Missed opportunity? Should we have gotten the Geely Jiaji L instead of the Haoyue?

When Proton entered its partnership with Geely back in 2017, the Geely Jiaji MPV was one of the models that was speculated to wear a Proton badge, alongside the Proton X70 / Geely Boyue.

Further cementing that notion was that Proton trademarked the V70 name, which some people speculated could be the name for the MPV.

As a brief recap, the Geely Jiaji is a C-segment SUV that offers 6- or 7-seater options, as well as a range of turbocharged and mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrains.

In China, the Geely Jiaji L is priced between CNY 119,800 (~RM 77k) to CNY 142,800 (~RM 92k), while the Haoyue is priced between CNY 103,600 (~RM 66k) to CNY 142,600 (~RM 92k).

A couple of years later in 2022, Geely refreshed the Jiaji and called it the Jiaji L. The new model received a host of improvements over the regular Jiaji.

Also Read: New 2022 Geely Jiaji L drops Proton X70's 1.8T for 4-cyl 1.5T, now with 181 PS

Perhaps the most significant upgrade for the Geely Jiaji L is the discontinuation of the ageing turbocharged 1.8-litre engine, as well as turbocharged 1.5-litre 3-cylinder engine. The sole engine option for the Geely Jiaji L is a turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, codenamed BHE15-EFZ.

This new 4-pot engine does 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm between 2,000 rpm to 3,500 rpm. Like before, the engine is mated to a 7-speed wet-type dual-clutch automatic transmission, driving the front wheels. Geely says that with the new powertrain in place, the Jiaji L returns 6.9-litre/100 km under the WLTC test cycle.

The Geely Jiaji L gets Geely’s latest design language, incorporating a massive X motif front fascia that features an oversized grille that takes up almost the entirety of the front.

Also Read: Proton V70 (Geely Jiaji) might be dropped in favour of Proton X90 (Geely Haoyue)

Moving towards the rear, Geely has given the Jiaji L new LED tail lights, as well as a reprofiled rear bumper. The chrome strip that was present on the pre-updated model has been removed, giving the Jiaji L a cleaner look.

The interior of the Geely Jiaji L has also received some updates, though not as extensive as the exterior. The most noticeable improvement is the revised centre console, which sees the relocation of the gear shifter, which frees up space, allowing Geely to put a storage compartment on the centre console.

Now that Proton has unveiled the Proton X90, it is clear that the Geely Jiaji L is off the table. Do you think this is a missed opportunity and should Proton have rebadged the Geely Jiaji instead?

Also Read: Geely Jiaji scrapped, P1 confirmed no plans to replace Proton Exora - MPVs a diminishing market