Yes, after BYD and Geely, GAC now has its own Champion Edition car. And it is the E9 PHEV MPV under the Trumpchi brand. It has got styling of the special edition E9 (Grandmaster Edition). But it terms of pricing, it is more affordable. The E9 Champion Edition starts at 349,800 yuan (48,790 USD), 5,570 USD lower than the special edition E9.
We will remind you that GAC is one of the biggest Chinese automakers. It manufactures Toyota, Mitsubishi and Honda vehicles in China. Moreover, GAC owns its own brands such as Trumpchi, Aion and Hycan. Among them, only the Trumpchi brand actively sells overseas. However, its vehicles are branded just GAC in the international markets.
GAC E9 Champion Edition
The GAC E9 Champion Edition is a plug-in hybrid minivan with a catching exterior design. It has a giant chrome plated grille with vertical bars. The grille is surrounded by huge LED lights. The E9 Champion Edition is a relatively huge MPV with sliding rear doors. Its dimensions are 5212/1893/1823 mm with a wheelbase of 3070 mm. For a comparison, the E9 is 267 mm longer, 43 mm wider and 67 mm lower than the Toyota Alphard. So, the E9 is a really big MPV with lots of space inside.
Speaking about the exterior, the E9 Champion Edition has 7 seats inside (2+2+3). The front row of seats is heated and ventilated. As for the second-row seats, they are heated, ventilated, and massage you. Worth mentioning that the third row of seats hasn’t got these functions, but its back can be adjusted. The E9 Champion Edition has a 12.3-inch LCD instrument panel and a 14.6-inch main screen. But it hasn’t got a 12.3-inch passenger screen that higher trim levels have. Moreover, the Trumpchi E9 Champion Edition has a single interior color scheme with black and red shades. It is also equipped with 12 speakers from Yamaha.
Speaking about the powertrain, the E9 has a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol-powered ICE under the hood that generates 190 hp and 330 Nm. It is paired with an electric motor for 182 horses and 300 mm by the 2DHT transmission. The total output of this powertrain reaches 373 hp and 630 Nm. So, it can speed up from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds. As for the battery, it is ternary (NMC) for 25.57 kWh. In EV mode, the E9 can drive up to 106 km (WLTP) on a single charge. As for the PHEV mode, its range reaches 1,032 km (WLTC). You can charge the battery with DC charging in just 30 minutes. As for the fuel consumption, it is 6 L/100km.
Editor’s comment
As mentioned, the GAC Trumpchi E9 Champion Edition costs 349,800 yuan (48,790 USD). And it costs 10% less than the top-trim Grandmaster Edition. And it has the look of the Grandmaster Edition. So, the point is simple here. It looks like a lot of customers will prefer to buy the Champion Edition over the Grandmaster Edition by sacrificing some functions, but getting the same exterior design. On the other hand, the E9 Champion Edition looks really attractive. It is able to effectively rival the Denza D9 from BYD.
Source: GAC Trumpchi Weibo, Autohome
