There’s a very interesting phenomenon that we are currently witnessing in the Chinese market – there’s a renaissance of the multi-purpose vehicle segment in the country. The minivan is almost completely dead in North America and Europe with just a few exceptions but in the People’s Republic, it enjoys strong demand from customers which motivates more and more automakers to develop and sell a new product in the segment. One of the latest additions comes from the Trumpchi brand.
For starters, Trumpchi – once poised to enter the US market – is the luxury marque of GAC, one of China’s largest automakers. The M8 minivan was originally launched in 2017 under the GM8 name but for the all-new second generation of the model released this year, that name was simplified to just M8. And no, there are absolutely no similarities between the Trumpchi M8 and the BMW M8.
Gallery: Trumpchi M8
While the latter is one of the most powerful mass-production coupes currently available around the globe, the former is a slightly odd-looking MPV for the Chinese market. A new video from our friends and colleagues at Wheelsboy shows us the Trumpchi M8 in detail and we have to admit that – while unceremoniously weird – the vehicle looks very cool. The massive radiator grille at the front apparently screams “I’m rich” to Chinese customers, which easily explains why this isn’t the only minivan for that market to feature this provocative styling.
No matter how luxurious this MPV looks despite its controversial design, it’s important to note that this isn’t an expensive vehicle. This range-topping hybrid model costs around $48,000 in China, which makes it less than a third of the starting price of a Lexus LM, which is a mighty expensive machine.
Speaking of the M8’s powertrain, the minivan is available with two powertrain options. The more affordable models have a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 250 horsepower (186 kilowatts). Interestingly, the hybrid version apparently uses a Toyota-sourced electrified powertrain, which has a powerful 180 hp (134 kW) electric motor mounted on the front axle.
