Suburb of a small (population over 2 million people) Chinese city of Ningbo in the southeast China entitled Peilung is a priority economic zone, so it is advantageous to locate enterprises here.
Car company Geely Holding Corp. located here a huge industrial complex. It includes two car assembly plants, the production of engines and gearboxes, which employ 3600 Human. The average salary at the enterprise is about 3,000 yuan (about $440), although it depends on qualifications and length of service.
First assembly plant produces a complete cycle of one model - SC2. The press shop is equipped with dozens of presses, on which workers manually control the stamping of body parts. In the same room there is a welding workshop, where the body is connected by welding on stocks with manual "pliers" - automatic welding machines. Only one robot works here, which welds some deli in the most important places.
Further, the body (doors separately) is sent to the painting shop, and then to assembly. Here, too, manual labor predominates. At the stage of product verification, a representative works here Kremenchug car assembly plant. Vehicles for KrASZ leave the assembly line not fully assembled - for subsequent assembly in Ukraine. So, the car comes out without an engine and gearbox, suspensions, wheels and some other units. The capacity of this plant, built 10 years ago, was initially 50,000 vehicles per year.
The second assembly plant is located across the road from the first and is connected by an overhead technological arch, through which cars. It was put into operation quite recently - in August 2009, so the equipment and technological cycles on it are more modern. Accordingly, the level of quality of products - sedans and hatchbacks new brand Emgrand much higher. Model Emgrand costs in China from 80 to 110 thousand yuan ($12-16 thousand), depending on configuration.
So, press shop equipped with automatic presses, which press out individual body parts. But since the line is one, for stamping various kinds details it has to be reconfigured - to change Press forms. This takes 10-15 minutes. To speed up this process and increase the capacity of the line, a second line is being built nearby. Now the capacity of the plant for the production of Emgrand is 50 thousand per year, but it is already clear that by the end of the year at least 60 thousand cars will be produced.
On the territory of the press and assembly shops there are reference parts with dimensions and tolerances, they are regularly reconciled. The assembly shop also has significantly more automation than the manufacturing plant. SC. For example, at the stage of connecting the suspension to the body, special automatic platforms, which independently drive up for units (suspensions) and bring them to the assembled body, where workers fasten them to it.
Built in accordance with modern labor protection and environmental requirements, the plant is equipped with exhaust hoods and other systems to improve the microclimate. In addition, there are more modern equipment By quality control products.
Plant in the city Luchao- the largest seen by the correspondent of "Autocentre". It was built in December 2004 and can produce up to 120,000 cars a year. MK, MK2 models are produced here, as well as 2 new ones - MK Cross and SC (bauded by the brand englon). The latter are in the stage of testing and refinement.
About the new model Geely read .
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К.: Last 2015, the brand finished in second place among Chinese companies. How are things going this year? What are the achievements?
AND ABOUT.: The half-year is over, and soon it will be possible to sum up the results for three quarters. We hope to remain in second place according to the results of 2016, at least there are good reasons for this. If you look at the results for 8 months, we are significantly ahead of our colleagues, who are in third position.
However, the result in absolute terms will not be the most impressive. This year there is a change in the lineup, and in reality today it has been reduced to two cars. All other models that we assembled at the Derways plant in Karachay-Cherkessia are already de facto sold out and remain in single copies.
We switched to two new models: Emgrand 7 and Emgrand X7, so the decline in sales is a completely objective thing. One thing is a proposal of 4–5 options, the other is only two. At the same time, Geely in China has already stopped production of all models that we sold earlier. There is now a complete reform of production as such and the launch of new models on the market.
Accordingly, we are also in the stage of changing the model range. Considering the general decline in the market and this situation, this year we plan to reach a figure of only 4,500 vehicles. This is a significant decline, although we had a good first quarter, but during these three months we were selling quite a lot of cars assembled at Derways.
To date, we do not produce new models at this plant and have concentrated all our efforts on the Belgi plant. But with Derways, we do not break off relations. Just a change in the model range requires a restructuring of production. Now Geely is preparing to launch a plant in the Republic of Belarus. It will be SKD, with full body welding and painting, so the main investment goal was the launch of this particular production site, where Geely is a direct participant.
