All-new Avancier SUV to boost GAC Honda sales

GAC Honda launched its latest premium sport utility vehicle, the all-new Avancier, on Wednesday in Xiamen, Fujian province, hoping to reach a monthly 7,000-unit sales target.

The 2-liter turbocharged edition of the latest SUV model is the first to arrive in showrooms and has a price tag starting from 269,800 to 292,800 yuan ($39,100 to $42,400).

GAC Honda's all-new Avancier is pictured in a test drive in Xiamen, Fujian province on Dec 8, 2016. [Hao Yan/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Avancier has received more than 8,000 preorders which beat the company's expectations and exceeded its current productivity.

More units will soon be available to meet customer demand as plant productivity is climbing, according to the company.

Unveiled in November at Auto Guangzhou, the Avancier exemplifies the "Dynamic Elegance" design philosophy. A LED is used in both head and taillights to show off the car's techie style. The fastback design popular with SUVs, together with a roof-extending spoiler, gives the body a distinctive shape.

The SUV comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. Its power tops 200 kW and the torque peaks at 370 Nm.

It has a length of 4.8 meters with a 2.8-meter wheelbase, and sports 19-inch aluminum alloy rims.

The joint venture is set to launch the lower-priced 1.5-liter turbocharged variant in March 2017. It will go for about 220,000 yuan, and it is expected to boost the company's sales volume next year.