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Geely has revealed more details about its upcoming plug-in hybrid off-road SUV ahead of the 4WD’s launch later this year.
Geely confirmed the boxy new SUV will produce a combined 830kW from a tri-motor hybrid system in a social post overseas. The company claims the Battleship 700 will be the most powerful plug-in hybrid off-roader by power-to-weight ratio (at roughly 290kW/ton).
It also confirmed that it will feature at least a rear differential lock between the two rear axles, as hinted at by its off-road platform reveal at the Beijing Motor Show.
The front axle connects the engine and electric motor to the wheels via a hybrid transaxle.
Geely says this makes the upcoming off-roader “the world’s only mass-produced plug-in hybrid with three motors, four-wheel drive, and a differential lock.”
It will also be equipped with an in-house developed ‘dynamic’ control system for on-road handling, which automatically can switch between front- rear- and all-wheel drive when needed, and will also feature what the brand says will be an ‘AI-enhanced’ off-road logic system.
Other details the brand has previously drip-fed include an 800mm wading depth, ‘crab-walk’ mode, and an adjustable air suspension system.
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The Battleship 700 is expected to launch in China before the end of 2026, and the company has previously told UK media the new 4WD will be headed there, confirming right-hand drive production.
The drip-feed of new details on this boxy off-roader come as Geely’s rival GAC has just unveiled and detailed its boxy off-roader, the Yue 7, which is expected in a similar time frame, and is also expected to make its way to Australia. With ‘only’ 400kW though, it appears Geely’s off-roader will be aiming at a higher positioning than GAC’s more Prado-adjacent offering.
Both cars will arrive to challenge the existing boxy hybrid off-roaders from China, the GWM Tank 300 and 500, as well as the Denza B5 and B8.
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Expect full specs on the powertrain and confirmed off-road angles at a later date.
The interior of the off-roader is also yet to be fully revealed, and images seen so far have been primarily pre-production or camouflaged examples.
It is also expected the Battleship 700's architecture will spawn a ute, although the brand recently told CarsGuide this model is two to three years away and "will be a little different" from what we've seen so far.
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Geely has ambitions to be a top-five car company globally, although at a local level it has a more slowly-but-surely approach compared to some of its contemporaries.
For example, the boss of the local operation, Alex Gu, told CarsGuide it planned to have a slowly-but-surely approach to its model roll out, in order for each of its product offerings to be a success in their respective segments.
“We don’t want to make chaos. So we’ll bring each model to a segment in a significant position, this is our target,” he said.
He said he considered around 1000 units a month the bar for "success".
Gu noted the brand’s only two products to the market to date, the EX5 and Starray EM-i are relative successes and top-three sellers in their respective fully electric and plug-in hybrid sub-categories.
Next for Geely is the EX2 fully electric hatchback before the end of 2026, and the Emgrand sedan, due early next year. From there the brand is plotting at least one three-row SUV, which could be either this Battleship 700 or the M9, which is a more road-going alternative.
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