Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
It’s always great to see old friends and former colleagues during motor shows. At the GAC Motor display pavilion during the 2025 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) in particular, I saw Ryan Bermudez, who’s now the Sales Director of Astara Philippines, the distributor of GAC, among other car brands. “It’s been a while”, he greeted as I approached him after the launch of their latest M8 PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) luxury passenger van. “If you’re up to it, you should test drive and review a GAC. I’ll book you one”, he said after our brief conversation.
Sales Director Ryan Bermudez (rightmost) poses with brand ambassador Dindong Dantes (2nd from left) and officers from GAC Motor and Astara Philippines during the M8 PHEV launch at MIAS 2025.
True to his word, Ryan arranged a test drive of their GAC M6 Pro, a 5-door multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and sent the top-of-the-line model, a Crystal White 7-seat M6 Pro with a large panoramic sunroof and all the bells & whistles, err… driving assistance and safety technology. “I’d like to get your honest opinion specifically about the 7WDCT automatic transmission”, he requested. 7WDCT is the 7-speed wet dual clutch slush box that was developed in-house by GAC Motor. Coincidentally, my wife Shawie and I were attending a launch in Nueva Ecija that weekend, giving me a chance to drive the M6 Pro over a long distance.
Ryan sent us their top-of-the-line 2025 GAC M6 Pro MPV to test drive and review.
Crafted for Comfort
On an overcast early Sunday morning, Shawie and I headed off to San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, which is around 102 kilometers from our home in Project 8, Quezon City. My first driving impression of the M6 Pro is that I found its model slogan “Crafted for Comfort” very appropriate. It is indeed comfortable, luxuriously appointed, and easy to drive. Despite its 4.7-meter length, it feels like I’m driving a shorter vehicle and it’s quite maneuverable with a tight turning radius of just 5.75 meters. With 5.5 inches (140 millimeters) of ground clearance, I drove through speed bumps and road undulations without worrying about scraping the M6 Pro’s underside.
The M6 Pro is comfortable, luxurious and easy to drive, even after spending several hours in it because of the traffic.
GAC carefully packed an independent suspension system within the M6 Pro’s 1.8-meter width and 2.8-meter wheelbase, and then laid out a spacious and ergonomic interior with adequate headroom within its 1.7-meter tall MPV body. Front and second row passengers sit on bolstered and supportive bucket seats, the latter with folding armrests and hideaway cup holders. The third row will fit three slim passengers, while portly ones will find it a bit of a squeeze. There’s around 324 dry liters of storage behind the third row, which can be expanded to 1,100 dry liters with the third row seatback folded flat.
For the passengers’ comfort and convenience, the bucket seats on the 2nd row…
… have folding armrests and hideaway cup holders at the side.
There’s room for 3 slim people at the 3rd row…
… and 324 dry liters of trunk space behind the seats…
… which can be expanded to 1,100 liters with the seatback folded flat.
Driver Assistance & Comfort
Sitting in the cockpit, I gripped a multi-function steering wheel with buttons for the instrument panel, audio and cruise control on the spokes. A one-piece continuous LCD screen occupies the dashboard with a 7-inch instrument screen in front of me and a 10.25-inch “Central Control” touchscreen in the middle. There are switches on the dash to adjust the automatic climate control system with the selected settings displayed on touchscreen. The music from my little red USB sounded large and great with the Digital Theater System DTS sound-equipped audio system, although the audio system does not recognize the digital folders that I divided my music selection into.
Driver gets first-class seating and a great all-around view….
… and faces an elegant and ergonomic cockpit with simple and easy-to-navigate controls.
7-inch instrument screen shows a plethora of information and changes color depending on the driving mode selected. (Green for Economy; Blue for Comfort; and Red for Sport)
DTS sounds system keeps the driver & passengers entertained with great-sounding music.
