GEELY SOUTH AFRICA GEARS UP FOR MASSIVE YEAR

It was a milestone year for Geely South Africa in 2010, with the Chinese car company acquiring new owners, doubling its dealer network and achieving the lowest fuel consumption by a petrol-engined car in its class in the Total Economy Run.

Geely SA is owned by the Hallmark Motor Group, a sister company of the JSE-listed transportation, supply chain and logistics service provider Cargo Carriers and the family owned Magic Group, who each hold 50%.
 

“In July last year there were 12 dealers. In less than six months this has grown to 25, including the replacement of three of the original dealers,” said CEO John Jessup.

“We aim to continue to expand our dealer network to around 35 by mid 2011 as we gear up for the introduction during the year of two important new models, a small car that will compete in the A/B segment of the market and a D segment entrant to complement our current B/C segment MK sedan and MK2 hatchback.

“We are very excited about the small car, which we believe will set new standards in quality, safety, equipment, styling, refinement and pure “COOL” in the South African entry level market. It is called Panda in Japan and will be known as LK when we launch it in South Africa in March, because the Panda name is already taken here.

“One of its biggest features is its safety. The LK (Panda in China) was the first car to achieve five stars in China’s independent C-NCAP collision test conducted by the National Passenger Car Quality Supervision and Inspection Centre.”

Jessup says the launch of the LK, which will account for the bulk of Geely SA’s expected sales by the second half of 2012, will be followed by the introduction at the Johannesburg International Motor Show in October of a D-segment sedan that will set new standards of “quality for money” in the SA market.

The Geely car range currently available in South Africa consists of five models: the MK 1.5 GS, 1.6 GL and 1.6 GT Sedans and the MK2 1.5 GL and 1.5 GT Hatches. Pricing is from R105 000 to R120 000.

A lone Geely MK2 1.5 GT Hatch, driven by veteran motor sport commentator and broadcaster Roger McCleery and navigated by fellow motoring journalist and magazine editor Graham Erasmus, returned the lowest fuel consumption in class C for petrol-engined cars from 1 351cc to 1 500 cc in the 34th Total Economy Run in the eastern Free State in 2010.

STORY COURTESY OF PETER BURROUGHES COMMUNICATIONS