Currently reading: Chinese firm GAC displays Entranze concept with American design focus
Ambitious Chinese company gears up for global expansion with sleek seven-seat electric concept

Chinese firm GAC Motor has unveiled an electric concept car called the Entranze, which it says is designed for the American market, at the Detroit motor show.

GAC doesn’t currently sell cars outside of China, but it has ambitious growth plans that include an entry into the US market.

The firm also has a design centre in Los Angeles, California, where the Entranze was developed, and has just opened a large research and development centre near Detroit, Michigan. It's also planning to open what GAC boss Yu Jun called a “full US sales operation” in California.

The electric, SUV-style Entranze features an exterior that the firm describes as being shaped like "a sleek bullet". It has an unusual 3+2+2 seating arrangement, with three seats in the front, followed by two rows of two seats with a central, "airplane-style" aisle.

The machine is designed to have significant autonomous capabilities and make extensive use of voice and gesture controls. There are two side-mounted displays to control the car’s functions, with a large curved display for passenger entertainment.

Yu said the machine was developed around a “human-centric” philosophy, with a spacious interior that makes substantial use of renewable green materials, including cork.

While the Entranze is purely a concept car with no official plans for it to go into production, GAC displayed its full vehicle range at Detroit, further suggesting that it plans to enter the US market soon.

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James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

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Peter Cavellini 15 January 2019

Ugh!!!

 Sorry, but that’s a ....go back, and try again design.

FM8 15 January 2019

Peter Cavellini wrote:

Peter Cavellini wrote:

 Sorry, but that’s a ....go back, and try again design.

I'd disagree. Challenging aesthetics maybe, but this is exactly what we should be seeing from electric vehicle design. Electric propulsion offers the first opportunity we've had to breakfree of the constraints traditionally powered vehicles have imposed for decades.

Peter Cavellini 16 January 2019

My sentiments also.

FM8 wrote:

Peter Cavellini wrote:

 Sorry, but that’s a ....go back, and try again design.

I'd disagree. Challenging aesthetics maybe, but this is exactly what we should be seeing from electric vehicle design. Electric propulsion offers the first opportunity we've had to breakfree of the constraints traditionally powered vehicles have imposed for decades.

That’s my concern too, EV is coming, and once all the anxiety settles, when the infrastructure is fully up and reliable, then I’ll be in an EV too, I just want something that isn’t a bit Buck Rogers...