Geely Coolray Sport Limited: Crossover conquistador
Motorists can be brash or cool — or both — in this value-rich subcompact sport ute
A SCANT two years since its global launch, the Geely Coolray has already enjoyed success that other crossovers purveyors can only dream about. In a recent release from the China-headquartered car maker, Geely sold close to 400,000 units. Of course, the company is going to town with this information, touting Coolray as a “sales legend.”
In the large and obviously uber-competitive Chinese market, the Coolray was said to have quickly risen to third place in the compact SUV category sales following its October 2018 launch. A subsequent rollout in 10 international auto markets proved just as successful.
One of these markets is the Philippines, where the brand’s entry was appropriately heralded by the popular nameplate. Despite competing in an already congested niche, the five-seater subcompact crossover also proved a homerun for official Geely importer and distributor Sojitz G Auto Philippines. The numbers don’t lie; since its Philippine launch in 2019 up until October this year, 4,358 Coolrays have been sold. That figure is nothing to sneeze at.
This sales performance is easy to confirm for yourself. A trip through the metro streets these days will not be without a Coolray spotting — which proves there is indeed a good number of them out there. But even as Coolrays aren’t spending much time on the showroom floor, Geely isn’t resting on its laurels just yet — releasing a limited-edition variant for those who want their Coolray a little on the rare side.
I got a chance to drive around in a Coolray Sport Limited (with only 1,000 examples allocated for Filipino buyers) and it proved the perfect way to get acquainted with what has made the nameplate such a hit.
Priced at P1.218 million, the trim takes its place at the head of the Coolray table — with the Comfort, Premium, and Sport variants. Basically, the Sport Limited is a mildly upgraded Sport. It has fitments that, according to Geely Philippines Marketing Services Manager Ryan Isana, are expected to resonate among segment buyers. First, the Sport Limited gets 18-inch turbine-inspired black alloy wheels upon which 215/55 Continental tires are affixed. It also gets a powered tailgate with angle memory. You can use the liftgate button or the one on the key fob to open or close it. Mr. Isana had previously told “Velocity” that this feature frequently appeared on the wish lists of many a Coolray customer — with some of them resorting to after-market options. This is Geely’s quick response.
Finally, trips will be a little more, um, refreshing as the Sport Limited is given ventilated front seats — with independent controls for both the driver and front passenger. Three speed settings are available; or you may choose to switch off the fan altogether if your hiney’s already sufficiently cooled.
The Geely Coolray is a modern-looking crossover inside and out, and I believe that partly explains why it’s flying out of the showrooms. The two-tone interior gives it a snazzy feel that doesn’t feel forced. Complemented by faux brushed-steel accents, it’s quite easy to forget that you’re in a reasonably priced crossover. The decent space applies to both rows; the legs of those seated in the back have sufficient wiggle room.
A seven-inch LED instrument panel display changes hues to correspond to the vehicle’s three driving modes (Comfort, Eco, and Sport). Meanwhile, a large 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen with QD link and Android connectivity function enables efficient tethering. Unfortunately, I’m an iPhone user, and the Coolray has yet to get Apple CarPlay.
Meanwhile, other tech toys on the Coolray include a so-called G-Pilot with an Auto Parking Assist system “for easier parallel and perpendicular parking with a touch of a button,” and a delicious four-camera system which can cobble a 360-degree view of the vehicle. These are nifty features for drivers of all skill levels, that’s for sure.
If we’re going to nitpick, I found the middle console box a little difficult to access. You’ll have to turn your torso a bit to open its lid and access the contents within.
But for sure, the Coolray benefits from Geely’s affinity with Swedish luxury car maker Volvo. It rises on the so-called BMA (B-segment Modular Architecture) platform “developed in partnership with Volvo with the assistance of 100 modular architecture experts from over 20 countries.” As it is engineered, in true Volvo fashion, to exceed safety ratings, the Coolray obviously gets that advantage as well.
Under its hood, the Coolray Sport Limited is powered by the already familiar 1.5-liter turbocharged direct injection engine (delivering 177ps and 255Nm) with seven-speed wet type dual clutch transmission. This output is more than enough to make the Coolray an agile number, but you can still detect some turbo lag when you get a bit too excited with the accelerator. It’s almost as if the system considers for a millisecond if you’re sure you want it to go quick — then it lurches forward upon confirmation.
“The Coolray also has a lot of segment-defying features usually found in more expensive vehicles,” Mr. Isana had told me before, and that’s quite an accurate description. From lights that illuminate in the direction you’re turning into at night, to a tire pressure monitoring system and a remote-start feature, the Coolray punches way above its price point. It even has a panoramic sunroof, for crying out loud.
If you’re all about maximizing value at this price point, then the complement of features alone in the Geely Coolray should get your attention. And then actually test-driving it should seal the deal.
