GEELY Philippines last week released the Emgrand, the first sedan in its line-up to do battle in the subcompact market against the likes of the Honda City, GAC GA4, Hyundai Reina, Suzuki Ciaz and Toyota Vios.
“The Geely Emgrand aims to continue what we have begun from our young brand. We have heard and listened to our customers and this gave us the confidence to bring in a sedan for the Filipino market. Now, we are offering a sedan that will inspire you to elevate your life, be driven and provide you a more worthy vehicle for your daily mobility needs,” Sojitz G Auto Philippines Corporation (SGAP) President & CEO Yosuke Nishi said at the virtual launch of the new sedan.
SGAP, said it wants to compete in the lucrative subcompact sedan market confident it can do well because of the pricing and value it provides. This reasoning is justified by its pricing of P798K for the standard variant and P908K for the premium version.
Both versions are powered by a new 1.5 liter Dual Continuous Variable Valve Timing normally-aspirated gasoline engine which delivers 102 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 142 Nm of torque. The lightweight, all-aluminum alloy engine uses the more durable timing chain to drive its cams. This significantly impacts maintenance and durability. The engine is mated with an 8-speed continuous variable transmission (CVT) which delivers better acceleration and is claimed to have fewer shift shocks.
The Emgrand is not a new car in Geely’s international line-up.
It was first released in 2009 in China with Mitsubishi-sourced engines and transmissions. It was first sold in the Philippines in 2012 as the Emgrand EC7, and distributed by CATS Motors. Some 20 or so units found their way to the country and were sold beside the tiny Geely Panda, a well-made and economical tiny car that became popular mostly because of its less than P500K pricing.
The model released in 2022 is the 4th generation of the car. The name Emgrand was originally a Geely spin-off luxury brand in China.
The Philippines is the first export market for the Chinese automaker after it released the revamped Emgrand last year–an indication, according to SGAP officials–of the confidence the head office has towards the local market’s ability to recognize a good value resulting in exponential sales growth for the brand here. It is interesting to know is the cumulative sales of more than 3.38 million Emgrands from 2009 until last year.
The all-new Emgrand is assembled in Geely’s new Changxing factory in China. Boasting of its intelligent vehicle manufacturing using an advanced 5G smart factory, it has a 100 percent automation welding operations that ensures the gap and flush of the vehicle are less than 3.5mm. This factory also enables Geely to adopt the longest roof laser welding instead of spot weld on the Emgrand, increasing its strength by 50 percent and making the vehicle safer. This vehicle manufacturing plant also features leading quality monitoring standards.
The sedan adopts the B-segment Modular Architecture (BMA) which was developed within the Geely Auto Group. This platform was also used for the Coolray and was designed to exceed the criteria for any 5-star NCAP safety ratings.
Geely designers have created a design based on the concept of “polar light and shadow aesthetics” creating the first wide-body, low-lying style of the B-segment sedan. For the rear, sharp rhythmic taillights give more accent to the vehicle. The rear combination lamps feature 190 LED bulbs which project 3 unique light patterns when you lock or unlock the car.
Seats are made of memory foam with light luxury suede and environment-friendly imitation leather material combination (Premium). The dashboard and door panels are also made of plush and soft cladding materials instead of the usual hard plastic. The steering wheel is also wrapped with constant temperature leather material to ensure that it does not feel hot even if you leave the car exposed under direct sunlight.
Geely PH said it guarantees that the B-segment sedan will provide a “worthwhile ride for your passengers as it offers the best seating space and large headroom to fit 3 adults comfortably.” Generous amounts of storage spaces and a trunk that can accommodate 500 liters volume with room for more as the rear 60:40 split back seats lay flat. In addition, quieter and relaxing ride is expected as NVH is kept at the minimum level which is even lower than luxury European brands.
“Indeed, the new Geely Emgrand packs in enough features you would normally expect from bigger cars minus their expensive price. If I am to sum up the proposition of the Emgrand to the market, it is “Value for Money”. That’s what Geely is known for and that’s exactly what you get on the all-new Emgrand,” Nishi concluded.
The all-new Emgrand is available in six colors: Proud Teal, Dark Blue, gold, gray, red, and white.