Everyone knows that the plant in Karachay-Cherkessia, as a partner, is a contract assembler, and at one time it was decided to transfer production to Belgy. What role Derways will play, we have not yet decided, but in any case, now the plant in Belarus has become the main goal. Most likely, the plant in Russia will have a SKD assembly of a single model. After all, we understand perfectly well that it is physically unrealistic, and economically not very efficient, to produce 5-6 models at the same plant, even a very modern one.
K .: The Emgrand 7, EC7 and GC6 models (some of which are leaving the market) form an almost continuous line that closes price range from 419,000 to 799,000 rubles, with a fairly small step. And which of these three models were most in demand?
AND ABOUT.: Let's start with the fact that the Emgrand EC7, factory coded FE1, is a model that began production in China in 2009. At the end of 2014, it was replaced by a significantly updated FE3 model, which is now called Emgrand 7. The main technological solutions remained, but this car underwent a deep facelift, both external and internal.
This car is equipped in accordance with all requirements technical regulations, comes with ESP system and equipped with an engine that complies with Euro-5 standards. For comparison, I’ll say that the EU7 followed the old rules, when systems were not required electronic stabilization and there were no such emission standards.
Model GC6 is the successor to the Geely MK line, assembled at the Derways factory. It belongs to the B-class. Unfortunately, today in Russia we do not have a car in class B, and we are faced with the task of mastering a new car of this line, which is now being sold in China at a very good pace. This task should be solved in the foreseeable future. We are well aware that the final way out of the crisis is not yet visible, and segment B has again grown sharply in volume. Remember, in 2012-2013 there was a decrease in sales of segment B as such, and now, due to price advantages, it began to grow. We are faced with the task of finally adapting the car to the requirements in force in Russia and to the existing conditions.
The problem is that the technical regulations require additional investments in development. The norms currently in force in China are somewhat different from Russian ones, plus the requirement to equip the car with the ERA-GLONASS emergency alert system is added. This also implies significant additional costs both in the development of the system itself for this class of vehicles, and in its installation during production. Therefore, all this will take some time, but I hope that within a year this issue will be resolved and our losses in the B-segment will be replenished.
K .: In July, it was reported that sales of the Geely Emgrand GT flagship sedan (aka GC9) in Russia would start in August, but then the dates were postponed to December. What is the reason for the delay, is the schedule being maintained and is there already a specific date for the start of sales?
AND ABOUT.: These July messages did not come from us. There are many resources that often post unverified information. We never talked about the start of sales in August, we promised to present the car. We presented it at the Moscow Motor Show. A certain slight delay in bringing it to the market is due to the fact that the process of completing the ERA-GLONASS certification for this car is now underway. The model itself is ready for sale, it meets all the requirements of the technical regulations, all major certification work has been completed. I hope that nothing extraordinary will happen during the testing of the system, we will fulfill our plans, and in December the car will appear in dealerships.
On the picture: CEO Geely in Russia Igor Ovsyannikov
At the same time, we are very carefully and carefully looking at the certification process. When launching a car on the market, European companies simply submit a certificate for compliance with European standards, and in Russia a minimum additional tests. Chinese standards today are very different, and we only announce the readiness of a car to enter the market when we have a ready OTTS (Vehicle Type Approval Certificate) in our hands and we can be sure that all tests are completed. But since all the work on Emgrand GT is almost over, I think that in the second half of November we will be able to announce the price and start accepting orders.
K .: About the model naming system. Tell me, will all your sedans be called Emgrand?
AND ABOUT.: On September 20, a presentation of the Emgrand GL car was held in China. We showed this car at MIAS, but did not make its presentation until the official premiere at home. Emgrand was not immediately created as a sub-brand within the Geely brand. At first it was a separate name for a single car, but no one expected such a success and that this name would become a proper name. AND Geely manual decided that if more than a million cars with the Emgrand name have already been sold, then the entire line of sedans will be called Emgrand, but with one clarification: this applies to C-class cars and above. B-class cars in China do not and will not bear the Emgrand name, that is, it is now a separate line.
K: Don't you get the feeling that the naming system is not very logical? Eat Emgrand sedans, there is a crossover and also Emgrand, and one more can be added to it ...
AND ABOUT.: Let's leave what was, as a kind of history. Currently, the names of all new crossovers that will go into production and sale in the Russian Federation will not contain the word Emgrand. This name is assigned to a line of sedans, starting from a certain class. Crossover Emgrand X7 will be called simply Geely X7.
K .: That is, there will be a brand name plus a letter with a number? Or two letters and a number? Still, it is desirable to have some kind of system in the names ...
