GAC GS8 Seven-Seat Review: Assess the Controls When Two Drivers Share the Car

A shared car starts with a repeated reset

Two drivers may require different seat positions, mirror views and screen information. That reset happens before an ordinary school run as well as before a longer trip. It is therefore worth assessing as a complete task. Sit in the quoted GS8 after the other driver has used it and prepare it for departure without coaching.

GAC's Kuwait table lists driver-seat memory on GX. The feature is relevant to that task, but its value comes from what the actual car stores and how the driver recalls it. Ask the retailer to demonstrate the operation and then let both drivers repeat it. A label in a brochure does not replace that simple test. [1]

Large displays should clarify the next action

The published Kuwait specification gives the GS8 a 14.6-inch central display and a 12.3-inch instrument display. Those dimensions establish the equipment, but they do not by themselves measure ease of use. A useful assessment asks where information appears when a driver needs it. [1]

With the car parked, find the climate controls, vehicle settings and assistance information. Both drivers should be able to identify what is active and return to their normal display. Then assess the ordinary driving information during a supervised demonstration. The aim is a predictable sequence in which the driver knows where to look, rather than an attempt to explore every menu while moving.

Assistance needs a clear explanation at handover

The Kuwait table differentiates driver-assistance equipment by grade; adaptive cruise control, lane assistance and automatic emergency braking are not listed uniformly across the complete range. A shared household should learn the functions fitted to the specific car. [1]

Ask each driver to explain the indicators and the conditions for using the functions after the retailer's demonstration. Differences in understanding matter because one driver may otherwise expect behaviour that the other has disabled or adjusted. Assistance remains a driving aid. The useful product question is whether its status and controls are understandable to the people who will use it.

Include the surroundings of the vehicle

A seven-seat SUV also changes the driver's relationship with parking and passenger collection. Begin with the normal approach to the household's parking space: the turn into it, the side used for boarding and the point where bags are loaded. Evaluate the available views and parking information in that setting or a reasonable substitute.

The published local specification lists front and rear parking sensors. Their relevance becomes clearer when both drivers try the same manoeuvre and describe which information they use. [1] This is a task comparison within the household, rather than a claim that one assistance system guarantees a particular parking outcome.

A good shared-driver demonstration also checks the difference between a stored preference and a currently active setting. Do not assume that recalling a seat position recalls every assistance or screen preference. Ask what the quoted vehicle actually stores, what changes automatically and what each driver should check before departure. Then repeat the handover once. This reveals whether the equipment creates a predictable starting point for both people. It is a specific test of household usefulness, and it avoids crediting a memory function with tasks that the local specification or demonstration has not established.

The grade decision follows the routine

GAC's UAE and Kuwait specifications are useful local references, but buyers should use the sheet supplied for their own country and stock. The shared-driver exercise then identifies which equipment contributes repeated value. [1][2]

Our assessment is that the GS8 merits a place on a family shortlist when both drivers can settle into it and understand the controls confidently. Prioritise the grade that improves the routines the household repeats most often. Seat memory, clear instruments and well-explained assistance can support that outcome, while the final judgement still depends on how the actual drivers use the particular vehicle.