Ferrari GTC4 vs Gac Emzoom

What's the difference?

The Ferrari GTC4Lusso is a properly fast, beautifully composed, and supremely luxurious four-seat coupe.

Sadly, evermore stringent emissions regulations have put atmo V12's on the knife edge of extinction, with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and a few others hanging on for grim death.

In fact the twin-turbo V8 Lusso T (powered by the same engine used in the California T and 488) will arrive and be sold alongside this car in Australia later this year.

But we’d like to propose a captive breeding program to keep the big V12s alive because this engine’s soundtrack and the GTC4Lusso’s overall driving experience is magnificent.

Candidly, I really didn’t want to like the Emzoom. I think Australia has too many car brands already and the market is in danger of becoming overwhelmed with mediocre products at bargain prices that will squeeze out better but more expensive products.

But I cannot help but really be impressed by what GAC is offering. There’s no doubt the brand faces a major challenge expanding its dealership network to grow sales, but if it continues to deliver vehicles as nice as the Emzoom then it at least has a shot.

Not only is it affordable but it has style, space and is enjoyable to drive. For anyone in the market for a small SUV or just a sub-$30k new car, this should definitely be on your short-list.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

Revealed to the world at last year's Geneva motor show, the GTC4Lusso is a substantial evolution of the out-going FF, and follows classic Ferrari GT form, with a glorious, 6.3-litre, naturally aspirated, V12 sitting majestically in its nose.

The car's proportions echo that configuration with a long snout and rear-biased, gently tapered cabin maintaining essentially the same silhouette as the FF. But Ferrari has remodelled the nose and tail; tweaking the aero detailing at the same time.

There's a host of new vents, ducts and louvers contributing to a claimed six per cent improvement in drag coefficient.

For example, the diffuser is a work of aerodynamic art, following a keel shape, with vertical fences channeling air flow towards the centre to reduce drag and increase downforce.

A wide, single-piece grille dominates a smoother front end that moves from upright to a distinct forward lean, with a neat chin spoiler enhancing the racier look.

Larger, triple-blade vents in the front wings add more aggression, and the treatment of the rear side glass and tailgate have been refined and simplified.

Always a subjective call, but we think the restyling work, done in-house by Ferrari Design, has made an already distinctive car even more appealing.

Ferrari says the interior was developed around a 'dual cockpit' concept, to “enhance the shared driving experience”, and the cabin is beautiful.
 
There's a new 10.3-inch colour touchscreen, with the interface for the climate control, sat nav and media all refreshed. It's backed up by a more powerful 1.5Ghz CPU with 2GB of RAM, and it’s much, much better.

'Our' car also boasted the optional ($9500) 8.8-inch ‘Passenger Display’ incorporating performance read-outs, and now, the ability to select music and fiddle with the nav.
 
The attention to design detail and the quality of its execution is breathtaking. Even the slender sunvisors in our test example were hand-stitched leather. And the pedals are drilled alloy. Not alloy covers, or some other faux creation – real aluminium, right down to the passenger footrest pad.

Unfortunately one of the common themes for many of the new Chinese brands entering the Australian market is inoffensive but uninteresting design. The cars tend to be quite generic and lacking in style and statement.

That’s not the case with the Emzoom, which stands out with its bold, angular design that really sets it apart from its direct rivals. For a brand looking to make an immediate impression and attract a new demographic, GAC has made a strong opening move with the Emzoom.

It’s not limited to the exterior either, with an equally design-forward cabin. There’s only a smallish 7.0-inch LCD instrument display integrated into a wider panel, but it’s all housed within a single unit alongside the 14.6-inch multimedia display to create a hi-tech look.

Yes, there are other elements from rival brands that are evident in the design, but borrowing a few cues from other places isn’t something unique to GAC and the overall look and feel of the Emzoom is very likeable.

For once we can mention Ferrari and practicality in the same breath because the Lusso offers generous accommodation in the front and rear. Forget '2+2', the back seats are for grown-ups.

With all its drive and dynamic tech on board it's hard to think of a more elegant and capable four-seater for your next trip to the chalet for a cheeky weekend skiing off piste.

In fact, Ferrari says the FF attracted a new, younger batch of owners that make greater use of their cars.

Admittedly, Ferraris don't generally rack up huge kays, but clocking mileage 30 per cent higher than average is significant.

Front seat passengers slip easily into generous and intricately sculpted sports seats, with slim map pockets in the doors and space for bottles, a single large cupholder in the substantial centre console, as well as a lidded storage box (which doubles as a centre armrest) housing 12 volt and USB outlets.

There's also a decent-sized glove box, and a second tray sits further towards the dash to store your black credit cards, Vertu phone(s), and assorted jewellery. Its leather trimmed, double-door closure is reminiscent of the finest Milanese cabinet.

