Geely Emgrand Reviews

Sedans aren’t dead, as it turns out, with newcomer brands breathing life into the ailing segment in recent years.The issue for brands like MG, BYD and now Geely, as always, is the venerable Toyota Camry which absolutely dominates the sales charts.How do you knock such a legendary vehicle off its perch? Geely reckons it might be onto something with its hybrid-first Emgrand, set to hit our shores in 2027. Let’s take a look.First up, let's see where the Emgrand sits, and how it might be priced to succeed.At 4806mm long, this offering from Geely is bigger than a traditional small sedan like a Kia K4 or Hyundai i30 sedan, but a little smaller than a Camry. It’s a good format, and with a long wheelbase and seemingly ample interior and boot space, it certainly has the right ingredients.Geely’s people tell us the Emgrand is set to start life in Australia initially as a plug-in hybrid using the brand’s EM-i system, which combines a 1.5-litre engine and hybrid transaxle with a pretty sizeable battery pack under the floor.The version of this car sold in China (from Geely’s hybrid and electric Galaxy arm which also sells the EX5 and Starray SUVs) is priced at the equivalent of $A24,600, reaching up to the low-$30k mark at the more premium end of the spectrum.It's doubtful we’ll see the entry-level car make it to Australia though, so a starting price of around $30k wouldn’t be surprising.For reference, the Kia K4 hybrid is $32,090, the Hyundai i30 sedan hybrid is $33,250, the soon-to-launch BYD Seal 6 starts from $34,990, and the Toyota Camry is priced a little higher, at $39,990, all before on-road costs.As the Emgrand will be a plug-in hybrid first, its closest rival will be the BYD, and this is where things start to get a little technical for the Geely, because it will need to be specified and priced just right to thread the needle between its plugless and plug-in rivals.In my opinion, though, launching with the plug-in isn’t quite the right move, and the Emgrand would be better served using Geely’s new plugless hybrid i-HEV setup instead.This system claims to use as low as 2.2L/100km in the Emgrand (to lenient Chinese measuring standards) and can drive more than 80 per cent of the time in fully electric mode, despite not needing to plug in.Geely’s Australian boss, Alex Gu, told CarsGuide the system was very much on the radar, despite our tough new emissions laws making it difficult for plugless hybrids in the future.What makes more sense for the primary audience of this car though?A ride-share driver would much rather have the convenience of the plugless system doing hundreds of kilometres a day, compared to the inconvenience of needing to plug in.At least the EM-i system this car is set to launch with is claimed to consume as low as 2.9L/100km even when the battery is at the reserve level, so perhaps it won’t matter.The styling is pretty sharp. If you think it looks a little reminiscent of a Volvo S60 with its tall, sharp belt line, distinctive grille, and tidy European proportions, that's because Geely owns Volvo and has no doubt called on its design expertise.Inside things are remarkably restrained compared to some rivals, with an elegant dash layout and nice material choices.It includes a combination of a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with the brand’s Flyme software, and 10.25-inch digital dash cluster, both of which are present in the EX5.A big bonus compared to the EX5 though, is the presence of a control dial and a few shortcut toggles on the centre console, which help to reduce the dependence on the touchscreen for everything.For what it’s worth, Geely’s software looks a bit better than some of its rivals, but is still clumsy to use with odd menus and poorly used screen real estate.Despite wielding a decent battery size, the Emgrand had plenty of room for my 182cm frame in both the front and rear seats, even with the front seat set to my comfortable driving position.Unlike plug-in sedans I’ve driven in the past, the Emgrand’s GEA platform places the battery under the cabin floor rather than the boot, so it maintains a generous 609 litre boot space. Great for the airport run, no?Powering the Emgrand is a 1.5-litre non-turbo four-cylinder engine (82kW136Nm) mated to a hybrid transaxle with an electric motor producing 120kW/210Nm and driving the front wheels. It is backed by either an 8.5kWh or a 17kWh battery pack which provides either 60km or 125km of pure electric driving range, according to the more lenient CLTC measuring standard.It’s hard to see the 8.5kWh version having much of a run in Australia, but 17kWh is much more appropriate. Charging speed is 35kW on DC for the larger battery, allowing a 30-80 per cent top up in 20 minutes. All versions of the Emgrand are capable of vehicle-to-load at 3kW.How does it drive? In our limited test which involved an agility exercise and a 0-100km/h sprint with a moose test, the Emgrand proved remarkably sharp. Its tidy, lower-riding chassis and surprisingly responsive steering is no doubt helped along by a long wheelbase and firmer suspension to make for a fun jaunt compared to an SUV.It’s also quite rapid in a straight line thanks to the primarily electric drive, and like the better batch of plug-ins, the Emgrand seems to maintain enough reserve charge not to take the wind out of the motor’s sails when it’s needed most.Time will tell, however, how the final product fares on more challenging Australian roads, especially when it comes to active safety calibration, which can ruin an otherwise great car.

