Geely GE: Live Photos of China-Made Rolls-Royce Phantom Lookalike

They may say that imitation is the best form of flattery, but we wouldn't bet that the uptight chaps over at Rolls Royce are feeling any sort of flattery upon viewing Geely Motors' luxury GE sedan at the Shanghai Auto Show. To say that the GE's exterior design is inspired from the Rolls Royce Phantom would probably be an understatement. The 5.29 meter or about 208 inches long Chinese limo is a tad shorter than its uber luxurious British counterpart but whereas the Phantom gets a normal rear seat bench, the GE has a single rear chair fit for a king, queen or maybe even a member of the Chinese government...
Not surprisingly, the Geely GE Limo does not get a massive V12 engine but instead it goes by with an 'everyday' V6 gasoline engine that's good enough for an output of 278-horsepower and 340Nm of torque that is channeled to the rear whees via an automatic transmission.

Revised Geely GT Coupe Concept Flies into Shanghai

Alas, a Chinese car with a unique design that does not resemble any other vehicle around. As we reported earlier, Geely's design team refreshed the GT Coupe Concept's looks for the Shanghai Auto Show and while they were at it, they also added a pair of Lamborghini-style scissor doors that open without the use of a key and a working interior which is somewhat less impressively styled than the coupe's exterior.
The GT Coupe, which was first seen at last year's Beijing Show, is powered by a V6 gasoline engine. Geely said that it is considering the development of a production version of the coupe under its new brand name, Emgrand, in the near future.

Chinese Tuner Builds Ferrari Enzo Wannabe Replica Based on Geely Coupe

You'd expect that a Ferrari replica from China, a country where the automotive industry has turned European and Japanese car cloning into a science, would at least be presentable. Because what you are seeing pictured above is just a computer-generated image of what the tuner hoped his modified Geely coupe would resemble. If your taste buds (and stomach) can handle it, click through to see the end result...
Via: Gaibar



































 

Ford and Geely Hit "Snag" in Volvo Deal

Trouble's a-brewin' in the Ford/Geely Volvo sale, or so Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Chairman Li Shufu implies. The good news is it doesn't sound too serious.
Automotive News states that there may have been a "snag due to problems at Ford Motor Co."; regardless, Chairman Li says, "We're ready to seal the deal...If the deal fails, the problem is not on our side. We have not violated any part of the agreement."
The report goes on to say that Geely's plans for taking ownership of Volvo within the second quarter of 2010 have not changed. If that's the case, and the deal goes through, Chinese Geely will have Volvo safety, engineering, and design to spread throughout its portfolio.
Safe Chinese cars that look good? Maybe they're getting ready to take over the world after all.

- By Phil Alex

Via: Automotive News

Ford Seals Deal with China's Geely, Sells Volvo for $1.8 Billion

For better or for worse, Ford Motor Company has finalized a deal to sell Volvo Cars and related assists (primarily intellectual property) to Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited for US$1.8 billion (€1.35 billion at today's exchange rates).
The Detroit company said that the transaction will be made in the form of a note in the amount of US$200 million and the remainder in cash.
It's worth noting that Geely has acquired Volvo at a fraction of what Ford paid for the Swedish automaker at $6.5 billion in 1999.
Ford said that even though Geely owns 100 percent of Volvo, due to the fact that the Swedish automaker's cars share core components and technologies with its own vehicles, it will continue to supply the company with powertrains, stampings and other vehicle components for an undefined period.
As part of the sale, Ford also has committed to provide engineering support, information technology, access to tooling for common components, and other selected services for a transition period to ensure a smooth separation process.
"Volvo is a great brand with an excellent product lineup. This agreement provides a solid foundation for Volvo to continue to build its business under Geely's ownership," said Alan Mulally, Ford's president and CEO. "At the same time, the sale of Volvo will allow us to further sharpen our focus on building the Ford brand around the world and continue to deliver on our One Ford plan serving our customers with the very best cars and trucks in the world."
Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited said: "Zhejiang Geely would like to pay tribute to Ford's stewardship of the Volvo brand, and we look forward to continued cooperation as Volvo embarks on the next stage of its evolution with Geely."
Stephen Odell, CEO of Volvo Cars, added, "The Volvo management team fully endorses Ford's sale of Volvo Cars to Geely. We believe this is the right outcome for the business, and will provide Volvo Cars with the necessary resources, including the capital investment, to strengthen the business and to continue to move it forward in the future."
With the sale of Volvo, Ford has completed the dismantling of its (European) premium group, which at one point also included Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover.