The long, leather-wrapped transmission tunnel continues uninterrupted through to the back, dividing the individual rear bucket seats. A pair of jet fighter style vents sit in the centre, slightly ahead of another two cupholders and a small oddments box containing additional USB ports.

But the big surprise is the amount of head, leg and shoulder room on offer back there. The door aperture is enormous and the front seats quickly tilt and slide forward with the flick of a single handle, so entry and egress is relatively easy.

It's an ultra-comfortable and relaxed place to be, and at 183cm I could sit behind the front seat set to my position with heaps of headroom and three to four centimetres of knee clearance. Finding space for your toes under the front chair is more of a challenge, but an extended journey in the back of the Lusso would be fine.

The only caveat there is the test vehicle’s optional 'Panoramic Glass Roof' ($32,500!), which essentially removes the roof lining, and it would be interesting to sit in a car without it.

Cargo space is real-world useful, with a substantial 450 litres on offer with the rear seats upright, and a full 800 litres available with them folded down.

There’s no spare tyre; a 'can of goo' repair kit being your only option.

The Emzoom offers a surprisingly spacious interior for a small SUV. 

We were required to travel with four adult occupants at one stage and even in the back seat there was enough room for this six-foot tall reviewer to ride comfortably.

It feels more spacious thanks to the panoramic sunroof which can let in a load of natural light and get rid of the cramped feeling you sometimes have in these smaller models, particularly in the back seats.

While the seats are trimmed in PVC, they look and feel fine for this price point, and the driver’s seat is ventilated and has six-way power adjustment.

There are two USB ports in the front (one A and one C) as well as a 12V outlet, and there’s one USB-A in the rear.

The boot measures 341 litres, which is a respectable size for this type of SUV. While the inclusion of a power tailgate is a very nice touch at this price and makes life easier.

GAC has kept it simple and offers the Emzoom in a single model grade - Luxury - which is priced from $25,590 plus on-road costs. Even at roughly $28,000 on-road, the Emzoom is among the dozen or so cheapest new cars in Australia, and certainly one of the most affordable SUVs of this size.

GAC didn’t skimp on equipment to achieve that price too, with such luxuries as a panoramic sunroof and power tailgate included, along with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lights and dual-zone climate control.

Other equipment includes wireless phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth and a six-speaker sound system.

The Lusso is powered by a 6.3-litre, 65-degree, naturally aspirated V12 producing a monumental 507kW (680hp) at 8000rpm and 697Nm at 5750rpm.

It features variable valve timing on the intake and exhaust side, the rev ceiling is a lofty 8250rpm, and revisions from the FF installation include redesigned piston crowns, new anti-knock software, and multi-spark injection, for a four per cent gain in power and two percent rise in maximum torque.
 
Also new for the Lusso is the adoption of six-into-one exhaust manifold with equal length pipes and a new electronic bypass valve.

The Lusso features an insanely rapid-shift, seven-speed 'F1 DCT' dual-clutch transmission, working in parallel with Ferrari’s new and improved '4RM-S' system, which combines all-wheel drive, and now, four-wheel steering to enhance power down and dynamic response.

The drive and steering tech is integrated with Ferrari's fourth-gen side slip control, as well as the 'E-Diff' electronic differential and 'SCM-E' suspension damping syste.

Bucking the trend for electrification, the Emzoom is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that makes 125kW/270Nm. This provides adequate performance for a small SUV, without offering anything special.

The engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which sends its power to the front wheels. More on that set-up under ‘Driving’...

In case you're interested - and if a Lusso is genuinely on your shopping list, you're almost certainly not - claimed fuel consumption is reassuringly voracious.

Ferrari’s claimed figure for the combined (urban/extra urban) cycle is 15.0L/100km, emitting 350g/km of CO2 in the process. And you'll need 91 litres of premium unleaded to fill the tank.

Slightly confusingly GAC quotes a claimed combined urban/extra urban figure of 6.6L/100km, but based on the WLTC testing protocol, which is similar but marginally different to the more common and real-world-focused WLTP.

However, in our actual real-world test drive we instead saw a return of 7.6L/100km, so expect to use slightly more than the claim, regardless of testing protocols.

The Emzoom has a 47-litre fuel tank, which means if you can hit the claimed economy, you’ll have a range of just over 700km on a single tank. Our real-world average would still be good for more than 600km, which is a respectable range for what is designed to be a city-friendly SUV. 

Although the big V12's maximum torque doesn’t arrive until close to 6000rpm, 80 per cent of it is available from just 1750, and that means the Lusso is flexible enough to dawdle around town or storm towards the horizon with massive acceleration available via a single twist of the right ankle.

