Sojitz G Auto Philippines, the official importer and distributor of Geely in the country, formally made a comeback into the Philippine market with the launching of Geely Coolray SUV.
Brimming with an array of “state-of-the-art features,“ the B-segment crossover SUV is powered by a 1.5-liter, direct-injection three-cylinder engine equipped with turbocharger and dual variable valve timing — generating 177ps of horsepower along with 255 Nm of torque. The power plant is mated with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission that enables the car to get from zero to 100kph in 7.9 seconds.
The design concept of the Coolray is based on the company’s “racing through space and time“ ethos that aims to make it stand out in the highly contested SUV market. The Coolray’s lines and angles are inspired from the “youth power concept” while integrating the “wingspan” design to exemplify what the company called the ”beauty of the young power.”
The Sport variant comes with a black panoramic sunroof as well as carbon fiber trim to demonstrate a youthful and sporty look. The Premium and Sport variants are fitted with 18-inch wheels while the Comfort sits on 17-inch wheels.
The Coolray sports a seven-inch LED instrument panel display that features three color schemes to match the SUV’s driving modes. The heart of the dashboard features a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen with QD link android connectivity function to easily operate apps from smartphones while driving.
The Coolray also has a cluster of helpful features such as a blind-spot detection system that warns the driver from oncoming vehicles as well as four cameras to provide a 360-degree view of the vehicle. It also has a remote start feature that turns on the engine and the air-conditioning system to cool the cabin while parked outside, and also has a tire pressure monitoring system.
One of the selling points of the Coolray Sport is the G-Pilot system that includes the auto parking assist system. With a single push of a button, the Coolray can park itself in a parallel or perpendicular position in a few seconds.
Aside from its sporty look and peppy engine performance, the Coolray is also equipped with a variety of the latest technology and advanced safety features of larger and luxury SUVs such as the anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, electronic stability and traction control, hill start assist, hill descent control, and cruise control.
Geely’s first offering is built on a B-segment modular architecture that was developed in partnership with Volvo. It is said that the creation of the SUV was made possible with the assistance of 100 modular architecture experts from more than 20 countries. In a release, Geely said that the platform was designed to exceed the criteria for a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating to ensure the “utmost safety standard” for all of Geely’s vehicles.
Here are the pricing for the three Coolray variants:
Sport – P1,198,000
Premium – P1,088,000
Comfort – P978,000
Asked how Geely is planning to replicate its achievement in China here in the Philippines, Geely GAIC GM Alex Nan told WHEELS.PH during a panel discussion that although they have yet to achieve the level of success made by international brands, Geely’s competitive edge in the local market would depend on the team that they have.
“I think one of the biggest successes [of Geely] in China is… an international team that comes from China, United Kingdom, Australia, and Sweden,” Nan said.
“Here in the Philippines, we can see that we also have our very strong partners, our very own [Sojitz G Auto Philippines President Mikihisa] Takayama and also Froilan Dytianquin. I think we would be able to replicate the success of Geely in China with this partnership here in the Philippines,” Nan added.
Geely’s debut in the Philippine market came after it signed a distribution partnership and after-sales service agreement with Japanese conglomerate Sojitz Corporation last July 2019. It then established the Sojitz G Auto Philippines.
Founded in 1986, the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (ZGH) entered the automotive industry in 1997. Since then, the company grew and has been listed on the Fortune Global 500 for seven consecutive years. With its headquarters located in Hangzhou, China, the ZGH owns several car brands such as the Geely Auto, Geometry, Lynk & Co, Volvo Cars, Polestar, Proton, Lotus, London Electric Vehicle Company, Farizon Auto, Terrafugia, Caocao, Joma, Saxo Bank, and Mitime.