Geely has officially re-entered South Africa after a decade-long absence.
The Chinese carmaker held a launch event in Gauteng this week where it debuted its first two products, the E5 and the E5 EM-i.
The E5 is a battery-electric (BEV) SUV, while the E5 EM-i is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV).
Starting with the EM-i, it is available in two specifications with prices starting at R599,999.
Notably, this makes it the second most affordable plug-in hybrid in South Africa, costing less than the R619,900 Chery Tiggo 7 CSH.
However, the BYD Sealion 5 will reportedly start at R499,900, giving it the top spot.
Geely also plans to launch its Zeekr, Farizon, and Riddara sub-brands in South Africa in the near future, but it has yet to disclose the pricing and product selection for all of these marques.
Powertrain
The plug-in hybrid has two variants – the Aspire and Apex – both of which feature a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine with 73kW and 125Nm.
The combustion engine is assisted by a front-mounted electric motor, which generates an additional 160kW and 320Nm on its own.
Combining these power sources gives the SUV an output of 193kW, letting it accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in roughly 8.0 seconds.
The e-motor gets its juice from an 18.4kWh battery, which provides an electric driving range of 83km.
It supports both 6.6kW AC and 36kW DC charging speeds, the latter of which can top up the battery from 30% to 80% in around 20 minutes.
Features
In terms of size, the EM-i is 4,740mm long, 1,905mm wide, and 1,685mm tall, making it slightly larger than other midsize SUVs like the VW Tiguan.
Standard equipment on the base Aspire includes LEDs for the headlights, daytime running lights, and taillights; roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, a leather multifunction steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, a 10.2-inch digital driver display, and a 15.4-inch infotainment screen that can receive over-the-air updates.
It also comes with safety and assistance functions including adaptive cruise control, emergency lane-keep assist, ABS, hill start and descent control, parking sensors, and a rearview camera.
Upgrading to the Apex will then add larger 19-inch alloy rims, a panoramic sunroof, a powered tailgate, 256-colour ambient lighting, a heads-up display, electric front seats with ventilation, a wireless charger, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change assist, and blind spot detection.
Pricing
The South African pricing for the new Geely E5 EM-i is as follows:
- Geely E5 EM-i Aspire – R599,999
- Geely E5 EM-i Apex – R679,999
Each purchase comes with a 6-year/150,000km warranty, a 5-year/75,000km service plan, a 5-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance plan, and an 8-year/200,000km battery warranty.
Geely E5 EM-i
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