GEELY Australia (GAU) is weighing up carry a heavy-duty ute to Australia as a part of a plan to subject six fashions within the native market by the top of 2027.
“We perceive that Australians like utes, and the ute (section) is without doubt one of the greatest segments out there,” native Geely chief Lei Li instructed GoAuto.
“If we need to be an enormous participant out there, undoubtedly, we’d like (a ute). We want a product to suit the section … lengthy driving vary, towing capability, loading (payload) capability, and off-roading—that’s undoubtedly the demand, from my standpoint.
Though the battery electrical (BEV) Geely Radar RD6 (rebadged Riddara 6 outdoors China) is on the market to GAU, it doesn’t match the invoice for Australia as a consequence of its estimated 420km (WLTP) vary and extra restricted payload and towing capacities.
“Riddara, at this second, just isn’t our technique,” Mr Li stated. “The prevailing mannequin just isn’t our technique for the Australian market. … We need to carry the perfect, and best-value, ute to the market. That is underneath investigation.
Hypothesis centres on a next-generation Geely Radar pick-up that’s wider, heavier-duty and utilises a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain promising round 1000km mixed driving vary and the 3500kg braked towing capability that Australian ute patrons anticipate.
Past a ute mannequin, Geely’s native staff is finalising plans to introduce small and huge SUVs from 2026. The earliest launch timing of the following Geely mannequin is February 2026, with two totally different small SUV nameplates understood to be in competition alongside a single giant SUV mannequin.
The compact crossovers are the Geely Auto Cowboy, a 4350mm-long mannequin obtainable in China with a 48-volt mild-hybrid turbo petrol engine, and the longer Geely Auto Cityray, which skips the delicate hybrid—decreasing its possibilities for Australia.
On the reverse finish of the SUV spectrum, the forthcoming Geely Galaxy M9 (probably to be badged the Geely Starship EM-P) looms because the model’s three-row flagship in Australia.
With imposing size of 5205mm and packing Geely’s subtle Thor EM-P PHEV system with as much as 650kW mixed energy and 1200km mixed vary (WLTP estimate), the Starship would signify a big step up in specification in comparison with as we speak’s Geely EX5 BEV and Starray EM-i PHEV.
A hatchback mannequin can be being assessed, with the Geely Auto Starwish tipped because the strongest present candidate. The 4135mm-long BEV hatch gives Chinese language patrons a selection of two LFP battery pack sizes (30kWh/40kWh) with as much as 330km (WLTP estimated) vary.
Whereas “new vitality” merchandise (which means BEV and PHEV) have led the cost for GAU thus far, Mr Li confirmed that lesser hybrids haven’t been dominated out.
“If Geely desires to be an enormous participant out there, we’ve got to cowl all of the ranges and segments,” he instructed GoAuto.
“Sooner or later, we’ll come (to Australia) with extra merchandise to cowl the totally different segments, and primarily give attention to new vitality autos—EVs, PHEVs, and doubtless (full, plug-less) hybrids.”
As soon as the SUV segments are crammed out in Geely’s Australian showrooms, alongside the anticipated ute and hatchback fashions, Mr Li indicated {that a} sedan stays on his long-term want checklist.
“Sedans nonetheless have about 10 per cent market share in Australia, which isn’t small,” he stated.
Geely Australia’s enlargement is being co-ordinated with enter from throughout its Chinese language sub-brands, together with Geely Auto for ICE and hybrid autos, Geely Galaxy for PHEV and BEV fashions, and Radar for utes.