Geely Chairman Promises To Liberate Volvo from its Capitalist Owner / Oppressors

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Chairman Li Shufu recently had this to say about Volvo and its $1.8 billion purchase from Ford Motor Company: "A tiger belongs to the forest. It belongs to the wild world and not confined in a zoo. We need to liberate this tiger." Anyone else see the irony?
According to Autonews, Li was referring to Volvo's dependence on Europe for production and Europe and North America for the most part of its sales.
Geely's chairman believes that this issue will be solved by building a factory in Beijing, China, that will make 300,000 Volvo cars a year, or about the same amount the automaker currently produces at its plants in Sweden and Belgium
Chairman Li has big plans for his Swedish brand, going on to say:
"I see China as one of the markets where Volvo could show us it has the opportunity to liberate itself and show the potential that is has. That is the rational for the deal. We want to stabilize the brand in the traditional markets of Europe and North America and, at the same time, develop our business in emerging markets including China."
The deal with FoMoCo should be wrapped up in the third quarter of 2010, but we'll have to wait to see how Chinese ownership actually affects the once-proud Meatball.

- By Phil Alex

Via: Autonews

China's Geely Updates its GE Rolls Royce Lookalike for the Beijing Auto Show

Volvo's new owner and China's top private automaker, Geely Automobile, has revealed a reworked version of its GE limousine prototype that drew attention last year for its... passing resemblance to the Rolls Royce Phantom.
For whatever reasons, Geely decided to modify the design of the 5.29 meter or about 17.3-foot long executive limo making it look more Chinese and less British.
The car now features a more bloated front end and a redesigned rear end while the Chinese maker also replaced the single throne at the rear with a more plebian seat bench for two.
The revised Geely GE limo will make its world debut at this month's Beijing Auto Show.

China's Geely Completes Takeover of Volvo from Ford

Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. (simply known as Geely) completed the purchase of Volvo Cars from Ford Motor Co. on Monday. According to Ford, Geely paid $1.3 billion in cash today and issued a $200 million note for the acquisition of the Swedish carmaker. The exact amount of the final sale price will be announced later this year when the final adjustments on Volvo's value are made, and could result in additional proceeds to Ford.
"Volvo is an excellent brand with a strong product line, and it has returned to profits after a successful restructuring. We are confident Volvo has a solid future under Geely's ownership," said Alan Mulally, Ford's president and CEO.
"At the same time, the sale of Volvo will allow us to sharpen our focus on the Ford brand around the world and continue to deliver on our One Ford plan serving our customers with the very best cars and trucks in the world."
Under the agreement, Ford will continue to cooperate with Volvo in several areas supplying powertrains, stampings and other vehicle components. It will also provide engineering support, information technology, access to tooling for common components, and other selected services for a transition period.
The Detroit automaker added that it has also come to an agreement with Geely on the use of intellectual property.
As previously announced, Stephen Odell, CEO of Volvo Car Corporation, will return to Ford as group vice president and Chairman and CEO of Ford Europe. Stuart Rowley, CFO of Volvo Cars, will also head back toFord as chief financial officer, Ford Europe.
"Volvo is a proud company with a talented and dedicated team of employees," said Odell. "I am especially pleased that with Ford's continued investment in recent years, Volvo is well positioned for the future with an exciting range of products that remain true to its core values – safety, quality, environmental responsibility and modern Scandinavian design."
Geely has announced that Volkswagen's former U.S. Chief Stefan Jacoby will replace Odell and become CEO of Volvo Car starting from this month.

Beijing 2010: Geely Emgrand GE plug-in hybrid limo

Another entry that Geely has planned for its new Emgrand premium sub-brand is the GE limousine. Like many of Geely's new models, the GE has a very prominent grille but the rest of the design looks otherwise well-proportioned and attractive. With a 214-inch body sitting on a 124-inch wheelbase, the GE is a big car targeted at executives who prefer to be driven rather than get behind the wheel. The Geely Emgrand GE can be equipped with either a rear bench contoured for two passengers or a single large seat flanked by extra storage compartments.

Underneath, the GE has the same plug-in hybrid powertrain featured in the GT coupe. That means it gets a 2.4-liter inline-four that producing 160 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. The electric drive consists of a pair of 27.5 kilowatt, 132 pound-foot hub-motors for all-wheel-drive capability. The GE is targeted for 2015 introduction.

Beijing 2010: Geely Emgrand GT plug-in hybrid coupe

The Geely Emgrand GT is another example of the automaker's apparent seriousness about being considered a top-flight player in the industry. This coupe features classic sports car proportions and aside from the overdone grille, it looks quite attractive. The GT comes from Geely's new top-level Emgrand sub-brand and boasts some impressive specs. It's reportedly a plug-in hybrid with a 2.4-liter inline-four that churns out 160 horsepower and 165 pound-feet on its own.