AND ABOUT.: Yes, there is a certain difficulty with perception, but we will gradually try to get out of this situation. We can't do the same as Mercedes or Infiniti, who changed their entire model naming system all at once. With us, name changes will only apply to new products. We hope that we will build a clear and logical system of names within the next two years. Another point is related to the fact that we are working with a Chinese product, and Chinese market requires its own names. We have a very different mentality, and often Chinese names are simply unacceptable for Russia. Sometimes we just can't pronounce them, but for China it's normal. Therefore, we have to adapt or change names for the Russian market. We have just started this work, and today, at least, all models that are sold in the Russian Federation at least sound normal. In any case, we do not have models with a "special pronunciation" and we do not need to teach customers how to properly name their car.
So we can say that the page of 2016 is turned over, and from 2017 all models will receive new names. For example, the NL3 crossover in China is called Bui, or rather, not quite like that. We can't actually pronounce it correctly. Therefore, we have agreed with the Chinese leadership that we will use our own names for the EurAsEC countries. So, for NL3, we came up with a name and have already checked for patent purity of use on the territory of the Russian Federation. Closer to the New Year, we will officially announce it.
K: According to the information soon we should see the Geely NL3, Geely Emgrand Cross and the new generation Geely Emgrand X7 crossovers in Russia, as well as the Geely GL (FE-5) sedan. Is there already some kind of schedule for the output of these models?
AND ABOUT.: According to the schedule for commissioning cars, we can speak with about 90% certainty today, because we are talking about a new plant, and some unforeseen difficulties may arise, delays of weeks or even months are possible. The first product we presented at the auto show is the Emgrand GT. Of course, the bulk of the cars will go to showrooms in early 2017, but the first of them will be sold this year. All of them are assembled at the Belgi plant, still on the old site.
Crossover NL3 and new Emgrand The X7 will be assembled at the Belgy plant as the first CKD products. The plan to bring them to the Russian market is July 2017.
The third car is the new Emgrand 7. This car will already acquire all new distinctive features: a different radiator grill and a different emblem, and in general it will be essential updated car. Its production should also be mastered at the Belgy plant in 2017, about a year later. As for the Emgrand Cross and Emgrand GL models, we are now considering the option of supplying Emgrand Cross from China. Taking into account the production capabilities of the new plant, we understand that it is too difficult, almost impossible, to put four models on the conveyor during a calendar year. So, the Emgrand Cross and Emgrand GL models are officially in the plan for production at the Belgi plant under the CKD system for 2018, but in order to speed up the launch and not wait for the start of production, we are considering the possibility of importing finished cars without assembly on the territory of the customs union.
K .: It was announced at MIAS that the Geely NL3 will have an all-wheel drive version. How much more expensive will it be than the front-wheel drive version? When will it hit the market, at the same time as the front-wheel drive version, or a little later?
AND ABOUT.: To begin with, I would like to say that China has a completely different attitude towards crossovers. It is realistic to drive several thousand kilometers there on excellent roads and without a single traffic light. Most of the crossovers in China are just ordinary cars with a different body type. Still, there are 52 thousand kilometers of autobahns. Therefore the need for off-road or in fitness for off-road driving there practically does not occur, and the market is very capacious. We are used to the system of "roads and directions", and there the car market began to grow at such a pace after the roads were built, in the full sense of the word. Therefore, we have to explain a lot to our Chinese colleagues, the engineering center and the marketing department that there are certain specifics in Russia.
Returning to the question about NL3, both versions will be displayed at the same time. We do not have any separate plans for the production of these models, especially since the all-wheel drive version of the NL3, assembled in China, has begun to be delivered to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
As for the difference in price, here is the case. We still have two engines for this model, and one of them is a 2.4-liter, during the design it is provided under four-wheel drive. But there is one problem here. In the view of the Chinese, if there is an all-wheel drive, then it should be a luxury package. And now we are doing a “reverse calculation” so that the configurations, including the base one, can be with all-wheel drive. After all, there are people who need full stuffing", And there are those who need all-wheel drive in the first place, and everything else is possible.
Taking into account the current exchange rate component, because we do not fully produce a car here and largely depend on the exchange rate situation, primarily with the US dollar, the real difference will not exceed 100,000 rubles.
K .: Can you reveal what engines will be equipped with NL3 crossovers?
