Geely Working On First Model Specific To Europe – Plus Defender Rival

Geely will reveal its first car developed specifically for the European market next year.

The Chinese brand – part of the conglomerate that also owns Volvo, Polestar and Lotus – launched in Europe last year with the EX5 electric SUV and related Starray plug-in hybrid.

It will soon add to that with a halo model codenamed Project KO11 – a localised version of the Land Rover Defender-rivalling Galaxy Cruiser 4x4 recently launched in China. 

This shares its underpinnings with the forthcoming Lotus Eletre PHEV but has been devised for hardcore off-roading, with an 800mm wading depth and chunky styling.

Geely’s product definition director, Dennis Weinel, told Autocar that such models had been selected according to the brand’s priorities for its European launch and then modified to suit the European market.

“The book was already written to a certain extent and we did the last mile on it,” he said.

Weinel referred to such models as the “legacy portfolio”, adding that more substantial alterations to these cars are currently in development to better suit the European market. 

He pointed to the ‘Flyme’ infotainment system as one example: “This has more or less the same look and feel shared with China, which we don’t want to have in Europe. The second generation of Flyme will clearly address the needs of a European customer with multitasking, split screens, more information that matters and widgets that you can extend. This is now in development and will be rolled out next year.”

Weinel added that Geely is also working to address the “bings and bongs” triggered by the cars’ driver assistance systems, which have drawn criticism fom both the press and owners.

“This is usually [down to] three key areas: the volume, the signature of a chime or the trigger logic,” he said. "We are now addressing all three points to make this what our customers prefer while still being under the regulation. These are lessons that we’ve learned.”

Geely will take this approach further with its first model built specifically for Europe. Weinel said it has been designed at the firm’s base in Milan and that it will be revealed next year.

“This is really a product for Europe, and then from Europe it will go to other markets,” he added.

This approach mirrors that of compatriot rival BYD, which arrived in Europe with Chinese-market models before launching the Dolphin G, a PHEV supermini developed according to European-market demands and due to be produced in Hungary.

Geely plans to launch 10 cars in the UK by 2030. It will soon grow its line-up from three (the EX5, Starray and EX2 electric supermini) to five with the Monjaro PHEV SUV and KO11.