On the tollways, the LDW (Lane Departure Warning) sounded a chime when I veer off a lane without switching on the signal lights. I can feel the LKA (Lane Keep Assist) assisting to keep the M6 Pro within the lane using the EPAS electric power steering. I had a chance to use the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and inadvertently, the ICA (Integrated Cruise Assist) but only briefly, because of the slow traffic caused by a large vehicular volume. Where’s the TJA (Traffic Jam Assist) when you need it most? (On a Sunday drive? – Ed.) On several occasions, the TSR (Traffic Sign Recognition System) sounded a warning chime to tell me that I’m driving above the posted speed limit or that I’m driving into a curve.
The TSR reads the traffic sign, like the 60 km/h speed limit (small yellow arrow), displays it on the instrument panel (large yellow arrow), and then chimes a warning if you exceed it.
Neat little pictograph of the M6 Pro on the instrument screen reminds the driver when a door is ajar and which door is ajar.
7WDCT: Wet is Cooler & More Robust
Ryan mentioned that some drivers found the M6 Pro’s 7WDCT automatic transmission “slipping” or “slow” during acceleration. I observed that when the throttle is suddenly mashed to the floor, the 1.5T GDI 4-cylinder gas engine does not rev up immediately to churn out 270 Newton-meters of torque, and launch the MPV aggressively forward. I can only guess that GAC programmed it that way to avoid the dreaded SUA (sudden unintended acceleration) that people use as a convenient excuse after a crash caused by driver error. Besides, the M6 Pro is equipped with AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) and FCW (Forward Collision Warning) that will help avoid front collisions.
It may not look pretty but this 1.5T GDI 4-cylinder engine pumps out 174hp@5500rpm and 270Nm@1400-4500 rpm.
As a mechanical engineer, I learned that the wide-open throttle (WOT) performance of wet dual clutch automatics (WDCTs), which use two clutch packs immersed in oil, is similar to the WOT performance of traditional automatic transmissions (A/T) with non-lockup fluid-immersed viscous torque converters. The transmission fluid in A/T and the oil in WDCTs allows the clutch packs to slip a bit before engaging to soften the shock and prolong transmission life. The oil in WDCTs provides cooling and lubrication, making them generally more robust and quieter than dry clutch transmissions (DCTs). I can only guess that GAC intentionally equipped the M6 Pro with a WDCT to be consistent with its “Crafted for Comfort” model slogan.
7WDCT delivers all that power and torque to the front wheels intelligently and efficiently.
Adapting to My Driving Style
Knowing what I know now, I adapted my driving style to suit the 7-speed WDCT and got rewarded with quick acceleration and high speeds on the highways. I allowed the 7WDCT to engage first before pressing the throttle, which makes for a smart getaway, especially since the M6 Pro is a marketed as a luxury MPV. Modulating my right foot also allowed the Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) of the M6 Pro to “learn” my driving habits. Once the traffic clears and I step on the gas, the M6 utilizes 174 horsepower to immediately bring it up to speed without sounding like a boy racer in a hurry.
It’s a luxurious people mover, not a boy racer. It should be driven accordingly. Get that into your head, people!
It feels shorter than it is and it’s easy to drive around traffic.
The 7WDCT rowed through its seven gear ratios seamlessly and unperceptively as we traversed the relatively light traffic on Maharlika Highway between the San Miguel, Bulacan and Gapan City, Nueva Ecija that Sunday morning. When tricycles with mindless drivers or motorcycles with helmet-less riders suddenly dart out on the highway, I relied on the 4-wheels disc brakes with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution) to stop us and the M6 Pro from becoming the next news headline. Our GAC MPV made short work of 102 kilometers and we found ourselves arriving a bit early for the inauguration ceremony at San Leonardo.
The amenities of our white M6 Pro kept our heads cool despite the lawbreakers we kept encountering on Maharlika Highway.
Shawie enjoyed her first-class front passenger seat during the entire drive.
