Geely launches in Australia in February

[TheInterceptor]

http://www.caradvice.com.au/98121/ge...a-in-february/

Australian importer John Hughes will launch the Geely brand in Australia next month, when the first shipment of Geely MK sedans arrives in Western Australia.



Chinese Automotive Distributors will ensure the Geely MK will be Australia’s equal cheapest car with an $11,990 driveaway price, with power and space to rival the entire light car segment.



Powered by a 1.5 litre, four cylinder, petrol engine, the MK produces 69kW and 128Nm, so while weighing more than its rivals, the Barina Spark and Suzuki Alto, it has a better power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratio than both. It will only be available in manual to begin with.

Geely Sales Manager, Scott Chivers, told CarAdvice that while the first shipment will be manual, there will be an automatic Geely coming in the following months.



The Geely MK has a larger boot than its rivals, at 450 litres, meaning it will accomodate a much larger payload, while fuel consumption is higher than comparably priced cars, at around 6.3-litres/100km. Coupled with its 45 litre tank, it has a theoretical range of over 700km.

The colours available are black, white, grey, red and silver with metallics costing $395 extra.

Initally, the car will be sold in Western Australia only, as it will not be launched with electronic stability control. Chivers told CarAdvice that when the model receives an upgrade and automatic later in the year, ESC will be included. Only then can it be sold in the Eastern states, as Victoria’s mandatory ESC regulations would prevent the car being sold there right now.

It will come with ABS and dual front airbags as standard, as well as an MP3 compatible, four speaker CD/stereo, air conditioning and power steering.

Interesting....

[Ford_The_Win]

Mmm, just look at those quality finishes.. Such on-road presence...superb handling..and overall, safety...

Still, tight wads will buy them.

[Nikked]

Great, more broken english owners manuals...


Looks a bit like a barina. I wonder how is quality is compared to a Great Wall?

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by mick_1010

Mmm, just look at those quality finishes.. Such on-road presence...superb handling..and overall, safety...

I agree, I think the car will grow on people…

I’ve written up a new sales pitch for it. Please everyone, let me know what you think and if Mr Geely is watching this, I work relatively cheap.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the new 2011 Geely, discover the harmony between the interior and exterior and appreciate the skilled craftsman who painstakingly toil over perfect paint, panel alignment and an overall finish of high quality, second to none. Take note of the smooth flowing lines that extenuate the bold imposing grill with the beautifully designed headlights that not only illuminate your path to safety, but also provide a window to the car’s soul.

Form follows function and with the all new ever powerful re-generatively cooled, liquid-propellent engine of the variable thrust type that can operate on either a single or dual-propellant basis providing ample power to get to any of your important functions, in record time.

Whether you’re heading across a salt flat for your second high speed timed run or picking the children up from school, you just can’t go past the all new 2011 Geely. When safety is concerned, nothing is as important to us as a total felling of security for our valued customers and you’ll feel the same when travelling in total safety thanks to 46 airbags, 34 side intrusion panels and 16 crumple zones that make high end German marques look on with complete awe.

Originally Posted by HUNTER8

So you can buy it in WA and drive it to Vic on your holidays?
Or do we assume that if you bought it in WA it would have fallen apart by the time you hit Vic?

Geez, that’s a big call mate. Do you really think that it will make it to SA first?

Originally Posted by Dezza

I think I just vomited a little... then a lot when I saw the dashboard

That’s perfectly normal to feel this way. This car inspires you to vomit just a little bit, get it stuck in your throat and have to swallow it again.

There’s not a lot of cars on the market that are able to make a perfectly healthy person feel this way.

Originally Posted by Nikked

Great, more broken english owners manuals...

Why you make fun of Chingengrish? Is perfrectry normal and is you have probrem understndring our ouners’s manule then you need to rearn Chingengrish more.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

Why you make fun of Chingengrish? Is perfrectry normal and is you have probrem understndring our ouners’s manule then you need to rearn Chingengrish more.

Many protection from the crashings.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Many protection from the crashings.

1/2 hour after you crash it, you'll want to crash it again.

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

The biggest problem with that crash test is the failure of the occupant protection. see how deformed the windscreen/roof/door area is out of shape. it doesn't matter how bad the front-to-door area is, but it should transfer the energy around the occupants, leaving the passenger compartment relatively intact... if i'm reading it right.

[Dezza]

I think I just vomited a little... then a lot when I saw the dashboard

[TheZHLANE]

Will this car be a deathtrap?

[DoreSlamR]

Welcome to the future of the Australian car market....

Low cost, Chinese imports.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

Welcome to the future of the Australian car market....

Low cost, Chinese imports.

That's how all of Australia's other markets have gone, what's stopping the car market? Go to Costco, buy broccoli imported from China and fruit from South Africa, get into your Geely, drive home and watch Two & a Half Men!

