And here it is; what was once codenamed FY11 has just been officially launched by Geely moments ago with the name Xing Yue. The sports coupe SUV in the mould of BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe is the first vehicle from the manufacturer that sits on the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) currently used by the Volvo X40. In fact, the launch ceremony was held at Geely Auto’s first facility dedicated to assemble CMA-based vehicles in Hangzhou Bay, China.
The flagship SUV comes with three options for power source – conventional combustion engine, mild hybrid, and plug-in hybrid, along with choice between two- or four-wheel drive configuration. The latter two power sources are important to carry the Blue Geely Initiative where electrification is a defining quality, and the Xing Yue will be the first coupe SUV in the world with a PHEV powertrain that offers a pure electric range of up to 80km.
The petrol-engined coupe SUV will use Geely’s four-cylinder 2.0TD mill based on Volvo technology which meets stringent emission regulation, including China’s 6b and Euro 6d standard. Peak power is 235hp and 350Nm paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox from Aisin. 0-100kph is a claimed 6.8 seconds.
The mild hybrid and PHEV both utilises the same 1.5TD and 7-speed (wet) dual-clutch transmission, also developed by Geely-owned Volvo. We’re told that the gearbox boasts an industry leading efficiency of 97 per cent with gear shifts done in just 0.2 seconds. The engine itself makes 174hp and 255Nm.
The mild-hybrid Xing Yue is matched with Geely’s independently developed 48V BSG mild hybrid system. With the help of a 48V motor, the 1.5TD engine starts faster, becomes more efficient, and increases the maximum power of the vehicle to 188hp. The Xing Yue MHEV has an ultra-low combined fuel consumption of 5.6L/100km.
The PHEV system comprises of two lithium battery options – high capacity 11.3kWh, and ultra-high capacity 15.2kWh. The former offers a pure electric range of 56km, fast charges in 90 minutes, and delivers a combined fuel consumption of 1.6L/100km. As you can guess, more range comes with the ultra-high capacity battery, with an electric drive range of 80km, fast charges in 105 minutes, and claimed to give 1.2L/100km. Together with the engine, the Xing Yue coupe SUV packs 255hp and maximum torque of 415Nm.
The drive system comes from BorgWarner and can intelligently switch between 2-wheel drive and 4WD with 50:50 distribution. Other impressive features include an active grille feature to optimise aerodynamics.
Interestingly, the Xing Yue is equipped with a Face-ID system which automatically adjusts seat position, mirrors and entertainment unit based on facial recognition. Needless to say, connectivity comes via Geely’s GKUI, now in the latest 2.0 version with a new improved user interface, intelligent speech recognition, and navigation.
Need more? Here you go – it has 22 sensors to power features that include intelligent cruise control, traffic jam assistance, full speed adaptive cruise control, AEB, rear collision warning, and lane keeping Assist. Also featured are automatic park assist, and 9-inch full colour HUD system that displays nine different types of driving info.
Not bad isn't it? Clearly Geely is going all out. What do you think of the new Xing Yue sports coupe SUV?