AND ABOUT.: The range of engines includes 1.8 turbo and 2.4 atmospheric. In principle, this car has a two-liter engine. We are now studying all the options in order to finally decide which modifications will be collected here.
K .: And there are no diesel engines? Probably, in our conditions it really makes no sense to make efforts to install diesels on sedans, but in the case of a car like the NL3, a diesel version would be a success in many regions.
AND ABOUT.: Quite possible. But the question is that Geely does not have its own diesel. There is no reason to buy from some company and license a diesel engine either. The second problem is that even in the European Union they don't yet know what to do with diesel engines if the new Euro 7 standards come into effect. Even with Euro 6, everyone is now having problems bringing diesels to this standard.
Accordingly, the Chinese side is well aware that for passenger transport some threshold values may occur, after which it will become impossible to improve the environmental performance of a diesel engine. Therefore, now all Chinese companies are investing in the development of hybrids and electric vehicles, believing that they are the future. Today, for example, Geely sells about 2,700 Emgrand cars 7 s electric motors. The company's office fleet consists exclusively of such electric vehicles. A huge number of taxis in the city of Hangzhou are represented by electric Emgrand 7.
The Chinese side is fighting for the environment and has actively begun to develop the infrastructure of charging stations. The state invests money and administrative resources in this. For example, this year a law was passed under which any new construction related to apartments or shopping malls, should provide charging station and places for recharging cars. Without this condition, no project will be approved. This government policy is forcing Chinese companies to move beyond the design of new diesel engines and focus on hybrids and electric vehicles. With such strong support at the highest level, China, I think, will become a leader in these products.
Again, if we have the expected changes in the payment of excises, and diesel fuel starts to rise in price and catches up in price with the 95th gasoline, then this will have an impact. Plus, in the budget and mid-range crossover segments, diesel engines are not particularly popular. In China, in general, there was a complete misunderstanding of why to equip a car diesel engine. There was initially a perception that "diesel" means "truck".
K.: How is cooperation developing with Belarusian plant Belgy? What are the achievements and what are the problems?
AND ABOUT.: "Belgi" is two production sites. Site No. 1 is the old site from which we started our production in 2015, the former premises of the Borisov Gidroampilifier plant. To date, the construction of a new plant has entered the final stage closer to the famine of Zhodino, on the border of Borisov and Zhodino regions. Actually, the BelAZ plant is visible from the site. This site was built from scratch, in an open field. Now the plant has already been built, installation, installation and adjustment of equipment is underway. According to plans, the first test batches of cars should be assembled in the first quarter of 2017.
K .: Tell me, in which regions of the Russian Federation Geely cars are in the greatest demand?
AND ABOUT.: If we talk about the regions, then Moscow and St. Petersburg are significant, and sometimes sales in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region exceed sales in Moscow and the region. In Moscow, of course, there is more money and demands are higher, so many people look condescendingly at Chinese cars. I think that the situation that was at the Moscow Motor Show, when people saw completely different Geely products, will largely lead to a change in consumer attitudes, including in Moscow. Geely cars have always sold very well in Bashkiria, things are not bad in Tatarstan. Beyond the Urals, Omsk and the Omsk region can be noted. Of the regions - Rostov, Krasnodar, Stavropol, in general, the south of Russia. There, of course, sedans are historically preferred. But now it is difficult to talk about statistics: in 2013, when it was about 28,000 cars sold, the statistics were more explicit.
K .: Now we usually ask everyone what type of city you can consider as your base territory: metropolitan, million-plus, or cities up to 500,000 inhabitants?
AND ABOUT.: Today at Geely 60 dealer centers and 11 dealer centers operating under a service agreement. We have dealerships in all cities with a population of over 500,000 people. Of the relatively small ones, I can name several cities, such as Almetyevsk, Tuymazy, Orsk. But when we look at the registration, we see, for example, that of the cars purchased in St. Petersburg, 60% remain in the city, and 40 go to the region. In Moscow, the proportion is different: 30% stay in the capital, and 70% of registrations are in the regions, and not only in the Moscow region. For dealer centers in million-plus cities, this ratio is 50:50, that is, half of the purchased cars go to regional centers, urban-type settlements. Previously, the situation was even more interesting: no more than 20% of the cars remained in the cities where the dealerships are located, and the rest was for “transit sales”. But now the situation is beginning to change, and residents of cities are starting to buy cars. In this regard, St. Petersburg, where the share of local registrations is higher than in Moscow, has become a kind of indicator.
