China’s Geely looks set to return to Australia.
Technically, the Chinese giant already has a presence here through Lotus, Polestar and Volvo, which it owns. It also has its Zeekr electric vehicle (EV) brand coming in the second half of 2024, and has previously confirmed Lynk & Co for 2025.
But in a job posting on LinkedIn, it has confirmed it’s looking for a national marketing director who will be responsible for “the brand strategy of Geely” and “new Geely brand building”.
Geely Galaxy E8
This suggests Geely plans to bring its namesake brand to the Australian market, joining a bevy of rival Chinese brands including BYD, Chery and MG.
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has also recently filed trademarks pointing to the launch of the Geely Auto brand.
It filed to trademark the Geely name on January 19, 2024, as well as what appears to be a version of its six-segment logo on October 14, 2023.
Geely Geometry E
As is typical of a major Chinese brand, there’s a sprawling range of vehicles under the Geely Auto banner in China plus a couple of sub-brands.
Geometry is a sub-brand established in 2019 for affordable EVs, while Galaxy was established last year for more premium models like the large E8 electric sedan.
While it’s marketed as a separate brand like Zeekr and not a sub-brand, Radar Auto also sits under the Geely Holding umbrella.
Geely Panda Mini
Its first vehicle, the electric RD6 ute, has already been confirmed for right-hand drive, while the Riddara nameplate has been trademarked locally. It’s unclear whether this would be sold under the Geely Auto brand here.
The Geely Auto brand includes everything from an electric micro car, the Panda Mini, all the way up to the Kia Sorento-sized Haoyue three-row SUV, known as the Okavango outside of China.
Some of these vehicles are already produced in right-hand drive. The Okavango, for example, is produced in right-hand drive in Malaysia, where it’s sold as the Proton X90.
Proton X90 (aka Geely Okavango)
Many Geely vehicles, including the Okavango, the Xingyue (aka Tugella), and the Xingyue L (aka Monjaro), use the Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) underpinnings of the Volvo XC40 and Polestar 2.
Geely has previously confirmed it plans to develop more right-hand drive models as it looks to expand its global footprint.
“2024 marks a year where Geely intensifies its market presence, from steadfast ventures in core markets to new frontiers like Latin America, Central Asia, ASEAN, and Pan-Europe,” it said in a release from last month.
The Geely brand has had a presence in Australia before.
2011-14 Geely MK
In 2009, Western Australian car dealer John Hughes announced plans to bring the Geely MK sedan and hatch to Australia.
These ended up being sold exclusively in Western Australia. Hamstringing the brand’s growth was the absence of electronic stability control in the MK, which was mandated shortly after its launch.
The MK was also swept up in an asbestos recall that also affected Great Wall and Chery. While the MK’s base price was slashed to a market-leading $8999 drive-away, it couldn’t save the brand here.
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