The rise of electrification has brought a raft of unfamiliar brands to the UK and Europe. And while many of them are simply exporting a pre-existing product to Europe, GAC says it has rejected this approach, instead choosing to root its design and engineering processes directly within Europe. At the 2026 Paris Motor Show, we caught up with Ma Haiyang, GAC Europe Regional Center President, where he told us about GAC’s philosophy to "define in Europe, develop for Europe", and spoke about plans for the brand's long-term vision, the launch of the locally tailored AION UT Cross, the rollout of a service network under this new service brand framework – GAC CARE+, and the strategic roadmap to achieving 210,000 annual European sales by 2030.
Autocar: How do European customers' tastes and expectations differ from those in other automotive markets?
Ma Haiyang: After a few years in the European market, three differences stand out most to us.
The first is that customers look at substance, not packaging. Europe's car culture is so mature, and customers really know their cars. They'll ask you how the chassis is tuned, what the safety rating is, whether the range is real – they won't buy just because your ads are loud. That's why we made GAC. THE ENGINEERS our brand proposition. GAC serves European customers through a relentless pursuit of detail, a firm commitment to standards, and a focus on long-term value.
The second is how differently people charge and use their cars. Some have a charger at home. Some rely entirely on public charging. Others take the family outdoors on weekends. Some drive hundreds of kilometers back home every week. Europe isn't a market you win with a single technology path. So what we bring to Europe is a full powertrain line-up of HEV, PHEV and EV, to meet those different needs.
The third is what people expect here – a small body with big capacity, for Europe's tight city streets. European streets are narrow and parking is tight, so customers want a nimble car. But they also want a roomy cabin, with space for camping gear and bikes on weekends. These needs look contradictory – but our engineers came up with a solution that nails both. The AION UT Cross we launched today has a class-leading 2,750 mm wheelbase while keeping the body compact and agile, so it's easy to drive and park in tight roads. The boot is 440 litres, there are 24 storage spaces, and we added roof rails. And the chassis is tuned the European way, too. So it has real ground clearance for the outdoors and can easily swallow tents, skateboards and more. One car, two ways of life.
Autocar: How important is the Milan Advanced Design Center to you? How does it help you build cars that resonate with European drivers?
Ma Haiyang: It matters a lot, and we're fully committed to it. Instead of just setting up an office in Europe, we established the design centre straight to Milan, so the people who actually live here can define the products.
What it does is very simple: it meets European tastes. Both the AION UT Cross and the AION UT were led by the Milan team – the two-tone floating roof, the signature light clusters, all came from there. This isn't "a Chinese design reworked into a European version" – it follows European design logic from the very first sketch.
