When the Empow arrived early this year, there were 'oohs' and 'aahs.' Why not? In one fell swoop, GAC wiped away the bad taste left by the GA4 when it brought in this powerful, sleek, and affordable new model. By now, you may have read about or watched its performance on city roads and highways. Now it is time to know how it did on a legit race track.

Before we get to the various activities, let us set the table for those who do not know what the Empow brings. It has a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine sending 174-HP and 270-Nm of torque to the front wheels via a wet-type, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Its horsepower output is third-best in its class, while the torque number is segment-leading.

I was expecting a significant amount of body roll during the slalom because of the soft (read: comfortable) suspension, but while it slightly dipped as I went aggressively through the figure-8 course, the body remained planted enough to let me zigzag gracefully between the cones.

Next up was the braking test. The GB and GE (top-of-the-line) do not sport Brembo brakes, but I liked how the vehicle felt confident when I slammed the brakes after brisk acceleration over a 600-meter straight. It does not have sports car-level braking quality, but the front and rear discs have enough stopping ability for the power it packs under the hood.

Now for the fun part — running laps on the 3.5-kilometer Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC). One of the nice things about the BRC, aside from the lush greens surrounding the venue, is its width (12 meters across) and the 14 turns composed of hairpins and fast corners. It was a chance to see the performance of the entire package, from steering to the powertrain, suspension, brakes, traction, and various other safety systems like the Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and Electronic Stability Program.

Because the Empow uses EPS (electronic power steering), each turn feels light on the arms, but I noticed a micro-second gap from steering input to response. It is barely noticeable and does not affect the driving dynamics, but it is there. 

Powering out from a turn to a straight is one of the most exhilarating parts of the drive. The torque delivers plenty of pull, and the horsepower does the rest. Because it uses a turbocharged small displacement engine, expect turbo lag, which is the engine building enough exhaust pressure to spin the turbo. It is not so bad during high-RPM (revolutions per minute) drives compared to sudden overtaking maneuvers while on low RPM on normal roads.

Like its performance on the slalom track, its handling was sensational. It has impressive poise and stability, which let me handle the turns better and accelerate faster. Given better tires for more traction, like some Pilot Sport Cups or Pirelli P Zeros, it will definitely get better lap times. The suspension tuning is still on the soft side, so while it surprisingly does well on the track, it should provide ample comfort on drives to the office.

GAC PH did not bring the base model GS to the track. It has the same powertrain as its more endowed siblings but lacks the advanced driving assistance systems, a few cabin amenities, and several other features.

The GB (P1.305 million) and GE (P1.348 million) units we drove on the track are the same as the ones at the dealership. It undercuts the competition in price yet delivers more bang for your buck with loaded features (safety and entertainment), a go-go powertrain, and sporty performance. Its performance at BRC should settle the debate on whether it is worthy of being in the same segment as the Civic RS or the MG GT. The only question is when will GAC bring in its more powerful sibling, the Empow R 2.0T sports sedan?