‘Benchmarked Toyota’: New Geely hybrid tech has groundbreaking fuel use, and it's likely for the Australian-bound 2027 Geely Emgrand sedan

Geely Australia’s CEO Alex Gu confirmed the brand was considering the company’s new i-HEV technology for our market.

Geely’s i-HEV tech, which is a new-generation hybrid set-up consisting of a 1.5- or 2.0-litre engine mated to a hybrid transmission system (DHT), is claimed to be one of the most fuel efficient production plugless systems on the market.

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Gu said that unlike its Chinese rival brands, Geely wouldn’t be bringing combustion models to Australia and will instead consider i-HEVs as an option to sit alongside its existing fully electric EX5 and upcoming EX2 SUVs, and its plug-in hybrid Starray SUV and Emgrand sedan, with the latter is due in 2027.

“For Geely we don’t have a plan to do ICE [internal combustion], but we are planning for the i-HEV,” he said.

“For this, we benchmarked Toyota actually. This is very friendly for emissions. It will be in a sedan, SUV, and so on,” said Gu.

Gu said it was Geely’s attitude that plug-in systems will be able to “move forward together” in global markets, rather than have plug-ins outright replace ICE and HEVs as they have in some other markets.

“This will be the entire way to enter the market. We’re making it very balanced,” he said.

Gu wouldn't confirm when the first hybrid models would arrive in Australia.

“So far I’m not sure.” he said.

“We will have to see what is planned for the global market. So for me, I will push for the Australian market to be the first market to bring i-HEV models,” he said.

The Emgrand is not the only car in Geely’s product catalogue that has the new i-HEV hybrid system at the brand’s stand at the Beijing motor show.

It also showed off its larger sibling, the Preface sedan, as well as an updated version of its Monjaro mid-size SUV.

Both cars, which ride on Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform, pair a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor driving the front wheels via a hybrid transmission.

The Preface sedan consumes 3.98L/100km, while the Monjaro mid-size SUV drinks 4.75L/100km according to the slightly more lenient WLTC method, which cuts fuel consumption nearly in half compared to the turbo dual-clutch versions of both cars.

Offering all three levels of electrification will help set Geely apart from its main Chinese rivals, most of which are either plug-in exclusive like BYD, or are also leaning on ultra-affordable combustion models like Chery, MG or GAC.

Next for Geely in Australia will be the introduction of the EX2 hatchback, due in the third quarter of 2026, while the Emgrand will join the line-up in 2027. 

Gu also outlined a seven-seat SUV, something along the lines of the M9 the brand showed at the Melbourne Motor Show, would debut in 2027. In the longer-term Geely has aspirations to offer both a 4x4 and a ute, and would be “studying the market” closely in the meantime.