- Geely wants to sell more cars in the United States, and may announce the possibility within 24 to 36 months.
- Geely is China’s second-largest car manufacturer, owning multiple brands including Volvo and Polestar.
- It’s not clear what products it will bring to the US if it appears soon.
There’s been a lot of talk about my generation lately. The Chinese automaker made a big show for Americans at this year’s CES, its chief PR representative also said Announcement of expansion into the United States It could come in the next 24 to 36 months.
But what exactly should he bring here? Geely has a lot of brands and products, from affordable basement combustion cars to Lotus and its lineage of race-ready lightweight vehicles. It even sells luxury trucks and black cabs, as well as exotic-looking vehicles with battery swapping capabilities.
Geely sells some cars here too, as it controls Volvo and Polestar. But it has not yet brought any of its local Chinese brands to the United States. Ash Sutcliffe, the company’s global communications director, said: Automatic line network That the Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands would be a good fit for the US market.
What Geely is getting at is that China’s car market is incredibly similar to the US car market when it comes to consumer taste. Compare that to a European or Asian manufacturer who may be biased towards small cars that won’t have much appeal or feasibility outside their home market.
On the other hand, there is no way the United States can subsidize every model that Geely sells across its many brands.
Fortunately, I have driven several Geely products and know their offerings well. Here’s a small selection that I think the auto company will do well here in the US
Almost all Zeekr and Lynk & Co
Photography: Patrick George
If you have read anything in InsideEVsThen you will know that this is not a surprising move for me. For those who don’t know, Zeekr and Lynk & Co sell PHEV and EV models practically everywhere else in the world except the US and Canada. They’re both solid breakout entrants. Zeekr aims to take on Audi and BMW, while Lynk & Co. is a step behind, doing battle with Buick and Acura.
I’ve driven almost all of them Link & Company And the Zikr lineup. Both brands are packed with well-designed cars and crossovers that should give current EV and PHEV models from Western brands a run for their money. My favorite is A BMW i4 the size of Zeekr 007 (And its luxurious sister, the 7 GT), and the high-end Zeekr 7x crossover. the Zicker Mix in the shape of a bus It’s also pretty cool, but I think that might be a bit too far for American car buyers.
All smart
Photo by: Brabus
I bet you forgot about SMART, didn’t you? The brand, once best known for making the small city-oriented Fortwo, pulled out of the US in 2019, shortly after becoming an electric-only car brand. The Fortwo has never been a strong seller, but the shift to electric vehicles (and its acquisition by Geely) has.
Smart has now repositioned itself as a luxury brand that directly competes with Mini. The cars themselves go against the brand’s longstanding ethos of making small city cars that can be parked in a curbside spot. But I think modern Smart cars are much nicer than the old Fortwo.
The Smart lineup includes the No. 1 and No. 3, both of which are sister models to Volvo EX30albeit with a nicer interior design and more space in No. 3. There’s also the No. 5, a Mercedes-Benz GLB-sized crossover available in either full electric or hybrid power. The iconic city car is set to return soon, this time called the #2.
Photo by: clever
It’s true that smaller cars don’t have a huge market in the US, but I think it’s time to change that. As Sutcliffe said Outlinethe American market is in desperate need of “something different.” Stylistically, the cars are fun to look at, blending what looks like an expensive tennis shoe with the proportions of a sleek small car. This is very different from the acres of beige mid-to-large crossovers found on most American car lots.
Geely Galaxy E5 (EX5)
Photo by: Disclosure
On the other side of the Smart’s playful spirit is the Galaxy E5, or Geely EX5 as it’s called outside China. A little smaller than the Toyota RAV4, this crossover is fun and inoffensive to look at, but it won’t win any awards for its unique design. It looks like a generic crossover that could be used in an auto insurance commercial.
However, I realize that there are many car buyers who just want a basic piece of transportation, and the EX5 delivers on that. While at CES, I spent some time in the car with the EX5, and found the crossover to look remarkably expensive for a car that starts at the equivalent of less than $40,000 in China. The interior is spacious, the ride is smooth, and the infotainment screen is easy to use and incredibly fast — probably the quickest I’ve ever used in any electric car that’s not a Tesla or Rivian. The EX5’s power comes from a 214-horsepower motor that drives the front wheels, fed by a 60-kilowatt-hour battery.
Photo by: Disclosure
Its PHEV sibling, the EX5 EM-i, could also be a strong candidate for US consumption. This adds a 1.5-litre petrol engine and reduces its battery from 60 kWh to 18.4 kWh.
Geely Xingyuan (EX2)
Photo by: Gilly
Naturally, the emergence of Chinese cars raises the question: Will their prices be affordable for everyone? Sure, they could be. However, most of this list is filled with luxury-oriented EV and PHEV models. This may be a bargain for luxury car buyers, but what about the common man?
Well, here it is Geely Xingyuan, or EX2 in markets outside of China. This is the best-selling electric car in China, recently surpassing BYD Seagull.
Although I don’t have time on the road with Xinguyan As I do with the seagull, I got some time to sit down with a static example at a Chinese Geely dealership. It’s not hard to see exactly why Xingyuan is superior to Seagull; It’s bigger, with a little more power for a little less money.
Photo by: Gilly
At 162 inches long, the Xinguyan is about the same size as an old Chevrolet Sonic, compared to a BYD Seagull about the size of a Chevrolet Spark. This extra length (and wider body) makes the Xingyuan a five-seat car compared to the four-seat Seagull. It also has greater power, up to 114 horsepower in turning the rear wheels, compared to 75 horsepower for the Seagull model available in the Chinese market. All of this is fed by a 40 kWh battery.
Now, the Xingyuan’s price of around $9,000 in China likely won’t translate outside of China, but markets outside of China (like Australia) that will get the car soon, The price of the report is just under $20,000. If Geely can provide us with a car at this price, I expect they will sell a good number of cars.
Now, it all still depends on whether it’s really Jelly or not Serious about entering the United States and increasing its presence here Outside of Polestar and Volvo. If they do appear in the near future, we have a great selection of cars to choose from.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
