The Geely Haoyue recently made its public debut but the all-new 7-seater SUV will only go on sale in China sometime in June 2020.

There will be 2 seating configurations of the Haoyue available – a 5-seater and a 7-seater with a 2+3+2 seating arrangement. The Haoyue is a big SUV, but according to Geely, their new SUV will comfortably accommodate a 190 cm tall adult in the 3rd-row seats – now that’s massive.

This was achieved by clever interior packaging as the Haoyue boasts an interior space utilisation rate of 69% - which is 6% more than the industry average.

Middle row passengers have up to 1 metre of legroom while the third-row seats can accommodate up to 190 cm tall adults. This makes the Haoyue a true 7-seater SUV, not just a 5+2. If what Geely claims about the interior space is true, the Haoyue would then be a much more comfortable place to be in than the Jiaji MPV.

But why did Geely spent all that effort in interior packaging when the average male height in China is 171 cm?

For starters, the Chinese loves their cars to be as spacious as they can possibly be. Which is why you will see long-wheelbase specials in China that you do not see anywhere else. The Haoyue’s spacious seating will be a strong selling point to their domestic market.

Besides that, all modern Geely cars are designed to be global products – meaning it is made with the intention to be sold in various markets. In Europe where the average male and female height is taller than China, the Haoyue’s dimensions would be attractive to them.

On the topic, whether the Haoyue will be destined for Malaysia as a Proton model, there are no immediate plans at this juncture. A Geely personnel has highlighted that in the Proton-Geely agreement, Proton has secured intellectual property for three Geely models – Geely Boyue (Proton X70), Geely Binyue (Proton X50) and Geely Jiaji (Proton MPV).

In China, the Geely Haoyue is available with 2 engine options – a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder turbo (184 PS/300 Nm) and a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo (177 PS/255 Nm). Chinese media estimates the Haoyue to be priced from RMB 150k (RM 92k).