Following the debut of the Geely Binyue Cool and its new 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine, Geely has fitted this new power unit into the Jiaji, creating the 2022 Geely Jiaji L in the process. The Jiaji L is the second Geely model to get this new engine.

In China, the new 2022 Jiaji L is priced between CNY 119,800 (~RM 78.8k) to CNY 142,800 (~RM 94k). For those keeping track, prices are unchanged compared to the 1.8-litre model. 

Codenamed BHE15-EFZ, this new turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine replaces the Jiaji’s ageing 1.8-litre unit. The new engine is capable of delivering 181 PS at 5,500 rpm and 290 Nm between 2,000 rpm to 3,500 rpm.

Also Read: Closer look at the new 4-cylinder Geely Binyue Cool - the Proton X50 twin we never got

As 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.

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

New engine aside, the 2022 Jiaji L is also 120 mm longer than before, with its total length being 4,826 mm. It is also 1,909 mm wide and 1,695 mm tall. Wheelbase is unchanged at 2,805 mm.

Much of the extra length comes from the reprofiled front and rear bumpers, with the former feature Geely’s latest X-motive design language. The Jiaji L also gets new tail lights with a light bar connecting the two pieces together.

Also Read: Review: Geely Jiaji (Proton V70), the MPV that Proton desperately needs

Stepping inside, much of the cabin has been carried over, though Geely has given the Jiaji L a revised centre console. The shift lever is now positioned towards the left side, freeing up space for a storage location on the centre console.

Elsewhere, there’s also the new Geely Milky Way operating system embedded into the 12.3-inch infotainment system. The driver gets a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, which is unchanged from before.

What about Malaysia?

Don’t hold your breath. A couple of years ago there were talks of Proton introducing the Jiaji as an Exora replacement model, but that is no longer happening. Instead of the Jiaji, we’ll be getting the Haoyue, which could tentatively be called the Proton X90.

Also Read: Proton to launch Geely Jiaji (Proton V70?) in Malaysia in Q4 2022 – supplier claims

In addition to the Proton X90, the Malaysian Tiger is also expected to debut a brand-new sedan based on the Geely Emgrand.

Also Read: Geely Emgrand-based Proton S50 is heavier than City and Vios, Malaysia could debut 1.5 Turbo