[jaskel]

oh i cant think of anything more annoying that having to llook in the middle to see my speed...YUK!

[TS5019]

[Wardo]

Originally Posted by jaskel

oh i cant think of anything more annoying that having to llook in the middle to see my speed...YUK!

Not to defend the Geely but it works for the Mini and the Yaris.

I remember hearing it's a better solution as you don't have to look away from the road for as long. Would take a while to get used to though.

[ltd]

Originally Posted by Wardo

Not to defend the Geely but it works for the Mini and the Yaris.

That's because the mini is a cult car which is mimicking the big speedo in the last of the mini's years ago; and Toyota is Japanese and has all major ethnicities covered on the perceived quality reputation.

Geely being Chinese means that virtually no Chinese people will buy it. Ask around, but all my friends who've come from China say that all Chinese cars are crap.

[fmc351]

So they now make them in RHD and ReftHD.

[MexicanBatman]

hahaha deathtraps for perth

LOL

[XRtowcar]

And plenty of people not planning to have an accident will buy them.

[pertuan]

I don't really understand where the hostility towards this car is coming from. Yes its low price and lower quality and most cars we get here but every company has to start somewhere. Hyundai was there some 15-20 years ago. Look at their cars now... excellent styling and good performance with positive technological outlooks. You can't expect to just start a car business and get Rolls Royce quality from day dot.

[DoreSlamR]

Originally Posted by pertuan

I don't really understand where the hostility towards this car is coming from. Yes its low price and lower quality and most cars we get here but every company has to start somewhere. Hyundai was there some 15-20 years ago. Look at their cars now... excellent styling and good performance with positive technological outlooks. You can't expect to just start a car business and get Rolls Royce quality from day dot.

Go back further, when "Jap crap" arrived, same deal really...

China is gonna flood the Aussie car market in years to come, maybe they'll improve their build quality over time, maybe they won't, either way they'll sell because to most a car is just a thing to get them from A to B.

I'm hesitant to say it but it'll probably kill the Australian built car market entirely.

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

Go back further, when "Jap crap" arrived, same deal really...

China is gonna flood the Aussie car market in years to come, maybe they'll improve their build quality over time, maybe they won't, either way they'll sell because to most a car is just a thing to get them from A to B.

I'm hesitant to say it but it'll probably kill the Australian built car market entirely.

Even though it wasnt the norm, the Japs were building 2lt I6 triple carb, 4 wheel disc cars in the 60's though, I think it was the S54's. They were also running 5 speeds in the Prince Skylines while we were still chucking 4, and god forbid, 3 speed manuals in. Not to mention the R380's.

I agree the Chinese will improve, but thats probably not all that hard as they couldnt really do worse.


The Chinese cars dont stand up well to crash tests so far. And I havent heard of them doing anything outstanding, unlike the Japanese. Not that I would necessarily hear if they did, so Id happily be corrected if Ive missed something.

[block58]

Look at the fantastic fit and finish on the airbag cover, in fact, look at the whole interior and tell me that isn't a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

You can say how Japanese and Korean cars used to be crap, and how they have gone to become something a lot better. But these Chinese cars are still at the beginning of that timeline, and are still pieces of junk.

There are a few better options out there (Micra, Spark, Alto, ...) which are in a similar price range, which begs the question: who would actually buy one of these?

[bungarra]

Maybe this will be thier luxury version import

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...-It-China.html

[Spudz27]

This car will be a killer

[GTP-814]

Originally Posted by Puffin Fresh

This car will be a killer

The girl seems to have survived ok, look she is even texting her lunch order through

[XRtowcar]

Originally Posted by GTP-814

The girl seems to have survived ok, look she is even texting her lunch order through

Probably why she crashed.
Three mini spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, and a special fried rice to go please.

[TheInterceptor]

I do remember viewing a crash test of a Geely, wasn't sure if it were this one...Scored one star iirc?

Is this the budget car at its finest? Abs, airbags etc...alot more than GWM's.

[Iggypoppin']

Flame me if you will, that dash looks a little EL, AU...the car itself is not to my taste at all..safety obviously isn't on the cards either..it's cheap for a reason I guess!

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by Iggypoppin'

Flame me if you will, that dash looks a little EL, AU...the car itself is not to my taste at all..safety obviously isn't on the cards either..it's cheap for a reason I guess!

AU steering wheel and maybe air con dials, yaris dash with that rediculous cluster location...

The yaris setup is

[AussieAV]

Found these two crash test videos for the MK, done in August 2008. An improvement on the older horror videos we've seen, but I still wouldn't want to be in one (especially in a side on impact).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3xkya4HxvI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LUaF...eature=related

The Chinese will know that safety is a major hurdle to export markets. There is no way they aren't going to address the issues and bring the standards up.