The Geely Galaxy 700 is an off-road plug-in hybrid SUV with 1,113 horsepower available, along with amphibious capability. It sounds like a concept car, but the automaker has officially opened pre-sales for its first off-road-focused SUV in China. And, according to Geely, with one hell of a positive reaction. For starters, the limited-production “Land Ark” launch edition, limited to 700 units, sold out almost instantly.
Here in the US, we can only look on as the Chinese technology race reaches remarkable new heights.
The Tech Specs Are As Hardcore As The Pre-Sales Numbers
Geely Galaxy 700Geely
The Geely Galaxy 700 is built around Geely’s Thor EM-T electric hybrid system with a three-motor, all-wheel-drive setup and the choice between a 1.5-liter or 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Total system output adds up to a maximum of 1,113 hp and a claimed zero to 60 mph run of 3.95 seconds.
Pair that with the rear mechanical differential lock, nine inches of ground clearance, a 31-inch maximum wading depth, 30-degree approach angle, and 31-degree departure angle, and the Bronco Raptor comparison becomes obvious. However, the Galaxy 700 goes up another hardcore off-roading notch with its emergency floating mode that allows the SUV to navigate water for up to 40 minutes if it goes beyond its wading depth.
With all those promises, it’s no surprise Geely is claiming 10,000 orders for the Galaxy 700 within nine minutes, then 43,900 refundable pre-orders inside the first hour. It’s even less surprising when the pricing works out to just under $30,000 for the base model and the top trim costs the equivalent of $57,000.
Isn’t This Too Good To Be True?
Geely Galaxy 700Geely
The claim of a heavy SUV being able to navigate while floating in water – let alone with a feature that reduces the turning radius to 11 feet – is something to be skeptical about. However, there is video evidence, and the Galaxy 700 has two 17-Kw thrusters on the back, which explains the 40-minute navigation limitation.
When it comes to power, a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine backed up by a 47.14 kWh CATL lithium iron phosphate battery powering three motors can certainly do the trick. In the race for battery technology among the Chinese brands, things are moving at pace. How many times you could hit that zero to 60 mph of 3.95 seconds before needing to recharge the battery is another matter.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Geely Galaxy 700Geely
Current tariffs and trade regulations that effectively block Chinese vehicles from entering the US market mean that we won’t see the Geely Galaxy 700 in the US. But now that China is at full throttle in the car market, some enthusiasts in coming years could find themselves romanticizing Chinese Domestic Market (CDM) vehicles the way car culture did Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) cars in the 1990s and 2000s. A product like this bridges the gap between the Ford Bronco Raptor and GM’s Hummer EV – it even has a crab-walking feature like the Hummer EV.
It’s no wonder that automakers all over the world are worried about Chinese automakers as they start to eat into their sales figures.
