Move over, GWM Tank 500: The new Galaxy Cruiser could be the next large Chinese off-road SUV to take on the top-selling Ford Everest and Toyota Prado in Australia.
Revealed in prototype form at the Shanghai motor show this week, the all-new hard-core 4×4 wagon is yet to be confirmed for production – let alone release in Australia, where the Geely brand has just been launched with the EX5 mid-size electric SUV.
But Geely Auto, whose parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group also controls brands including Volvo, Polestar, Smart, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Lotus, Galaxy and Radar, has promised to release six ‘new energy’ models in Australia within the next three years.
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It has also confirmed it will launch a ute Down Under, but whether that’s a Radar-, Riddara- or even Galaxy-badged RD6 electric dual-cab remains to be seen.
Geely Auto plans to export models from its Galaxy sub-brand to markets including Australia.
In China, the Galaxy Cruiser will compete with other hard-core SUV compatriots such as the Fangchenbao B5, which is likely to be sold as a Denza in Australia, and the Deepal G318, another large electrified off-road SUV that could join the small S05 and mid-size S07 electric SUVs, and the E07 ‘Transformer Ute’ on sale here.
Few technical details have been announced, but Geely claims the Cruiser will be the world’s first SUV capable of switching seamlessly between front-, rear- and all-wheel drive modes, and between all-electric, hybrid and extended-range modes.
Described as a “tech focused and robust SUV”, the Cruiser’s “AI-driven” four-wheel-drive system is said to be suitable performance for everything from city streets to rugged off-road trails.
Its “full-power” AI digital chassis is claimed to be capable of “crab walking, on-the-spot turning, driving with a flat tyre, and even autonomous drifting”.
And Geely says its industry-first “vehicle-mounted sonar and water radar” enables the Galaxy Cruiser to safety “float on water for up to two hours at a cruising speed exceeding 8.5km/h (4.6 knots), with a maximum wading depth of over 800mm”.
The Cruiser is powered by Geely’s new in-house developed and produced Golden Short Blade Battery, which was also revealed in Shanghai and features patented bulletproof materials and coatings to prevent deformation, fire and explosion.
Geely says advanced satellite connectivity will allow the vehicle to remain reliably connected even in remote areas, and that its advanced safety features were developed by the world’s largest standalone safety laboratory – the Geely Global Safety Center.
Combined with “full-domain AI” technology, the Galaxy Cruiser is said to exemplify Geely’s commitment to safety by “incorporating five groundbreaking safety features: no loss of control, no self-ignition, no loss of connectivity, no collisions, and no sinking”.
