Volvo Owner Geely Unveils New Flagship SUV In China

No, that wasn’t a misprint, the Shanghai Auto Show is back in 2021. Amidst the excitement, one vehicle that caught our eye was the Geely Auto Xingyue L, the Chinese automaker’s latest flagship SUV.

From the exterior, it exemplifies the brand’s so-called "accelerating through time and space" aesthetic. In a world where we often see automakers applying their own philosophy to roughly the same SUV silhouette, the latest offering from Geely is very much a bespoke vehicle. The only moderate similarity can be spotted in the rear lightbar that connects the brake lights – which screams Audi Q8. The wheels also throw some Volkswagen vibes.

“In 2020, with the new design language and the passion for realizing an idea to reality, we conceived a super premium and refined SUV concept,” said vice president of Geely Design Shanghai Guy Burgoyne. “Today, this super premium concept has become the Xingyue L.”

Don’t let the fresh design philosophy fool you, because the new SUV is just as advanced on the inside. Along with level two autonomous driving capabilities, the vehicle also comes with a completely unmanned automated valet system. Details remain sparse, but the Xingyue L can search for spots and park itself within a 200-meter area. Geely says this is possible thanks to a joint-strike force of 12 ultrasonic radars, 5-millimeter wave radars, 4 high-def surround-view cameras, 1 monocular camera, 1 dashcam, 1 interior camera, and 24 environmental sensors.

Under the hood, the Xingyue L will have a 215 horsepower (160 kilowatt) turbocharged 2.0-liter engine – jointly developed by Volvo and Geely. Buyers will also have the option to spec a tuned version of the same powerplant with 235 horsepower (175 kilowatts). Power will then be sent to all four wheels via BorgWarner’s sixth-generation four-wheel-drive system.

The do-it-all SUV is scheduled to be launched in Chinese markets in the coming weeks with plans to go global in the near future. It has all the makings of a solid SUV, but its real-world performance remains to be seen.