K .: In many cities of Russia, you can see Emgrand models working as a taxi. What can you tell us about working with taxi fleets? Is there any special equipment that meets the needs of carriers, or do the cars differ only in color?
AND ABOUT.: The bulk of Geely cars in the role of a taxi that you see is the result of the Taxi-24 project, which was carried out factory Derways sponsored by Geely in 2012. All these cars were produced in trim levels 1.5 Standard and 1.8 Standard. This project brought to the market about 1,500 cars in this version, and at the first stage was very successful. Geely Motors Rus did not take a direct part in the project, we only provided technical support, supply of spare parts, etc. But then certain management problems arose in the project, and many of the taxis that you see are second-hand, then there are other companies bought cars from "Taxi-24". In addition to him, there were big projects in Moscow, Rostov, Taganrog, Kemerovo. There we helped our dealers. There was a small project in Samara, not our own, but where we provided certain conditions for the purchase of a large batch of a private company.
Generally speaking, taxis, as a business, today look very motley. Many taxi companies belong to large dealer structures that needed to sell large lots somewhere. I think after the start mass production at the Belgi factory updated Emgrand 7, we will begin to look more closely at this issue. Today's production volumes of Emgrand 7 do not allow us to talk about serious bulk purchases For big companies, and during the next year we will not independently organize programs with a taxi.
K: Do Geely have any special offers for corporate clients, and are there any other than taxi companies?
AND ABOUT.: We are working on the preparation of such programs, but for us now the main task is to return to the stage from which we left due to the lack of a product, and all serious programs are scheduled for the end of 2017 - the beginning of 2018, when we have enough the locomotive of our sales, Emgrand 7, will be produced. Emgrand GT, as a flagship, also has a certain role to play.
К.: One of the popular trends today is carsharing. Does Geely have any plans to work in this direction?
AND ABOUT.: Company Geely start to develop similar programs at home, and she "went from the opposite": she began to provide a certain VIP service, with a driver and an interpreter, on the Emgrand GT. The program of business meetings at airports was worked out on these machines in order to increase the status.
As for carsharing, it may be interesting, but this market segment needs a different car, not so big. After all, carsharing is, most often, the movement of one person from point A to point B within the city. Accordingly, this requires either a sufficiently capacious A-class car, or a B-class, in the European sense. We, unfortunately, do not have either one or the second in the form of a finished product, and provide cars more than high level We are simply not ready for car sharing yet. There will be a B-class car - there will be ideas for the development of such a program.
K .: What is the proportion of women among Geely customers? Which Geely models are most in demand among women?
AND ABOUT.: Of course, we have such data. As part of the CRM system that we launched last year with our dealerships and are now carefully monitoring, now 30% of customers are women, 70% are men. The fact is that if we take big cities, then a woman in a car with a manual can be seen very rarely.
Geely doesn't have many cars with automatic transmissions, and small cars like the MK and MK Cross or GC6 didn't have automatic versions at all, and women tend to gravitate towards smaller cars. Plus, a significant portion of our sales come from smaller cities, towns, and rural settlements, and there women generally don’t drive a car that often. Accordingly, the extension model line in the direction of more versions with automatic transmission, as well as a change in consumer geography will begin to change this trend in our segment and will lead to a certain shift in gender preference.
K .: At the beginning of 2015, Geely had 93 dealerships in 74 cities. What has changed during this time? How many companies refused to cooperate with the brand for one reason or another, and how many joined?
AND ABOUT.: Already in the middle of 2015, we were well aware of what we would have to face in 2016, first of all, having in mind the reduction of the model line and the limitation of production. An analysis of the general situation on the market showed that we did everything right: we independently assessed the efficiency of the existing 93 dealerships. At the time of the decision, their number had been reduced to 87.
The decision to terminate the dealer relationship was made to those centers that showed the lowest efficiency, not only and not so much in terms of sales, but also in terms of after-sales and warranty service. We have been using the system for over two years. hotline, and we could compare the number of negative reviews in relation to a particular center. For each of the dealerships, we conducted a multivariate analysis, and based on its results, we made a decision to terminate the contracts.
But, on the other hand, we understood that it was absolutely pointless to maintain the efficiency of the dealer center with sales at the level of 2-3 cars per month, so we stopped cooperation in the field of sales with a number of centers, leaving the dealer agreement to operate in the field of service and warranty service. Today we have 60 dealerships operating in 53 cities.
