April 18, 2009 Shanghai Auto Show: Geely Automobile’s New Multi-brand Strategy

Geely Automobile has embarked on its most ambitious venture to date: the creation of three new sub-brands under which most of its future products will be marketed in China.

The new sub-brands — Gleagle, Emgrand and Shanghai Englon — will be formally launched next week at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show and supported with more than 20 new concept and production vehicles.

Geely intends to alter best of its absolute articles in China — mainly bargain auto and bunched sedans and hatchbacks awash beneath the Geely and Shanghai Maple brands — with a abundant broader agent ambit and amount spectrum. To advice achieve that goal, the aggregation has created an entry-level sub-brand (Gleagle), a boilerplate sub-brand (Emgrand) and a exceptional sub-brand (Shanghai Englon).

In effect, the Gleagle ambit will alter abundant of the absolute Geely range, while the Emgrand and Shanghai Englon ranges will supplant the absolute Shanghai Maple range.

Anchoring the low end of Gleagle (said to angle for Global Eagle) is the Panda, a beautiful minicar that went into assembly backward aftermost year. At the accessible Shanghai show, Geely affairs to bare added Panda derivatives beneath the Gleagle badge, including the battery-powered EK-2 and the crossover-like GX3, which may be marketed as the Panda Cross.

Gleagle will additionally cycle out a brace of subcompacts, the GC5 auto and the GC5-RV hatchback, as able-bodied as the bunched GV5 crossover and GV5-V minivan. At the top of the ambit is the midsize GX7 crossover.

The Emgrand (Dihao in Chinese) ambit starts with the bunched EC7 auto and EC7-RV hatchback. A cleft aloft that are three midsize entries — the EC8 sedan, the EX8 crossover and the EV8 minivan. Two articles sit at the top of the ambit — the ET9 auto and the EX9 crossover. The Emgrand brand additionally will arise on the GT gullwing coupe.

The Shanghai Englon (Yinglun in Chinese) ambit will be bound initially to the midsize SC6 auto and the beyond GE auto — the alleged “baby Rolls.” Additionally marketed beneath the Englon sub-brand will be the TX4, an adapted adaptation of the acclaimed London Taxi (now controlled by Geely).

Where best of the Geely and Shanghai Maple articles currently advertise in the $7,000-$20,000 bracket, Geely hopes to extend its ability into the $30,000-plus articulation with its upper-end models.

There is a adjustment to Geely’s fresh allotment frenzy. The aboriginal letter in the alphanumeric appellation stands for the sub-brand: G for Gleagle, E for Emgrand and S for Shanghai Englon. The additional letter denotes agent type: C for auto or hatchback, X for crossover or SUV, V for minivan and T for pickup.

A alternation of three numbers will represent the vehicle’s about admeasurement and agent displacement. For instance, the abounding appellation of the fresh Panda Cross is GX313, which agency it is allotment of the Gleagle ancestors (G), is a crossover (X), is almost baby (3) and will appear with a 1.3-liter engine.