Geely have moved expectations in the market rather quickly. Their Boyue mid-sized SUV showed how close to premium they could make SUVs for an affordable price. The Binyue, which may become the Proton X50 showed the same in a smaller segment. And now they take the challenge to a larger SUV segment for the first time with the Haoyue. We’ve covered some of the details of the Haoyue back in mid-March, but now we’ve heard that the car has received an online launch in China. Most of the details we covered on the car’s size and powertrain options remain true: it’s going to be about the size of a Mazda CX-8, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento in most dimensions.
Bending Established Drivetrain Rules
What Geely have done in this segment that is actually quite remarkable is to bring only front-wheel drive powertrain options to such a large SUV for now. It’s probably also the first SUV in its class to offer a 3-cylinder engine displacing just 1.5 litres! Of course, that tiny engine is turbocharged and will be paired to a mild hybrid electric system to give it the low end pulling power required of a large, heavy 7-seater SUV. There’s also a 1.8 turbo engine, probably the same one we see in the Boyue/X70 facelift.
Both engines are paired to a Volvo co-developed 7-speed dual clutch automatic. The 1.5-litre MHEV returns 177 hp and 255 Nm of torque while the 1.8-litre has a similar tune to our Proton X70 at 183hp and 300 Nm of torque.
The absence of all-wheel drive on any variant shows that Geely understand that when the product is good and the price is right, customers won’t stop to think about unnecessary features. Most SUVs are driven on tarmac 100% of the time anyway, especially in highly developed Chinese cities. An all-wheel drive variant may join the fleet later on, but for now, this is not on the table.
Efficient Packaging
Another differentiating factor of the Haoyue is the way the interior is packaged for maximum passenger utilisation. Geely say that 69% of space inside is free for occupants to use, much more than the industry standard.
The 2nd row of seats can slide forward to give occupants there additional 4cm of legroom. Meanwhile, the 3rd row of passengers get 88.6cm of legroom by default. And while the CX-8 can accommodate occupants up to 170cm tall in the last row, Geely says passengers as tall as 190cm can fit in the 3rd row of their vehicle. The 7 passengers will also have access to 42 cubby holes of varying size throughout the interior. Some of these are hidden under the luggage trays though. And if luggage room is what you desire, the Haoyue’s seats are designed to fold completely flat to free up 2050 litres of space! Some other websites suggest a 5-seater variant will also be offered.
Fitting a car of this size, the infotainment display is a full 12.3″ wide – about the same size as what you’d get in an E- or S-Class.
Other Details
Some of the other details about the Haoyue that were publicised were:
- active matric LED headlights
- 190mm ground clearance
- New monochromatic black Geely logo
