CarBrandLogos archive · Geely · 2009

GeelyEmgrand EC7

The car that let Geely stop apologising for its crash test results.

The story

A defining chapter in Geely history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Geely Emgrand EC7, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Emgrand began as Geely's attempt to sell something better than the cheapest car in the showroom, and the EC7 was the model that made the case. A conventional front-drive compact saloon, later joined by a five-door hatchback, it was engineered to a standard the company's earlier products had not attempted.

Emgrand EC7-RV China · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

The proof came in Europe. The EC7 was submitted to Euro NCAP and earned four stars, a result no Chinese-built car had achieved before, and Geely used it hard in its marketing because it answered the single biggest objection to Chinese cars in export markets. Sales followed in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America.

Emgrand EC7-RV facelift 01 Auto China · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 3.0

In production

At home it became one of Geely's steadiest sellers and the foundation of the Emgrand sub-brand, which the company later folded back into its main range as a model name. The hatchback was succeeded by the Yuanjing S1; the saloon nameplate outlived it and remains in production.

Emgrand EC7-RV facelift 02 Auto China · Navigator84 · CC BY-SA 3.0

At a glance