It may be safe to say that legacy brands have given up on the sub-R700k plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) market. Every PHEV offering at that price ceiling is Chinese.
And we have tested almost all of them, from the BYD Sealion 5 Comfort (R509,900) to the Chery Tiggo 7 1.5T CSH (R619, 900) and Omoda C7 1.5T SHS (R689, 900).
Most recent was the Geely E5 EM-i, which is priced from R599,999 in Aspire trim to R679,999 in Apex trim.
A six-year/150,000km warranty is included, with a separate eight-year/200,000km cover for the battery. The service plan is of a five-year/75,000km duration.
The brand’s logo might resemble a fancy block of chocolate still in the foil wrapping, but Geely is hardly a sweet nothing in the grand scheme of things.
This is the Chinese automotive giant that acquired Volvo Cars from Ford in 2010. It also owns electric brands Polestar, Zeekr and British sports car firm Lotus, in addition to having a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz on the Smart portfolio.
Now Geely is back in South Africa — and products like the E5 EM-i are a radical departure from ghastly spectres of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Shudder as you think back to the LC hatchback, CK sedan and Emgrand EC7, known for poorly imitating the Mercedes-Benz S-Class of the era.
In addition to the PHEV market, Geely also panders to the all-electric arena with the E2 (from R339,900) and E5 (R699,999).
Collecting our E5 EM-i Aspire test unit, it was nice to see that the vehicle uses a traditional key fob, not a finicky near-field communication card like recent Chinese cars driven. No need to change a good thing.
Opening the door revealed a cabin with the expected level of sophistication than Chinese brands have become known for, with supple leatherette upholstery, luxurious materials and upmarket trimmings. The Geely’s cabin has a generic vibe to it, but there is nothing low-rent about the execution. You can see commonality with other Chinese vehicles; the screens, for example, are probably from the same supplier who serves Chery and its relations.
Unlike some rivals with aggressive grazes and large grilles, the E5 EM-i has a sleeker, more restrained way about it. At the rear, it clearly took inspiration from the Porsche Macan, with wrap-around lights and the oval-edged C-pillar window.
The vehicle’s dimensions place it comfortably in C-segment family crossover territory. Its boot is capacious at 528l; overall length is a substantial 4,740mm; width measures 1,905mm and height is 1,605mm.
Setting off from our office in Parktown, joining the M1 freeway, the silence of the Geely in electric mode made for a relaxing cabin ambience. Add to that the lightness of the steering, clear extensiveness of sound-deadening material and generously padded front seats (heated and ventilated); it gets good marks for comfort.
But there are the expected quirks when it comes to its driver assistance functions. Like many Chinese options, its lane-keeping aids, speed warning and fatigue monitors are intrusive and are poorly adapted.
You could be well within the painted lines, and the Geely still chimes because it thinks there is an imminent deviation from your intended path. It is possible to deactivate the systems, but you will need to do so each time you get behind the wheel – no “set and forget” option here, sadly.
For the most part, the drive is serene. Run the battery down, however, and the silence is broken when the 1.5l turbocharged engine kicks in. It is not especially noisy in comparison to other cars, but the contrast from complete silence to internal combustion is stark.
The combined output of the electric motor and engine is 160kW/262Nm, making for a claimed 0-100km/h time of eight seconds flat. This is more than adequate in real-world terms, enough immediate punch to seize gaps in traffic, while its freeway legs are stout enough for confident overtaking.
The full-electric range is 105km, while the engine and electric system in tandem can yield a quoted range of 943km. The battery size is 18.4kWh, and the fuel tank capacity is 50l.
Long-term average consumption (in excess of 800km) was an impressively low 5.3l/100km. Indicated electricity consumption was 4.3kWh/100km.
The PHEV picks under R700,000 all offer a similar basic recipe. Take a family-friendly body style, add a 1.5 turbocharged petrol engine, give it electric assistance and decent battery capacity, load it with features and price it aggressively.
Given the current situation prompting consumers to pull their belt buckles to the last notch, the value represented by these contenders is likely to resonate.
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