K .: Do you rely on mono-brand or multi-brand dealerships?
AND ABOUT.: Today, most of our dealers are multi-brand. This is due to the history of the development of the brand in Russia. Back in 2012, we only supplied one Geely MK car, and there was no economic feasibility in a mono-brand dealership. At the same time, we always strive to create a dedicated showroom and certified personnel for the brand in all centers.
The rapid growth of the brand in the local market and the change in the model range make constant adjustments to the requirements of the dealership. Over the past two years, Geely has introduced three completely different products, matching in design and technical parameters Korean and some European brands. And our customers already expect an appropriate attitude to the quality of the services provided.
In order to meet the level of consumer expectations, starting from 2017 we are starting a rebranding of the dealer network with an emphasis on the creation of mono-brand centers. Adjusting for the current state automotive market and expansion of the model range by 2018 to six models, we allocate two years for this process. With the existing model range, the economy of a dealership will not allow mono-brand stores to survive.
K .: What brands and models do you consider the main Geely competitors in Russia? What do you consider the main competitive advantage of the brand?
AND ABOUT.: If we talk about the Geely Emgrand 7, Emgrand X7 models, then cars are traditional competitors for us Chinese brands, some models of AVTOVAZ and Renault. With the advent of the Emgand GT and the Geely NL-3 crossover, we are already considering Korean brands as competitors. And the main advantage of the brand was and remains the ratio of price and quality, rich equipment and design of cars.
K .: How can you formulate the main tasks that Geely sets for itself in the Russian market?
AND ABOUT.: The main task for the next two years is in response to the question “What car did you buy?” hear from brand owners:
I bought Geely! And Geely is another China.
We cannot say that the cars of the Chinese concern Geely are little known in Russia, because the cars of this manufacturer have been traveling on our roads for quite a long time. What is the Geely Emgrand X7 crossover worth. This car, like other cars, has its pros and cons. But, before we get to that, let's first answer the question: where is the Geely Emgrand X7 assembled for domestic market? This budget crossover for our customers are produced in China and Russia. In our country, the plant is called "Derways" and it is located in the city of Karachay-Cherkessia. The enterprise was opened here in 2002, it still operates today. In addition to this model, cars at the Russian plant are assembled by Geely MK and Geely Cross.
Our company produces cars exclusively for the domestic market, and China supplies the crossover to other countries. The production of the Emgrand X7 model at the Circassian plant began in 2012. In addition, the “Chinese” is assembled in Belarus at the Belaz plant and in Ukraine at the KrAZS enterprise. Some owners have a concern that the quality of our Russian assembly is at a low level. The fact is that in Russia the crossover is assembled according to Chinese technology, SKD is established here, the production process is carefully monitored, therefore, there is no need to think that the domestic Geely Emgrand X7 is worse than the purebred "Chinese". In any case, you choose.
Design and salon
During the entire existence of the car on the market, it has a lot of fans in the Asian and European markets. The car was able to achieve such success thanks to excellent technical specifications and youthful appearance. This car model met all the expectations of fans of the brand. It doesn’t matter where the Geely Emgrand X7 is produced in Russia or China, the car passed all the tests perfectly and has established itself as a modern and multifunctional car. An Italian design studio worked on the appearance of the updated “Chinese” in 2015. The design of the car has not changed much. Just the engineers emphasized the sporty character of the car. At the first glance at the car, a massive radiator grille with the brand emblem catches the eye. Dimensions Chinese crossover are: 4541 mm × 1833 mm × 1700 mm.
In principle, the car outwardly remained the same attractive and interesting. Inside the car, everything is done very modestly. For interior trim, the manufacturer used plastic gray color and aluminum inserts. The front panel includes a display that shows the temperature mode, air conditioner and radio settings. Decoration Materials Low quality, hard plastic that will squeak and scratch easily over time. But, all interior panels look neat and tidy. The interior of Geely Emgrand X7 2015 turned out to be modest and discreet. It’s a pity, but the car does not have a steering column adjustment for reach, there is no USB portal and other necessary little things. The driver's seat creates an excellent overview, it is comfortable and comfortable, have a high seating position. But, a driver with a height of 180 centimeters will be a little uncomfortable, and it will not be possible to adjust the seat for themselves, since there is no this function. Where the Geely Emgrand X7 is produced, for some reason they did not take into account the fact that our people are taller than the Chinese.
