For most folks, the Geely Emgrand is a solid and competent means of getting from point A to B. However, for its maker, it’s a hugely significant and important model. How important, you ask? Simply put, it’s their best-selling model worldwide.
We’re not just talking about the current model. See, the Emgrand has been around since 2010. Think of it then as Geely’s Corolla, the one that helped them make a mark in various markets.
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Granted, the Philippine market got the Coolray first, but the Emgrand (along with the Okavango) further expanded the brand’s appeal. Who wouldn’t say no to a compact sedan at subcompact prices? With that, now is a good time to take a quick look at the Emgrand’s brief but significant history.
The origin: Emgrand EC7
Here’s a fun fact for you: Emgrand was originally a sub brand of Geely. It was its own, separate thing that was aimed at the premium market. Hard to imagine now given how this sedan is positioned these days. Its first product was called the EC7 and it was made from 2010 to 2014.
Interestingly, it was available in two body styles, namely a sedan and hatchback. The original Emgrand was also noteworthy for achieving four stars in EuroNCAP testing, making it the safest Chinese-produced car at the time. It was also dubbed as one of China’s first serious efforts in making a true global car. Despite that, Geely discontinued the Emgrand brand but kept the name for a different purpose.
From EC7 to just Emgrand
For its second iteration, the Emgrand officially wore the Geely badge for the first time. Produced from 2014 to 2018, it still used major components from the EC7, but Geely decided to shift its target audience.
No longer a junior luxury car, it became a more reasonably priced but still feature-packed model. Geely introduced a hybrid for this generation, but it was no longer available with a large capacity engine. The change in formula worked, and the Emgrand’s popularity and equity grew from there.
Refining the recipe
Officially, Geely calls it the third generation. In reality, though, the model sold from 2018 to 2021 was more an extensive facelift of the second-generation model. Its front and rear fascias were updated, but the rest of the body is carried over from before.
The lineup was further simplified, offering just one engine choice and the hatchback body was dropped. Its interior was also spruced up a little but, while the late 2020 facelift integrated the brand’s new design language. However, the platform underpinning this model was getting a little on the seasoned side. An all-new model was needed.
The Geely Emgrand today
We then arrive at the fourth-generation model. It was a proper all-new model, too. No longer based on past models, the current Emgrand sits on what’s called Geely’s B-segment Modular Architecture, also known as the BMA platform. And no, this wasn’t co-developed with Volvo. That said, it also shares the same platform as the Coolray and Lynk & Co 06.
There’s even a turbocharged version sold in Malaysia. Dubbed the Proton S70, it gets a detuned version of the Coolray’s 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbo. From 102hp and 142Nm of torque, the boosted three-pot raises those numbers to 148hp and 226Nm of torque. Those are figures we’d love to see in the local Emgrand.
From our review, we called it a competent car with a solid value for money proposition. It could do with a bit of work in the driving dynamics department, but otherwise, a solid choice in its segment. We wouldn’t blame anyone for buying one of these at all.
14 years since its launch, Geely has sold over 3.8 million units of the Emgrand worldwide.
The company says it’s is best-selling model worldwide with well over 200,000 produced every year. In its Changxing assembly line, the manufacturer says 70 percent of the models it produces there are Emgrands.
The Emgrand isn’t the most groundbreaking model in the Geely lineup. However, it’s one of the many models that serve as the brand’s backbone, not just in China but in other markets. Should Geely want further global recognition and sales, the next one should be as good as it gets in its class.
