When it first came here last year, GAC’s MPV M8 — specifically the top-shelf GX Master — was rumored to have been the official ride of the Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

It has since been debunked (Li uses Hongqi L5, according to Wikipedia) but anybody who laid eyes on the M8 GX Master would instantly fall for it hook, line and sinker.

The 2024 GX Master is an imposing, eye-catching figure on the road. Its vital statistics (5,212 mm length, 1,893 mm width and 1,823 mm height) cover enough space to generate awe and reverence to anybody riding it.

Maybe that’s why when I was driving it on a week-long lend-out, people would stop and stare as I went past them. Several times in traffic, vendors and beggars would dare peek inside, possibly thinking they would see a movie star or a celebrity inside.

Too bad it was only me.

Once when I stopped to buy lechon manok in the busy intersection of NLEX Valenzuela exit, students stopped to take pictures. One of them could not contain his admiration, stood by the door, held his head with both hands and exclaimed: “Ang ganda (What a beauty).”

Now I never liked drawing attention to myself but the Baliwag counter boy — upon seeing I hopped off the shiny, Temple Gold-colored luxury van — did some obvious hustle serving me that day. So, I’d take that as a good thing.

The most striking feature was the oversized front grille. Other reviews described it as “loud” and “typically Chinese.” Well, GAC stands for Guangzhou Automobile Group Company Inc. after all.

But I find the M8 GX Master’s façade a great, imposing feature. The grille looked like Thanos’ chin — tough and invincible — and matched with robot-teardrop headlamps, carry a distinct superpower vibe.

What’s even more fascinating was, despite its heft, it drives as smooth as a compact sedan. Its 2.0L petrol engine is matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission that gives off maximum horsepower of 252 Ps with a maximum torque of 400Nm on 1,750-4,000 rpm.