The rear row of seats will please the driver, it is impressive. Passengers will be as comfortable there as people who fly a business class airliner. They will be able to stretch their legs to their full length and spread their elbows, enjoying the ride. The second row of seats is adjustable and folds, so that the volume luggage compartment is - 508 liters. Located under the bottom of the car full size spare, which is not very convenient. The driver will be able to store tools in a special box or a convenient organizer, which are provided in this Chinese crossover.
Technical side
When creating this crossover, the Chinese paid Special attention safety, comfort and quality of the car. In the Russian market, buyers can purchase a Geely Emgrand X7 crossover with two gasoline engines to choose from. It can be a car with a 2-liter or 2.4-liter unit. The power plants are paired with both a five-speed manual and a six-speed automatic transmission. For the domestic market of China and European countries, the crossover is also produced with a 1.8-liter engine.
Depending on where the Geely Emgrand X7 is assembled, the cost of the vehicle varies. The Chinese crossover is offered to customers in three versions:
- Comfort
- Luxury
- Prestige.
The price of the car starts at 649,900 rubles. The most “packaged” version will cost customers 759,900 rubles.
Crossover Disadvantages
The dynamic qualities of this crossover are a little disappointing. This car lacks traction, plus it works belatedly automatic transmission gears. If you are going to overtake other cars on the highway on this "Chinese", it is better to switch to manual mode, so you can somehow control the traction of the car. Soundproofing as a whole can be called normal with a stretch, but the sounds of the engine in the cabin will still be heard. The car chassis settings can hardly be called exemplary either. Inside the Chinese crossover, you will feel all the bumps in the road that will come across on your way. The car drives smoothly only on well-paved roads, on broken sections You will be pretty shocked.
Also, significant disadvantage"Chinese" is a tight brake drive. To brake sharply, you will have to apply maximum effort. Ground clearance the car is 171 millimeters, this is not enough for operation in Russia. Therefore, if you want to go on a picnic, be careful. Where the Geely Emgrand X7 is produced, they could take into account all the above disadvantages of the crossover. But this vehicle perfect for those who prefer a moderate driving style. Despite all the disadvantages of the "Chinese", he is a serious competitor in his class.
The Chinese company Geely Group Co., Ltd appeared not so long ago, the official date of foundation is 1986 (November).
At the beginning of its glorious path, the company was engaged in the production refrigeration equipment, building materials and real estate transactions. The headquarters is located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Production is concentrated in large industrial bases located in several cities - Shanghai, Taizhou, Ningbo and Linghai.
Since 1992, thanks to a partnership agreement with the Japanese Honda motor Co Ltd, a young company from the Middle Kingdom, has launched the production of licensed scooters and light motorcycles. Two years later, Geely took the first place among scooter manufacturers in China and started producing motorcycle equipment under its original name.
In 1997, the company's specialists manage to launch serial production of engines for motorcycles and scooters. own design, which made it possible to abandon licensed Honda motors.
August 1998 - a special date in the history of the Geely company, the first Geely HQ car left the gates of the plant located in the city of Linghai.
In 2000, the second model appears in the line of the Chinese manufacturer - Geely MR / Merrie (hatchback).
In 2001, the China State Commission for Economic and Trade Affairs lists the Geely Group as the first private company in the catalog of Chinese automakers.
In 2002, the management of the Geely company agrees on technical cooperation in the field of automotive industry with the Korean by Daewoo International Co Ltd and Italian company Maggiora S.p.A Italy. The production of the MR/Uliou/MS model continues.
In 2003, the Geely PU (Rural Nanny / Urban Nanny) model appears, the beginning of exports to Africa and the Middle East.
2005 - the appearance of the new Geely - Geely SK (in Russia it is known under the name Geely Otaka), the history of the Geely company continues with the beginning of the export of the company's cars to Eastern Europe and South America.
In 2006, the premiere of Geely MK, a year later Geely FC.
Geely car production is growing year by year. If in 2007 more than 180,000 copies were produced, then in 2009 there were already more than 330,000 cars.
In 2009, the Chinese company enters into an agreement with the Yulon Group on the joint production of electric vehicles based on the Geely Panda.
On August 2, 2010, a new round in the development of the Geely company begins, for 1.8 billion US dollars, the Chinese holding Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Group Co Ltd is part of it) bought out the Volvo passenger car division with all its innovative, sometimes the most advanced developments in the world .
