Sojitz G Auto Philippines, the exclusive distributor of Geely in the Philippines isn’t shy to admit that more vehicles are on its way locally following the Coolray, Azkarra, and Okavango. In fact, taking a look at their website shows two vehicles: one SUV and sedan still coming up as outlines.
Now, normally carmakers are secretive about their future product plans (the exception of leaks notwithstanding), but one savvy reader, Patrickee Nojadera may have cracked this particular code. And all it took was to open the innocent placeholder photos in a new tab.
Once Patrickee did so, the filenames said it all: the sedan had the filename, “ss11-thumb.png”, while the SUV had the filename, “kx11-thumb.png.”
A quick Google search reveals that “SS11” is actually the vehicle code for the fourth-generation Geely Emgrand—the brand’s entry in the sub-compact sedan category.
The Emgrand also uses the Coolray’s BMA-platform and comes powered by a normally-aspirated 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 114 horsepower and 147 Nm of torque mated to a CVT.
In terms of positioning, it could basically echo the formula of the local MG 5 which offers one-size larger space with one-size smaller pricing. In terms of size, it’s closer to the Toyota Corolla Altis and Honda Civic, but it is priced in the same category as the Toyota Vios and Honda City. In China, the Emgrand starts at RMB 87,000 (P 674,000) and tops out at just RMB 92,000 (P 712,000).
Despite its budget pricing, it’s still pretty high-tech with full digital instrumentation, a switchgear plucked straight from Volvo, and a 10.2-inch infotainment system.
Doing the same for the KX11, it reveals that this is Geely’s newly 5-seater mid-sized SUV. Known in China as the Xingyue L (it still doesn’t have an overseas name), it rides on the CMA platform shared with Volvo Cars.
Once the Xingyue L arrives, it could become Geely Philippines’s flagship. As such, it is powered by a 2.0-liter direct injection turbocharged engine co-developed between Geely and Volvo. It can be matched either to an in-house 7-speed wet-type dual clutch, or an Aisin 8-speed automatic. There are two tunes available with the high-powered version getting 238 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque making it capable of doing a 0 to 100 km/h run in 7.7 seconds, or a 217-horsepower, 325 Nm of torque version capable of a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds. A full hybrid version is also in the works.
In terms of styling, the Xingyue L is meant to blend both Eastern and European design philosophies.
The Xingyue L also boasts of an immersive and luxurious cabin that offers the best experience for drivers and passengers. The feature that really stands out is a meter-long flowing infotainment screen connecting the front passenger to the driver. It also has the latest Geely GKUI system called Milky Way OS with a high-definition 1,920 x 720 display.
So far, Geely Philippines hasn’t confirmed these two vehicles, nor have they revealed any timeline for when these two will reach local shores. If their line-up will indeed be joined by the Emgrand and Xingyue L, it sure looks possible for the brand to capture a larger share of the automotive pie.
Hat tip to Patrickee Nojadera
Yes bring in the Xingyue, I'd love to own one. Basically buying a Volvo without the overpricing.
ReplyDeleteI mean it's ridiculous how expensive cars are here.
Did you guys know that a Dodge Challenger w/o the Hellcat engine costs 1.6 million in the US, but here they sell them for almost 4 million?
Like come on, where did all that add-on price come from?
taxes
DeleteXingYue L is an exciting product but it is still 5-seater, and if engine is higher than 1.5L, this may not be priced competitively as the other 1.5L it carries with special tax breaks. Ideally the last slot should be a PPV fighter. Also all those sky's the limit pricing came from trying to any fund budget deficits in the past. So new tax laws were invented.
DeleteImport taxes, a challenger is cheap in US because it's made there? no added import taxes. They have cheaper models because even Japanese brands have factories in US. They face the same problem when it comes to european cars though since they have to import those.
DeleteOur prices are high because we mostly import. We get slightly cheaper units in ASEAN countries and China. If you want to complain about prices, a better benchmark is our ASEAN neighbors.