That output is supplemented by a pair of 27.5-kilowatt hub motors that give the GT all-wheel-drive capability. Those motors each add 132 foot-pounds of torque as well. It's not clear, however, which axle is being driven by the combustion engine and which gets the motors. The Emgrand GT is targeted for a 2014 introduction.

Beijing 2010: Geely Gleagle GS

The first time we saw something that could roughly be equated to a sport coupe from Geely was a few years ago at the Detroit Auto Show. That red car had some enormous panel gaps and dubious styling. My, how times change. The star of Geely's new midrange Gleagle brand (we're pretty sure it doesn't come across as oddly in Chinese as it does in English) was the GS coupe.

Similar in size to Scion Tc, the GS is powered by a 1.3-liter turbocharged inline four producing 127 horsepower. It can be paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed dual clutch unit. If any Chinese automaker is going to make it to the U.S., Geely seems the most likely and its purchase of Volvo could even give it access to a sales network.

Geely introduced 11 new products - 2011 New Geely Models Pictures

April 27 opened the door for visitors, Beijing Motor Show - Auto China 2010. Car exhibition brought together more than 2000 producers from 16 countries. The largest Chinese automaker, the company Geely, presented at the stand scale, area of 3000 m2, 54 exhibits, 11 of which - the premiere.

Company in Beijing opened this year under the motto "For cleaner tomorrow» (For a Greener Tomorrow). This means that the central place here will be given an environmentally friendly vehicle. The exhibition area is enormous - 200 000 m2. She collected 2,000 automakers from 16 countries, showing 990 cars and 89 auto premier.

The largest Chinese automaker, the company Geely, at the motor show Auto China 2010 in favor with the large-scale exposition. Stand area - 3000 m2. It takes a good half of the exhibition hall. Along the perimeter of the stand installed huge plasma screens, performing the function of bright vibrant background exhibits Geely. Their company has whole 54, 39 of which - cars, 14 power plants and one exhibition layout.

Exposition company is divided into six zones. Three zones occupy separate subbrands Geely: Emgrand, Gleagle and Englon. Even in the three theme parks built in displaying powertrain: Safety Park, Power Train Park and the New Energy Park. Also, the Chinese automaker demonstrates the security system of own development. One of them - the famous active safety system - BMBS, which helps the driver lost control of his car in case of sudden puncture or rupture of the wheel. Park transmissions adjacent to the park "New Energy", where the company Geely, following up with the times, shows own the latest developments in the field of electric motors and hybrid technology. Together, these two parks are intended to demonstrate the global trend of development of the Chinese company, which does not stand still, and with the latest developments in the area Motors intends to increase its competitiveness is the world globally.

For world markets, and is ruler subbrands Geely - Emgrand, Gleagle and Englon, which the company introduced the world last year at the Shanghai Motor Show. At the Auto China 2010 is represented serial models. And their bench, there are 30 cars: 11 models under subbrands Emgrand, 10 models and brands Gleagle 9 models Englon. The variety is impressive: eight sedans, hatchbacks, seven, seven SUVs and crossover vehicles, minivan, four, two sports car and two pickups. It was here, in the stands subbrands, presented 11 prime Geely.

At the exhibition there was a place and the new modifications of already known Ukrainians models Geely - affordable sedans in the class IC, sedan and hatchback class "C» - Geely MK and MK-2, Saloon Class «C-high» - Geely FC. But at the same time, "stoppers" huge "dzhiliyskoy" exhibition are the viewers are already familiar "concepts" in the past, but now the model received a life on the assembly line - a super-car Geely GT; mini-car, fueled by energy from the solar battery located on the roof, three-door "baby» Geely IG; representation Geely GE and London cab Geely TXN. All models for the year experienced restyling and demonstrated in a new guise.

Remarkably, at the Beijing Motor Company Geely does not represent a single concept car. This emphasizes that in these times when the world economy is experiencing a financial crisis, we must focus on the effectiveness of development and approach them with a good dose of pragmatism. At the exhibition the company announced its intentions to further the global automotive industry: by 2015 to produce 40 models of cars. Company's plans do not seem overly ambitious, given that it already produces 30 models of cars.

From a range of new products the Chinese automotive exposition Geely in Ukraine will most likely fall avtomobilchik A-class, and along with it - the premium-class sedan and crossover under subbrands Emgrand.