Price-sharp Chinese entrant Geely swipes the used-car market with the classy small Emgrand EC7 sedan.The national importer of Geely, Perth-based Chinese Automotive Distributors which is part of the multi-franchise John Hughes Group, this week pinned a $14,990 drive-away sticker on either the sedan or its hatchback sister.The cars arrive about September, first in WA then progressively around the country via about 20 dealers starting in Queensland and NSW this year and Victoria and other states in the new year.Geely, which owns Volvo, is one of China’s biggest car companies and the biggest publicly-owned concern. Many rivals are government owned. Geely has a presence in WA with its $9990 drive-away MK 1.5 hatchback but because it doesn’t have electronic stability control - to be mandated on all passenger cars in Autralia from January 2014 - it is being phased out in December.The next Geely is this car - the EC7 (called Emgrand in domestic and some export markets) - which comes as a hatchback or sedan. It will be followed next year by an SUV.VALUEThe $14,990 drive away price and three-year or 100,000km warranty are instant head turners. The price buys a slick, Cruze-size sedan or hatch with a strong crash rating, six airbags, leather upholstery, 16-inch alloy wheels and full-size spare with Bluetooth and iPod connectivity.For $1000 more, the luxury version adds features including sunroof, sat-nav, rear-park sensors, six-speaker audio (the base has four speakers) and electric driver’s seat. The only downside is it comes in - initially - with only a five-speed manual transmission. An auto will be added next year.DESIGNThe EC7 has conservative, trim lines in both sedan and hatch though subjectively looks classier as a sedan. The boot is huge, aided by a split fold rear seat. Leg and headroom equal or exceed the class average and leather is a standard fit, even though it feels more like vinyl.The dash is simple yet effective and though hard plastic abounds, contrasting colours and subtle trim overcome any tactile disappointments. Nice touches include the push-button boot release on the dash. The overwhelming impression is that this is a more expensive car.TECHNOLOGYSimplicity is the key. Geely is one of the few Chinese car makers to build engines and transmissions as well as the bodies. Its four-year-old factory in south-eastern Hangzhou Bay - one of two exclusively making the EC7 - is Japanese-level squeaky clean and run to military-grade order with European robots and hundreds of workers that produce 120,000 cars a year.But the car’s specs are simple - 102kW/172Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol with variable-valve timing that drives a five-speed manual gearbox (a CVT auto comes next year) to the front wheels aided by four-wheel disc brakes and hydraulic-assist steering.SAFETYThe car has a four-star Euro-NCAP rating but is to be tested to ANCAP standards. The distributor is adament it won’t get less than four stars, or he will pause the launch date - set for September - and get it fixed until it reaches that rating. There’s also electronic stability control, six airbags, heated side mirrors, full-size spare (on an alloy wheel), ABS brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution and the Luxury model ($15,990) gets rear park sensors.DRIVINGExpectations can be frustratingly anti-climatic. Take my planned drive in Geely’s new EC7 sedan that didn’t materialise. Instead, I was a passenger as a test driver shook down a car that had minutes before rolled off the production line. The rough test track that attempted to unbolt my skeleton didn’t produce a squeak or twist in the chassis and didn’t meet expectations of a lightly-built car that was underpowered, noisy and harsh-riding - all attributes coincidentally of Korea’s first car, the Hyundai Pony (later rebadged Excel), that I tested in Perth in the early 1980s.Aside from myself and the driver, passengers were Queensland construction manager Glenn Rohrig (at 186cm tall) and the CEO of multi-car Brisbane-based franchise Motorama, Mark Woelders (183cm). All are impressed by the leg and headroom, ride comfort and quietness. This car will sell for less than $16,000 drive away and though it is - initially - only a manual, Mr Woelders predicts strong demand.“The quality of the car is much better than I expected,’‘ he says. “It has exceptional ride and quietness and is a fantastic, quality package.’‘ Mr Woelders says there remains a market for a manual transmission car though expects the upcoming automatic to signal volume sales. “As a used-car alternative, it has a strong warranty and safety features. Certainly, to a degree, it will affect our used-car operation.’’VERDICTImpressive effort and one well worth considering.GEELY EMGRAND EC7Price: from $14,990 drive-awayWarranty: 3 years/100,000 kmResale: n/aService interval: 10,000km/12 monthsCapped price service: NoSafety rating: 4-starSpare: Full-sizeEngine: 1.8-litre 4-cyl petrol 102kW/172NmTransmission: 5-spd manual, front driveBody: 4.6m (L); 1.8m (w); 1.5m (h)Weight: 1296kgThirst: 6.7 1/100km; 91RON; 160g/km Co2