A seven-seater crossover with global appeal, from China.

You have probably never heard of Trumpchi, but they make an interesting Fortuner-sized crossover, called the GS8.

Originally debuting back in 2016, the GS8 was updated in 2020, and now benefits from a comprehensive exterior redesign. Its first design was the work of former Mercedes-Benz designer, Fan Zhang.

The 2021 look is bold, with a huge grille, and stacked headlamps. It has grown in size too, now measuring 4.9m bumper-to-bumper, which should give plenty of cabin space to its seven occupants.

Trumpchi’s also reshaped the GS8’s front bumper, with larger corner air ducts and a meaningful air inlet under the grille.

Viewed side-on, the GS8 went for thefloating roof look, with blacked-out pillars. The tailgate is quite conventional in appearance and overall, the GS8 has less ridiculous surfacing than some other crossovers of its size.

Designed to project presence, without all the associated awkwardness that afflicts many other Chinese luxury crossovers, the new GS8 might look like a big vehicle, but it has a very small engine.

Chinese traffic means that cruising speeds are low – and the demand for power, too. Trumpchi is offering the new GS8 with a 2-litre turbopetrol engine, shifting via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Trumpchi hasn’t confirmed the exact power outputs, but the GS8’s legacy 2-litre engine has been good for 150kW and 300Nm. Expect numbers that are similar, or slightly better, with this new facelift.

The most significant news with this new GS8, is the Toyota connection. Trumpchi’s holding company is Guangzhou Auto (GAC), which has successfully negotiated the licensing of Toyota’s latest hybrid drivetrain technology.

Toyota hasn’t been specific about what the exact outputs would be, but the hybridized GS8 will add battery integration to the standard 2-litre turbopetrol engine. We’d estimate a considerable performance improvement, and lower crawling speed fuel consumption, with the hybrid.

Trumpchi will be offering both front- and all-wheel-drive versions of the GS8.