Geely has just officially announced the
name for the VX11 SUV, and the upcoming three-row SUV is called the Haoyue,
meaning heroic or luxury SUV. Rumours are rife with this one, especially
regarding engine options, but Geely said it will go on sale later this year,
which means more details will surface very soon.
Several news outlets suggest that the
Haoyue will be powered by the existing 1.5 litre and 1.8 litre turbocharged
engines. The former is a three-cylinder direct injection petrol unit, which we
know is capable of producing 174 hp and 255 Nm of torque, and is mated to
either a six-speed automatic or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The larger 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine
should also feature direct injection, and is likely to be the latest unit which
meets China’s National 6B emission standards. The engine, which made its debut
with the Boyue Pro, makes 181 hp and 300 Nm of torque (15 Nm increase from
before), and it drops the older six-speed automatic gearbox for a seven-speed
wet dual-clutch unit. The DCT, Geely says, has an efficiency of 97%, helping
reduce fuel consumption by one litre per 100 km compared to the original Boyue.
Moving past that, the SUV is actually
quite sizeable, measuring 4,835 mm long, 1,900 mm wide, 1,780 mm tall, and has
a wheelbase of 2,815 mm. That puts it close to the Mazda CX-8 (also a three-row
SUV), which measures 4,900 mm long (+65 mm), 1,840 mm wide (-60 mm), 1,730 mm
tall (-50 mm), and with a wheelbase of 2,930 mm (+115 mm).
In terms of figures, that’s about all we
know regarding the Geely Haoyue, for now. For design, the SUV looks rather
imposing from the three-quarter angle, with short front and rear overhangs and
a strong, muscular profile. There is plastic cladding all around the vehicle to
emphasise ruggedness, but not garish in any way. Plus, there are skid plates to
help reduce visual bulk, too.
Up front, the Haoyue wears the automaker’s
signature Expanding Cosmos grille, and interestingly it features a black Geely
badge and three chrome surrounds to give it a “ripple effect,” of sorts.
Notable bits include LED headlights with LED DRLs, raised chamfered bonnet,
prominent lower front bumper with integrated intakes, as well as stacked-LED
fog lamps positioned within the huge housing. It sits on 19-inch dual-tone
wheels, shod with 225/55 profile Kumho Crugen tyres.
Elsewhere, the Haoyue’s wing mirrors are
positioned on the doors, and the window surrounds are fully finished in chrome.
The grey variant above features aluminium roof rails, but it’s unclear if
they’re functional or purely for cosmetic appeal.
Behind, the tailgate sports a surprisingly
clean design, but note that photos of the car in white were used for patent
filings. In any case, expect the production model to look more or less the
same, replete with slim LED tail lights and an adjoining chrome strip.
