Detroit 2017: GAC’s growing ambitions
By Chris Maillard2017-01-10T03:32:00
Chinese company GAC has big plans and a quirky concept
In the centre of the rear seats of GAC’s SUV/coupe/convertible concept sits a tiny bonsai tree. And it’s interactive. “You will, of course, have an app on your phone which tells you whether it needs more water or air,” deadpans GAC’s VP of Design Zhang Fan.
“We had a concept car recently with a fish tank in it, and people kept asking me ‘how will the fish survive in a car?’. So this one is completely practical. The tree is cared for in a very high-tech environment and will be just fine.” He may not be entirely serious. However, his company’s ambitions are.
Even without the interactive bonsai, the firm’s EnSpirit concept car is a very creditable piece of work from a company which is growing impressively fast in China and has large ambitions globally.