We were able to burble up more than gentle inclines (at reasonable speed), in seventh gear, with the engine more or less ticking over at 2000rpm. In fact, in auto mode, the dual clutch is always keen to march towards its highest ratio.

But if the mood is a little more urgent, despite its substantial, 1.9-tonne kerb weight, (with the help of ‘Performance Launch Control’) this family-friendly force of nature can storm from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds, 0-200km/h in 10.5, and on to a staggering maximum velocity of 335km/h.

From a gruff blare on start-up, through a muscular bellow in the mid-range, to a heart-pounding howl at the top end, pushing the Lusso towards its 8250rpm rev ceiling is a special event… every time.

Channelling all that forward thrust into lateral force is the job of the double wishbone front, multi-link rear suspension, with magnetic dampers and other electronic gee-whizzery in support.

Despite the 4WD system, weight balance is an ideal 47 per cent front, 53 per cent rear, with the 'SS4' torque vectoring set-up distributing torque to the front axle when required even faster than the FF.

The 20-inch Pirelli P Zero rubber grips like a Donald Trump handshake (as do the sports front seats), and the monster brakes - ventilated carbon discs front and rear - are mega.

Even in tight, first gear corners the Lusso turns in quickly and progressively thanks to the four-wheel steering and excellent electric assistance set-up, remains neutral mid-corner and slams its power down on exit.
   
Switch the wheel-mounted Manettino dial from 'Sport' to 'Comfort' and the Lusso settles into an impressively supple mode, deftly soaking up even sharp imperfections.
 
In short, this is a big beast, but point-to-point, it's a fearsomely rapid, surprisingly agile and hugely entertaining drive.

What makes the Emzoom really impressive, particularly at its price, is the way it drives. GAC has been in partnership with both Toyota and Honda in China for decades, and clearly the brand has been paying attention to how those more established global brands do things.

The net result is a small SUV that is genuinely enjoyable to drive and a far cry from the dull, unresolved offerings from other Chinese newcomers.

The Emzoom’s ride is nothing short of remarkable, given this is an all-new brand to Australia. It managed to soak up some very nasty-looking bumps without any notable fuss in the cabin. There is still some fine-tuning that could be done to make it class-leading in terms of both comfort and responsiveness, but the overall first impression is very, very positive.

It’s a similar story for the steering, with responsiveness and good weighting, not the occasionally numb and dull steering other Chinese competition offer up. 

The engine is fine, nothing special to report, it does the job steadily but does need to be worked hard at times. The gearbox, on the other hand, is more notable.

While a dual-clutch transmission is better on paper, providing faster gear changes for more responsive driving and lower fuel consumption, in practical terms they can be more challenging to operate smoothly.

That’s very much the case with the Emzoom, with the clutch tending to ‘slip’ when you take-off from standstill, often resulting in wheel spin - and a more dramatic-sounding departure than you intended. 

This is probably not helped by the tyres, a Chinese brand that this reviewer had never experienced before but felt light on grip.

Once on the move, it works well enough, although occasionally it gets caught between gears when you’re trying to drive more spiritedly, but most of the time it’s fine.

By far the biggest foible of the Emzoom is the noise. GAC clearly saved money on what’s known in the business as ‘NVH’ (or noise, vibration and harshness), with a noticeable amount of tyre roar, wind noise from mirrors and poor sound deadening underneath.

It’s not ideal but there was always going to be a compromise to get this type of SUV for this price.

Thankfully, GAC didn’t cut too many corners on safety. There’s airbag coverage for all outboard occupants and a 360-degree parking camera system as well as a decent amount of driver assistance features for a sub-$30k SUV.

It must be noted that there is no ANCAP or Euro NCAP score, but the Emzoom comes with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, high beam assist and adaptive cruise control.

However, that's the extent of the list, so it doesn't have the comprehensive list of active safety systems that its rivals can claim.

Ferrari offers a three year/unlimited km warranty, the latter part of that equation being somewhat hilarious because most Ferraris don't travel very far… ever.

Service is recommended every 12 months or 20,000km, and the seven year 'Genuine Maintenance' program covers scheduled servicing and labour along with genuine parts, oil and brake fluid for the original owner (and subsequent owners) for the first seven years of the car's life. Brilliant.

GAC has tried to be proactive and match the market with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, but strangely offers an even longer warranty for its electric and plug-in hybrid models.

It is an unusual decision and raises question marks over the longevity of its internal combustion engine models for no apparent reason.

As we wrote when we tested the Aion V, GAC is starting from scratch in Australia with less than a dozen dealers set to operate in the first 12 months. That means limited opportunities to both buy and service a GAC vehicle.