Today, Geely produces cars under the brands Geely, Emgrand, (Gleagle and Englon for the domestic Chinese market).
For the Russian market, Geely cars are produced at the plant car company Derways ("Derways") - Geely Otaka, Geely MK, Geely MK Cross, Geely Emgrand.
In Ukraine, motorists are offered: Geely CK 2, Geely MK new, Geely MKCross, Geely SL, Emgrand EC7 (sedan) and Emgrand EC7 RV (hatchback) - made in China. Production Chinese cars Geely for Ukraine will soon start at the Kremenchug Automobile Plant.
Geely Automobile (affiliated undertaking Geely Holding Group is one of the most famous Chinese car companies. Now Geely products are provided on all continents of the world, in more than 50 countries. Moreover, production also takes place not only in China.
Features of the structure of Geely Automobile
The Geely company eventually turns into a large concern that operates not only in the country of "registration", but also far beyond its borders. Let's put it this way: management strives to make the car closer to the buyer. Therefore, of all the factories (more than 15) owned by Geely Automobile (in whole or in part), only half are located in China. The most famous of them are in the cities of Linghai (the first in history), Ningbo (the most modern), Luikao (the Volvo S90 is assembled), Chengdu (the Geely GX7 is produced).
In addition, the SKD assembly of many models of the brand is also produced outside the Celestial Empire. Geely's largest enterprises (in whole or in part) are located in Brazil, India and Belarus.
The company is also actively engaged in the development of new models and the technical improvement of existing ones. For this, the following structures have been created and are successfully operating:
- educational institutions ( automotive institute, university and 3 colleges in China);
- several research centers (Technology Center and Research Institute in China, CEVT in Sweden);
- 2 design studios (Barcelona, Los Angeles).
A pleasant “bonus” for the buyer is that Geely products comply with modern international quality standards (ISO9000, ISO14001, IEC27001, etc.). Geely also actively patents its products both domestically and internationally.
What do companies do in Chinese factories?
The first car of the company (Geely HQ) was released back in 1998, in Linghai. large-scale serial production Gili has been engaged since 2001.
Chinese factories are the basis for the creation of all Geely models. Each of them is a full-cycle enterprise, because not only export cars are produced here, but also for domestic use.
The following processes take place in these plants:
- body stamping;
- paintwork;
- welding of parts (automatic, with the help of special robots);
- production of engines and gearboxes;
- final assembly;
- quality control on automated systems and the landfill.
Cars for domestic use and some export cars (to countries without Geely assembly shops) are assembled at domestic factories. If in the host country (sometimes in a neighboring one) there is a Geely enterprise (or working under a contract with Chinese automaker), then assembly is not performed.
How is Geely assembled outside of China?
Already in 2003, the company "spun up" enough and began to deliver its cars abroad (the first model was Geely Free Fleet). With the start of export, the owners of the enterprise, positioning their cars as accessible to everyone, began to look for opportunities for SKD assembly in the countries of sale. It is often more profitable to transport a car in large parts and assemble it on the spot than transporting a whole vehicle.
In Ukraine, Geely Automobile entered into an agreement for the assembly of some models of its cars with the AIS Group of Companies. At the Kremenchug car assembly plant, almost all models produced in given time(including the popular Geely Emgrand 7 five-door sedan). Unfortunately, at the end of 2015 KrASZ was declared bankrupt.
The closest assembly center to us is now located in Belarus - a joint Chinese-Belarusian enterprise "BelGee" (Borisovo). interesting moment: the owners of the company have launched the construction of a new plant between Borisov and Zhodino, which will have a full production cycle.
At the Ukrainian enterprise KrASZ, the following manipulations were performed (basic for this type of plant):
- receiving a car with a fully assembled interior;
- installation of chassis (completely), engine and gearbox;
- assembly quality control on a special track;
- bench control (electronics, motor, shock absorbers).
In addition, at the factory in China, all shipped parts are pre-tested. Such a multi-stage check allows you to save vehicles from many troubles later, during operation.
Summing up
So, on the basis of the above information, several conclusions can be drawn.
- Geely is one of the largest Chinese auto companies;
- The main stages of car production take place on 9 Chinese factories, SKD assembly of export machines - abroad.
- For the needs of the Ukrainian market, Geely cars are assembled in Belarus (“BelGee”).
In addition, the company cooperates with a number of service centers and service stations, which helps customers solve several issues at the same time.
