Revealed earlier this month, the Geely Galaxy A7 has been given a proper debut in China, described as a “global family sedan.” With the event came some official details about the plug-in hybrid powertrain, which has been upgraded over the one in the Galaxy Starship 7 SUV.
While ostensibly being the same efficiency-focused EM-i system, the A7 utilises a new EM-i AI Hybrid setup, still with a 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine but with the world’s highest thermal efficiency of 47.26% (46.6% in the Starship 7). This improvement is thanks to several friction-reducing technologies, as well as a variable-displacement oil pump and optimised thermal management.
According to Autohome, the engine makes the same 111 PS and 136 Nm of torque and is mated to an 11-to-1 electrified dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). The P3 drive motor is reportedly 20 PS powerful than the Starship 7’s, producing 238 PS and 262 Nm – enabling this D-segment sedan to get from zero to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds.
But the most defining change is the energy management, which are said to include AI technology and cloud computing via Geely’s Xingrui Intelligent Computing Center 2.0, the latter having 23.5E FLOPs of computing power. This is claimed to have allowed the company to boost power while minimising fuel consumption, leading to some impressive efficiency figures.
For instance, the A7 is able to deliver a fuel consumption figure of just 2.67 litres per 100 km on the China’s (admittedly lenient) CLTC cycle even with a low battery state of charge, with tests by Chinese media attaining as little as 2.49 litres per 100 km. With a claimed electric range of 150 km, the car is capable of a total range of over 2,100 km.
Car News China reports that the aforementioned 150 km figure for EV range is for the largest 18.99 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, although there are also 8.5 kWh and 18.4 kWh options that are capable of 55 km and 70 km of EV range respectively. Charging from 30 to 80% takes 18 minutes using a DC fast charger at up to 37 kW, and there’s also a 3.3 kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) function.
Smaller and more obviously built to a price than the higher-end Starshine 8, the A7 sports a more conventional three-box profile and six-window glasshouse compared to its sibling’s sleeker Porsche Taycan-esque fastback shape. Full-width light bars at the front and back and conventional pull-type door handles mirror those found on the flagship M9 SUV, as do the 19-inch machined multi-spoke alloy wheels.
Inside, the greater simplicity continues with larger, physically-adjustable air vents, sitting amidst a tall centre console, a Proton eMas 7-style two-spoke steering wheel and physical control knob and a pair of freestanding displays – an 8.8-inch digital instrument display and a 15.4-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Geely’s labelling of the A7 as a “global” model is interesting because it affixed the same descriptor on the Galaxy E5/EX5, which eventually arrived here as the Proton eMas 7. Could we see this car being sold here as a larger PHEV eMas?
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