Not long after Geely showed its Galaxy M9 flagship, the company released the first images of a car at the other end of the spectrum, the Geely Galaxy A7 – the Chinese carmaker is seemingly taking its model names from old Samsung phones. The new plug-in hybrid sedan is set to be one of the more affordable models in the Galaxy new energy lineup, and its most efficient to boot (pun not intended).
Geely is touting some seriously impressive numbers here – fuel consumption in the 2.0 litres per 100 km range even with the battery low and an astounding total range of over 2,100 km (!). No technical details have been released just yet, but the car should be powered by the company’s efficiency-biased EM-i powertrain, the same one found in the Galaxy Starship 7 (set to become the Proton eMas 7 PHEV).
This pairs a 111 PS/136 Nm 1.5 litre four-cylinder engine with a 11-to-1 electrified dedicated hybrid transmission (E-DHT), the latter incorporating an electric motor producing 218 PS (160 kW) and 262 Nm. Two lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery options are generally offered – 8.5 and 18.4 kWh packs delivering a pure electric range of 60 and 130 km respectively (on China’s lenient CLTC cycle) in the Galaxy Starshine 8.
It may slot below the Starshine 8, but the A7 is not small – according to Autohome, the car’s ministry of industry and information technology (MIIT) filing lists a length of 4,918 mm long and a wheelbase of 2,845 mm, both deep in D-segment category. As such, the car is neatly positioned between its more premium sibling and the resolutely C-segment Galaxy L6, which uses the same powertrain.
This positioning is reflected in the car’s design, with a more conventional three-box profile and six-window glasshouse compared to the Starshine 8’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 aforementioned M9, as do the 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 freestanding displays. No details on these screens yet, but the centre infotainment panel is much smaller than the M9’s massive 30-inch widescreen unit (shared with the front passenger), so expect it to be the same 14.8-inch display as the eMas 7.
Could the A7 come to Malaysia as a Proton? It’s certainly within the realm of possibility, especially since the national carmaker has already teased a sedan eMas model – the third after the eMas 7 and the upcoming eMas 5. Perhaps we could see the rebirth of the much-loved Perdana moniker?
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