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Geely Is Testing A New SUV In The Alps, It Might Be Ugly

Geely, the Chinese company that owns Volvo Cars, has begun testing prototypes in Europe.
Geely SUV prototype 14 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
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Unlike other prototypes spotted by our spy photographers, this vehicle was tricky to identify. Thankfully, our friends at SB-Medien performed a thorough research using their connections, and they discovered it was a Geely model by tracing its license plate with the registration.

According to their research, the vehicle is a Geely model that is expected to be launched next year on the Chinese market. We do not believe the Chinese brand wants to enter the European market with this model or with anything else, but that does not stop them from testing it in the Austrian Alps.

On the other hand, there is a possibility that this SUV is more than just a prototype for a new vehicle. It could also be a mule for a new platform, which is reportedly under joint development between Volvo and Geely. We are writing about the Common Modular Architecture (CMA), which will be used for multiple Volvo models sold in various markets, and for future Geely creations.

Some sources claim that Geely is considering entering the European market, and that their strategy would involve launching a new brand, which will have a new name. While expensive to inaugurate a new automaker, Geely might have a shot at this instead of attempting to improve its image in the Old Continent.

Even if the prototype is fully covered in camouflage, we cannot help but observe the look of the headlamps and tail lights. It appears that the automaker has employed a solution similar to the one found on the Nissan Juke, where the front end has three sets of lights, each at a different level.

Unlike the Juke, the turn signals are fixed in the middle, next to a set of daytime running lights. The rear lights have a more conventional layout.

This prototype appears to be sized close to a Nissan Qashqai, perhaps even larger than one, and its proportions are similar. If the headlamp configuration enters production in the format shown on this vehicle, we suspect the result will be a car that might not be praised for its looks.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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