Geely officially unveiled the SX11 BinYue crossover SUV in an open-air event earlier last week. The vehicle will be officially launched in China towards the end of this year.
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The SX11 BinYue is Geely’s first vehicle to be developed on the all-new BMA (B-segment Modular Architecture), the platform which has been self developed by the company.
The SX11 BinYue adapts a sportier styling while remaining faithful to Geely’s current design language. Up front, there is Geely’s signature concentric grille design and sweptback headlights, and bumper that has a set of aggressive air intakes.
Along the sides, there is a prominent front fender bulge that bleeds into the scalloped flanks, while blacked-out D-pillars and a C-pillar kink, similar in design to the larger Boyue, give a “floating roof” appearance. The rear possesses trapezoidal tail lights with sweeping light guides, broad chrome trim that joins the lamp units together, a large slotted spoiler and twin integrated exhaust exits. Also, the Geely emblem used on exterior as well as interior is now black-silver, instead of the conventional blue-black-gold theme.
The interior ditches Geely’s usual gently-curving dashboard design for something that’s a little more angular. The horizontal dashboard features rectangular air vents and a freestanding widescreen display, while a passenger grab handle sweeps around the climate controls. There’s also a digital instrument display like on the Boyue, plus a flat-bottomed steering wheel, paddle shifters and a stubby electronic gear lever.
Two versions of the crossover were exhibited, standard and a sports version. The latter wears different front & rear bumpers, black roof, rear spoilers and 4-tip exhausts as opposed to the dual-tip ones on the standard model.
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Under the hood, the SX11 BinYue will have engines jointly developed by Geely and Volvo, including an entry level three-cylinder 1.0-liter turbocharged unit producing 134 hp, and a bigger 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine churning out 177 hp and a peak torque of 255 Nm, paired to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox . This will make the SX11 reach 0-100km/h under 7.9 seconds only.
The Geely SX11 BinYue measures 4,330 mm in length, 1,800 mm in width and 1,609 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,600 mm. In comparison, the SX11 is slightly longer, wider and taller than the Honda HR-V (Vezel), nearly matching the latter’s wheelbase, which sits at 2610 mm.
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The SX11 BinYue will be slotted against competitors including the Changan CS35, GreatWall Haval H2, MG ZS and Chuanqi GS3. Reportedly the Geely SX11 BinYue will also reach export markets soon as the company is currently in process of deciding its English name for international markets.
Furthermore, the BinYue will form the basis of the next Proton crossover as part of Geely’s strategy to revive the Malaysian automobile brand. In September 2017, Geely bought a 49.9% stake in Proton in a deal valued at $107 million. Geely also bought a 51% stake in British sports-car maker Lotus from Proton in a separate deal for a reported $65 million.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
