2021 Geely Emgrand sedan open for booking in China – 1.5L NA with CVT, priced from RM57k to RM60k

0
210

Unveiled last month, the new Geely Emgrand is now open for booking in its home market of China. The budget-oriented sedan is a big deal for the carmaker, as it replaces the best-selling passenger car in the Middle Kingdom, the nameplate having existed in one form or another since 2008.

The pricing reflects the car’s entry-level positioning, starting from just 87,000 yuan (RM56,800) for the base Premium model and rising up to 92,000 yuan (RM60,000) for the flagship, uh, Flagship. You may be wondering how Geely has been able to retail the Emgrand so cheaply, given the new B-segment Modular Architecture (BMA), handsome (if a little no-frills) design and premium-looking interior.

Well, there are a few reasons for this. The first is that the Emgrand doesn’t get the more sophisticated turbocharged engines from its Binyue and Binrui siblings – power comes from the same basic 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder as before.

No technical details can be gleaned just yet (the official website appears to be broken at the time of writing), but a report from Xcar states that the engine has been retuned for improved camshaft control, throttle response and refinement. Outputs have marginally increased to 114 PS and 147 Nm of torque.

Drive continues to be sent to the front wheels, with a CVT being the only transmission option, the old five-speed manual appearing to have been dropped. Geely has previously hinted that the Emgrand’s fuel consumption is around the 18 kilometre per litre mark.

Equipment also looks to be fairly basic, with no hint of any active safety features, such as autonomous emergency braking, that are offered on other Geely models; six airbags are available, however. And while there is a 12.3-inch instrument cluster fitted, it’s a basic LCD display – featuring calculator-esque seven-segment numerals – rather than a full colour unit, although a 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen running the latest Geely Key User Interface (GKUI) is also fitted.

The upshot of the redesign is that the Emgrand is priced quite a bit higher than before, starting where the outgoing model – which retails from 62,800 yuan (RM41,000) to 84,800 yuan (RM55,400) – tops out.



Source link