New entrant Geely has just re-entered the market with two new energy vehicles that boast impressive technology and safety for all occupants. One of the launched vehicles was the hybrid EM-i, which is poised to unsettle the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH. We spent some time behind the wheel, and this is what we learned .
The vehicle employs a naturally aspirated 1.5L petrol engine outputting 75 kW and 125 Nm. This is all coupled to an electric motor driving the front wheels that produces 160 kW and 320 Nm, which adds to the engine outputs to produce a combined figure of 193 kW .
The electric motor found in this SUV is an e-motor that consists of an 18. 4 kWh battery, which is claimed to give the driver 83 km of electric-only driving. Being a Plug-In Hybrid means that you can charge it to a charger or wallbox, and you'll be glad to know that the car supports both 6. 6 kW AC and 36 kW DC charging speeds.
The engine in the EM-i is set to offer an impressive 1000km of range.
In the looks department, this car does look different from the all-electric E5 model that it was launched beside in our market. This can be seen by the different light shape, LED lighting signature, and quite the angular front compared to the smoother E5.
The side profile also has a difference, as can be seen with the usual door handles and these nice 18-inch alloy wheel designs that don't affect aerodynamics, as the Geely EX5 EM-i features a low 0.288 drag coefficient. The EM-i models will host features like 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 spread across its range.
The rear of the EM-i is where things could get tricky because it is identical to the E5, but that is not a bad thing since the back is not a bad place to put your eyes on. From first glance, it almost looks like a Porsche Cayenne or Macan rear.
The interior is also not that dissimilar to that of the E5, as it is a very minimalist space that lacks button clutter, featuring just two displays : one for the infotainment and one for the driver. Again, this isn't a bad thing because the interior is covered in very nice materials, and the driver has a single-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel and automatic air conditioning with a super speed function for those hot days when you've just parked in the sun and need some quick cooling.
The drive was very pleasant as it was considerably soft when going through the various terrains that JHB has to offer, and the noise was very well insulated against. This is partly thanks to the intensely developed GEA - GLOBAL INTELLIGENT ARCHITECTURE platform on which the car is built.
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.