Following WTC Automotif (M) Sdn. Bhd.'s (WTCA) announcement in April that it has started production of the GAC GS3 Emzoom at its wholly owned Segambut plant, a separate announcement by GAC said the company has set a modest sales target of 2,000 units for 2024.

The Segambut plant is the first to produce GAC models outside of China. Since the RM 60 million plant is 100 percent owned by WTCA, it’s technically a contract manufacturer for GAC.

GAC says the plant has an annual capacity of 34,400 units, but with additional investments, it can have a maximum capacity of 50,000 units per year.

WTCA has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GAC International to explore the possibility of WTCA building left-hand drive variants of the GAC GS3 Emzoom, for export to Vietnam.

GAC is the core brand of China’s state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Group. The group is also the local partner of Toyota and Honda in China. Apart from GAC, the group also owns the electric vehicles-only Aion brand, which will also be introduced by WTCA later this year.

The Proton X50-size GAC GS3 Emzoom starts from RM 118,900. It’s powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 177 PS and 270 Nm. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.