinnamon leather upholstery, are pretty standard fare, offering okay space and comfort for two adults.

However, there’s frankly not a lot of luggage space behind the third row. On our airport run, we were able to stack an assortment of five backpacks and carry-on suitcases, but that was getting close to its limit of 280 litres.

While the M8 can eat up to 1500L of luggage, that’s with the third row of seats folded down, effectively making this people mover a four-seater – so it’s something to keep in mind if you’re looking to collect people from the international terminal on a regular basis.

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The GAC M8 PHEV is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, coupled with an electric motor with two-speed transmission – putting out a combined 274kW of power and 630Nm of torque, all of which is sent to the front wheels.

GAC claims an electric driving range of 106km, courtesy of its 25.57kWh battery – and a total claimed range of 1032km, thanks to its 56L fuel tank and combined fuel economy of 6.05L/100km based on the WLTP cycle.

Using a 35kW DC plug, the M8 can be recharged from zero to 80 per cent in 30 minutes, while a 6.6kW AC outlet will do the same in around 3.5 hours – giving approximately 85km of electric driving range.

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the GAC M8 drive?

It’s not often we’re unable to provide at least a general overview of how a car drives on a launch but, unfortunately in this case, we weren’t given a chance to sample the M8 PHEV with battery power.

By the time it was our turn to drive the M8 PHEV – after a 60km trip as a passenger – the battery was completely empty, which meant the vehicle was neither efficient nor powerful.

GAC says the M8 has 274kW and 630Nm on tap, which are significant numbers for a front-wheel drive people mover on non-performance tyres – even if they are Michelins.

Surprisingly, with a full battery, GAC claims a 0-100km/h time of 8.8 seconds, which – despite taking its 2420kg weight into consideration – seems a little lethargic considering the claimed performance figures.

Take the Lexus LM500h, which is a luxury people mover weighing roughly the same as the M8, and is powered by a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol hybrid system making a total of 273kW. Yet it can reportedly hustle to 100km/h in just 6.9 seconds. Sure, there’s a lot more that goes into real-world performance than numbers on paper, but something here doesn’t seem to quite add up.

Sitting behind the wheel, without the benefit of electric power, just raised more questions. Our M8 felt slow and soggy, like an underpowered and overweight turbo-diesel van. Albeit with a plush interior.

Handling didn’t come across as its strong suit, and we’re not sure how feeding more than 600Nm through the front tyres would improve this on a wet or winding road.

Yet, in what is fast becoming a theme across GAC’s lineup, the steering was well-weighted and relatively communicative. Realistically though, the M8 isn’t designed for the driver – it’s a car designed to be driven around in, and it’s not about to line up on the grid at Bathurst, to be fair. Taking it down a few notches and just cruising makes for an entirely pleasant experience.

And that pleasant experience is thanks to a truly excellent ride, which is made better by decent sound deadening – effectively cocooning the cabin from the outside world, and helping to make for a truly luxurious ride for passengers.

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

Compared to something like a Lexus LM500h, which – if you take your glasses off – looks roughly the same and has about the same power output, the GAC M8 PHEV looks like a relative bargain, costing just 37 per cent of the price of the Lexus.

Now, before you start hurling fruit and vegetables at me, yes – while philosophically similar – these two models exist on different planes. But the point remains: if you want to transport people in luxury, the GAC can do it for less. A lot less.

2026 GAC M8 Premium standard equipment highlights:

• Dual power-sliding doors
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Rear privacy glass
• 18-inch alloy wheels in 225/60R18 tyres
• Tyre repair kit
• Welcome lights
• Power-folding exterior mirrors with memory
• Keyless entry and start
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• 8-speaker sound system
• Wireless phone charger
• USB-A and USB-C outlets
• 8-way power driver’s seat with 4-way power lumbar
• 4-way power passenger seat
• 2-way manual front head restraints
• 2-way manually adjustable second-row seats with 2-way power leg rest adjustment
• 60:40 split/fold third row
• Leather upholstery (first and second rows)
• PVC upholstery (third row)
• Tri-zone climate control

The Luxury adds:

• Semi-autonomous parking assist
• Reverse Driver Assist
• 225/60R18 ‘acoustic’ tyres
• Second-row ‘welcome light carpet’
• Second-row sunshades
• Fragrance system
• Ambient lighting
• Heated steering wheel
• Rear tray tables
• 2-way power-adjustable second-row seats
  • 4-way power leg rest
  • Memory
  • Welcome function
  • Massage
  • Heating
  • Ventilation
  • USB outlets
  • LCD control screens
• Semi-aniline upholstery (first and second rows)
• Leather upholstery (third row)

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the GAC M8 safe?

While the company has done its own crash tests (as pictured below), the GAC M8 PHEV has not yet been evaluated by ANCAP or any of the major independent auto safety organisations. However, stay tuned, as the company has said five-star ratings are a priority for its models in Australia.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking (forward and reverse)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Integrated Cruise Assist
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Emergency lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit warning
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Surround-view camera

The M8 PHEV Premium has two front parking sensors and four at the rear, while the Luxury has six at each end.

GAC says it has an “industry-leading” 3.2m-long side curtain airbag as well as rear windshield airbags, aimed at protecting third-row occupants.

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the GAC M8 cost to run?

While almost every other automaker in this segment offers a five-year warranty of some sort, the M8 PHEV gets GAC’s eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty – though the battery is ‘only’ covered by an eight-year/200,000km warranty.

Complimentary roadside assistance is also provided for five years, but GAC is yet to announce service scheduling for the M8 PHEV.

To see how the GAC M8 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the GAC M8

If there’s one car in which it’s actually better to spend more time as a passenger than behind the wheel – as is the case here – then the GAC M8 PHEV is probably the one you want to do it with.

To be sure, our time driving the M8 was very limited, and not helped by the fact we were unable to sample the benefits of the vehicle’s plug-in hybrid technology – one of its unique selling points.

While we’re a little sceptical about the claimed performance – being just 1kW more than the Lexus LM500h (coincidence, no?) – ultimately, buyers of this car will be using it around town and on the highway. And that’s where it seems to excel.

The ride is very, very good, and when combined with the refinement, noise suppression and the swathes of soft leather and sharp technology, it makes the experience – as a passenger, at least – feel like it’s worth a lot more than the asking price.

For those looking for a basic family bus without the fanfare, the best-selling Kia Carnival remains as segment royalty. But for those who like a bit extra, but don’t necessarily want to drain their accounts to get it, the M8 could be one of the better value options.

And yet, while our small sample of the GAC M8 PHEV left a positive imprint on us, due to the limitations of our drive time, there are still too many questions remaining for us to offer an unequivocal recommendation at this early stage.

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MORE: Explore the GAC M8 showroom