Geely entered South Africa in 2007, but they were gone by 2009.
I have a personal story about those old Geely’s that probably tells you why.
My brother-in-law owned an old Geely CK 1.3 GT. On a short trip from Vereeniging to Johannesburg, I noticed him pull over to the side of the road. Naturally, I turned around and went to see what was wrong.
Well, it was just a flat tyre, but it was odd. It almost looked like something was cutting through the wheel instead of a nail going into the tyre.
We changed it, but the car wasn’t in good shape. For starters, the spare wheel was also slightly flat and the front fender was hanging off slightly and not protecting the tyre.
But we’re not panelbeaters, so we just left the fender to hang and attempted to drive the vehicle to the nearest garage to fill some air into the flat tyre.
Back on the road for about two minutes and I noticed my brother-in-law and that red Geely stationary on the yellow line yet again.
I couldn’t believe that something else would be wrong, but the new tyre had met the same fate as its predecessor. It was cut and looked exactly like the previous tyre.
The only thing that made sense was that the fender which was hanging was cutting through the tyre when he was driving, even if it was at 20km/hour.
We ended up waiting for a flatbed for two hours and just carting the vehicle home, but the experience left a slightly sour taste in my mouth for Geely.
South Africans don’t fall for gimmicks. Whether cheap or expensive, they want bang for their buck and Geely just wasn’t that. It’s why their first stint didn’t last longer than two years.
But in November 2025, they made an extremely strong comeback releasing two models: the E5 EM-I and the E5, with the former being a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and the latter being a full electric vehicle.
I had the E5 EM-I on test for a week and this car felt like a good old-fashioned Manchester United comeback.
In fact, the gap in quality between what Geely produced 20 years ago to what the E5 EM-I represented was the 2001 fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and United at White Hart Lane where the Red Devils found themselves 3-0 down at halftime, but then turned the screw in the second half to eventually triumph 5-3.
This vehicle was Geely’s strong second half showing. Just like United threw the stars at Spurs in that second 45, Geely pulled out all the stops with this vehicle.
Because it’s a PHEV, it has an exceptional amount of range. The electric motor combined with the 1.5 litre naturally aspirated engine gives you a total combined range of over 1000km.
It also delivers 233kW of power and 387Nm of torque which is quite impressive. However, it must be noted that the car does not feel so certain when tackling the scraped tarmac of the N3, but otherwise it does a fantastic job of maintaining a comfortable ride on smooth roads.
The technology and comfort of the Geely is what makes this comeback. There is very little compromise, like with most Chinese vehicles on the inside. It’s made for the driver’s comfort, it has a huge 15.4 inch infotainment screen, comfortable seats, ample space and over 33 storage compartments including a hidden one in the boot.
All those driving figures, no range anxiety and the comfort and technology offered by Geely in the E5 EM-I make it very practical and exceptionally beautiful to drive.
The build quality also has to be commended. From soft touch materials to heavy outer steel, the car doesn’t feel flimsy at all. It is solid from front to back.
And because Geely now owns Volvo, it also benefits greatly in terms of safety. It comes fully equipped with a robust structural safety cell, 540-degree panoramic cameras, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and autonomous emergency braking.
Due to the level of the comeback, it’s easy to assume that Geely won’t just be here for another short innings.
It’s even easier to predict that based on their pricing. The E5 EM-I is priced from R599 999 to R679 999 which makes it a very affordable PHEV, but it still holds its quality for that price.
Now, I just wonder where the quality of their vehicles will be in another 10 years, because of how far they have come in the last 20.
The PHEV is like a good old-fashioned Manchester United comeback from Geely’s first offerings in South Africa
