GAC M8: which version to buy and why

The GAC M8 in the catalogue is one generation — labelled 2 generation, on sale from December 2022 with no end date — and two named versions: 2.0 TGDI and 2.0 THS. Both are a Minivan, both are FWD, both use a 1999 cm³ turbocharged inline-4 with Direct injection (direct) and 95-octane fuel, and both are rated at the same 200 km/h top speed.

The GAC M8 in the catalogue is one generation — labelled 2 generation, on sale from December 2022 with no end date — and two named versions: 2.0 TGDI and 2.0 THS. Both are a Minivan, both are FWD, both use a 1999 cm³ turbocharged inline-4 with Direct injection (direct) and 95-octane fuel, and both are rated at the same 200 km/h top speed. The buying choice is not body type, not drivetrain, and not a later generation: it is whether you want the Gasoline 2.0 TGDI (252 hp, 390 Nm, Automatic 8-speed) or the Hybrid 2.0 THS (190 hp, 320 Nm, Variable). Every figure below is from that pair; 0–100, mpg, kerb weight, tank, and ground clearance are not measured for either version.

Specs that actually differ: 2.0 TGDI vs 2.0 THS

VersionFuelhpkWNmcm³Cylinders / layoutBoostGearboxDriveTop speed
2.0 TGDIGasoline25218539019994, InlineTurboAutomatic, 8FWD200 km/h
2.0 THSHybrid19013932019994, InlineTurboVariableFWD200 km/h

What does not change between versions: 1999 cm³, 4 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), 95 fuel, FWD, Independent spring suspension front and rear, Minivan body, December 2022 start. Brakes, wheel sizes, tank, CO2, eco class, engine position, compression, and 0–100 are not measured on both.

Engine: same 1999 cm³, 62 hp and 70 Nm apart

Displacement is identical: 1999 cm³ on 2.0 TGDI and 2.0 THS. Specific output is therefore a clean split:

The Gasoline version therefore makes 62 hp more (252 − 190) and 70 Nm more (390 − 320). That is 32.6% more power (252 / 190) and 21.9% more torque (390 / 320). In kilowatts the gap is 46 kW (185 − 139). Both engines are turbocharged inline-4s with Direct injection (direct); the catalogue does not list rpm for peak power or torque on either, so those peaks are not measured.

The Hybrid label on 2.0 THS is the other engine fact that matters for a buyer: fuel type is Hybrid versus Gasoline on 2.0 TGDI. Both still specify 95 petrol. There is no electric-only range, battery size, or combined system output in the data — those values are not measured — so the Hybrid tag is a fuel-system class, not a second horsepower figure you can add.

If the decision is “which engine is stronger on paper,” 2.0 TGDI wins on every measured power and torque number. If the decision is “which engine is classified Hybrid,” only 2.0 THS is.

Gearbox: Automatic 8 vs Variable

2.0 TGDI is Automatic with 8 ratios. 2.0 THS is Variable; number of gears is not measured (as expected for a continuously variable unit in this dataset).

That is the second real fork after power. The extra 62 hp and 70 Nm on 2.0 TGDI arrive with a stepped 8-speed Automatic. 2.0 THS pairs the lower 190 hp / 320 Nm Hybrid turbo four with a Variable gearbox. Drive is FWD on both, so the gearbox does not buy you a second driven axle.

There is no 0–100 time to show whether the 8-speed Automatic plus 252 hp is quicker than the Variable plus 190 hp. Top speed is 200 km/h on both, so the gearbox-and-power gap does not show up in the one speed figure that was measured.

Performance and mpg: what is measured, what is not

So the only performance number you can compare is top speed, and it is a tie. Economy — the usual reason to pick a Hybrid — is not measured. A buyer who wants Hybrid for fuel use is choosing a fuel-type label, not a documented consumption advantage.

Dimensions, weight, tank, wheels: not a differentiator

Kerb weight, gross weight, ground clearance, fuel tank, and wheel sizes are not measured for 2.0 TGDI or 2.0 THS. Weight per horsepower cannot be calculated. Ground clearance cannot be used to pick a “higher” Minivan. Tank size cannot be used to pick range. Wheel sizes cannot be used to pick ride or tyre cost.

What is measured on the chassis is the same on both: Independent, spring front; Independent, spring rear; FWD. Front and rear brakes are not measured.

Until those blanks are filled, 2.0 TGDI and 2.0 THS must be treated as the same Minivan package with two powertrains, not two different-sized cars.

Generations: there is no second generation to “wait for” in this catalogue

The model has 1 generation in the data. That generation is named 2 generation, started 2022-12-01, and has no stop date. Body is Minivan. It contains 2 versions, both launched on the same date.

There is no restyling row, no earlier generation with different hp, and no later generation with AWD or a different gearbox. You cannot buy “the previous M8” or “the facelift” from these numbers. The generation comparison collapses to: both versions arrived together in December 2022, both are current, both are the same Minivan.

Arithmetic across generations is therefore empty. All of the 62 hp / 70 Nm / Automatic-vs-Variable gap lives inside 2 generation.

Which version to choose

Choose 2.0 TGDI if the numbers you care about are power and a stepped Automatic. You get 252 hp (185 kW), 390 Nm, 126.1 hp/L, 195.1 Nm/L, Gasoline, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), 8-speed Automatic, FWD, 200 km/h. Versus 2.0 THS that is +62 hp, +46 kW, +70 Nm, +31.0 hp/L, +35.0 Nm/L, and eight named gears instead of Variable. You do not get a higher top speed, a published 0–100, or a lighter kerb weight — those are not measured or are equal.

Choose 2.0 THS if the Hybrid fuel type is the requirement. You get 190 hp (139 kW), 320 Nm, 95.0 hp/L, 160.1 Nm/L, Hybrid, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), Variable gearbox, FWD, 200 km/h. You give up 24.6% of the 2.0 TGDI’s horsepower (62 / 252) and 17.9% of its torque (70 / 390). You do not get a documented mpg win: city, highway, and mixed consumption are not measured. You also do not get a different body, drive, or suspension layout.

Do not choose on 0–100, mpg, tank, clearance, weight, wheels, brakes, or generation year: those are either not measured or identical. There is no price in the data, so “what the extra money buys” cannot be a currency figure; the extra capability that is measured is only the 62 hp / 70 Nm / 8-speed Automatic stack on 2.0 TGDI.

Practical split. Same Minivan, same 1999 cm³ turbo inline-4 architecture, same FWD, same 200 km/h cap, same December 2022 start. If the job is motorway work and you want the higher listed output and an 8-speed Automatic, 2.0 TGDI is the one version that has those numbers. If the job is a Hybrid badge on the same chassis, 2.0 THS is the only version that has it. There is no third modification and no other generation in this catalogue to split the difference.