I found out later that the temporary spare tire and tools were hidden just under the front row seats. Hmm… that’s a great place to store, uh… stuff against road ragers! (Hahaha)
Southbound from San Leonardo to Parañaque City
After the traditional provincial brass band, warm welcomes, motorcade around the city and neighboring suburbs, ribbon cutting, ceremonial toasts, speeches and lunch, Shawie and I had to drive from Nueva Ecija to Parañaque City to catch another event. (Ah, the busy life of a motoring journalist! – Ed.) Unfortunately, since it was a Sunday, there were a lot of vehicles southbound going back to Metro Manila. There were instances when the traffic was crawling and the FCW would sound off a chime to warn of a possible front collision. When I ignored it and got too near the car in front, my wife and I were suddenly jolted by the AEB autonomously applying the brakes.
LDW chimes warning when the MPV veers off the lane. LKA tries to keep the MPV in the lane. FCW chimes warning when the MPV gets too close to the vehicle in front. AEB kicks in when FCW is ignored.
It’s a great MPV. It looks good in motion and at rest. At P1,598,000, it’s accessible, too.
We travelled around 187 kilometers and spent almost 4 hours on the road before we reached Parañaque City. It was getting dark but the M6 Pro’s Matrix Full LED Headlights cut a large swath of light and even dimmed the bright lights when there were vehicles in the opposite lane. We arrived fresh and lively, none for the wear, thanks to the comfort and luxury inside our white M6 Pro. While walking away after we parked it in Okada Manila, I began to appreciate what GAC labeled as its Wind Wing Exterior Design, finding it handsome and functional at the same time.
As part of the M6 Pro’s WInd Wing Exterior Design, the front end looks authoritative, aerodynamic and expensively classy.
The rear end continues the classy look with a large tail gate, low loading height, full-length LED light bar connecting the LED tail lights, and a chrome stylized letter “G” in the center.
We spent a week driving around Metro Manila in the 2025 GAC M6 Pro, attending media events and attending to personal business. Shawie and our son Chevy took our dog Odie to the vet, and on another occasion, Shawie, Chevy, our daughter Vette and I went to the mall in the M6 Pro to buy stuff and watch a movie. On the drive home, I began to appreciate it more as an “MPV to move MVPs”: It’s the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) to move the most valuable people (MVP) in your life.
A night drive around the mall under a drizzling rain turned into a fantastic overhead light show with the panoramic sunroof.
Yup. The GAC M6 Pro is the MPV to move your MVPs.
SPECIFICATIONS
Vehicle Type: Front engine, FWD, 5-door MPV
Price: P1,598,000
Engine: 1.5T GDI inline 4-cylinder
Displacement: 1497cc
Maximum power: 174 hp @ 5500 rpm
Maximum torque: 270 Nm @ 1400-4500 rpm
Transmissions: 7WDCT
Fuel tank capacity: 52 liters
Wheelbase: 2810 mm
Length: 4793 mm
Width: 1837 mm
Height: 1730 mm
Trunk capacity: 324-1100 liters
Minimum ground clearance: 140 mm
Minimum turning radius: 5.75 m
Curb weight: 1600 kg
Front suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with coil springs
Rear suspension: Independent, torsion beam with coil springs
Front brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear brakes: Solid discs
Steering system: Rack & pinion with electric power assist (EPAS)
Wheels: 18-inch 7-spoke 5-lug two-tone aluminum alloy
Tires: 215/50R18
Advanced Driving Assistance System:
PEPS Passive Entry Passive Start
ACC Adaptive Cruise Control
LDW Lane Departure Warning
AEB Autonomous Emergency Braking
FCW Forward Collision Warning
LKA Lane Keep Assist
HBA High Beam Assist
ICA Integrated Cruise Assist
TJA Traffic Jam Assist
TSR Traffic Sign Recognition System
One of the rare ocassions when the white GAC M6 Pro is parked while in our custody.