Just when we thought the 2024 GS3 Emzoom is already a sporty crossover, it turns out GAC Motor can turn things up another notch.

GAC Motor distributor Astara Philippines has announced a new variant for the GS3 Emzoom called the R-Style. Essentially, this will serve as the new top-of-the-line model in the GS3 Emzoom range, replacing the GL.

As mentioned, the new GS3 Emzoom R-Style goes to the sportier side of things both in looks and in performance. For starters, the R-Style distinguishes itself from the rest of the GS3 Emzoom lineup, as it’s the only one in the range with a front chin splitter and a diffuser-like element at the rear that houses the mid-mounted dual exhaust pipes.

Contrasting orange accents appear at the body kit additions as well as the rear pillar of the GS3 Emzoom, while R-Style badges are fitted at the front fenders and the rear hatch door. Finishing off the R-Style exclusive kit is a set of 19-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.

Inside, the GS3 Emzoom R-Style comes in two different interior color options: there’s the blue and black combo that’s exclusively paired with the Salt Lake Blue exterior paint, while the rest of the available exterior color options get the Camel Brown interior motif.

As with other GS3 Emzoom variants, the R-Style’s plush cabin gets a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and AM/FM radio. It also gets automatic climate control, a DTS-branded 6-speaker sound system, USB ports, and wireless charging in its list of standard interior features.

The GS3 Emzoom R-Style along with the rest of the variants gets a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four that produces 177 PS and 270 Nm of torque paired to a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. But GAC did some exclusive performance tuning unique to the R-Style for faster shifts, better-stopping power, and swift off-the-line acceleration.

GAC slashed 0.5 seconds to the GS3 Emzoom’s 0 to 100 km/h time (7.5 seconds on the R-Style vs. 8 on the standard model) thanks to quicker gear shifts from the transmission control unit, and a launch start mode. GAC also says the GS3 Emzoom R-Style will have faster, more stable, and more precise throttle response thanks to the tweaks done to the engine management system. They also said the R-Style has a shorter braking distance from 100 to 0 (34.83m vs. 36.79m on the standard model) and sounds better with some exhaust note tuning.

Despite being the sports-oriented model in the lineup, the GS3 Emzoom R-Style still gets ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), automatic emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning (FCW), high-beam assist (HBA), traffic sign recognition (TSR), traffic jam assist (TJA), lane-keep assist (LKA), and lane departure warning (LDW).

All those performance enhancements would normally mean a higher price tag. But the GAC GS3 Emzoom R-Style still retails for PHP 1,198,000 – the price tag of the previous top-spec GL model. Meanwhile, the other variants (GB and GS) are still priced at PHP 1,098,000 and PHP 998,000, respectively.

GAC Motor PH has also announced 100 units of the GS3 Emzoom are now available and comes in the following colors: Graphene Gray, Ivory White, Salt Lake Blue, Moonlight Gray, and Superstar Silver.