Yes, and you bet. Geely first debuted its EM-i badge in the EX5—another promising hybrid in its own right—and now the brand has added to this plug-in hybrid portfolio.
The Geely Monjaro looks promising? Why so?PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
First of all, the price tag. The Geely Monjaro EM-i stickers for P1.868 million, and it even comes with deals and discounts at launch. While that’s a heftier price tag than those of the BYD Sealion 6 and Ford Territory Hybrid, this SUV’s big and loaded enough to rival even the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
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PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
The Monjaro is priced like a compact crossover, but it’s as big as a midsize, measuring 4,800mm long, 1,895mm wide, and 1,700mm tall. With only five seats inside, it makes for a very spacious cabin. There’s a sheer abundance of legroom in both the first and second rows.
So...is it difficult to drive?PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
As far as big, burly SUVs go, not at all. The steering is very light, visibility is decent from behind the wheel, and there are plenty of driver aids available. For example, there’s a panoramic-view camera at the ready for maneuvering tight spaces.
You did say it’s loaded with features.PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
It is. Apart from that camera, a full suite of advanced driver-assist systems is available in the Geely Monjaro. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist—the works.
The cabin is also treated to a massive 15.4-inch infotainment system with a 16-speaker Flyme audio setup. There’s also a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a 25.6-inch windshield head-up display for added driver convenience.
That interior does look solid.PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
I didn’t get much seat time, but so far, the interior is my favorite part. As I said, the Geely Monjaro gets legroom and headroom for days. But in addition to that, there’s a plethora of premium materials inside this vehicle.
There’s an abundance of leather all around, with the inclusion of quilted suede on the seats and the side panels. There are wood trims on the doors and the center console. I wouldn’t mind losing the sunroof, but I understand it’s a staple for the more upmarket offerings in this day and age. In any case, the seats are incredibly soft and plush, so they should make long drives comfortable.
Tell us about the powertrain, then.PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
The Monjaro boasts 335hp and 667Nm from its hybrid setup that comprises a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbopetrol with dual electric motors. There’s plenty of power on tap. While the performance of the typical compact or midsize hybrid crossover is nothing to scoff at, I feel there’s way more oomph in this Geely than most of its competitors. I’ll save that conversation for a proper Big Test in the future, though.
As implied, we weren’t able to drive it far, so I won’t be able to comment on fuel and battery consumption just yet. We’ll have to ask for your patience on this one.
Very well. How does it ride?PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
The roads we drove on were mostly rolling hills with virtually no open straights, so I honestly have no idea if this rides any better than its EX5 stablemate. What I do remember from our short drive is that it felt a bit wallowy, especially when cornering. That said, it’s fairly quiet inside the cabin. It will be interesting to see how this strolls through EDSA and cruises along the expressway.
Do you think it’s worth the price tag?PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia
It’s impossible to draw a definitive conclusion, but just by looking at the price tags alone, it’s hard to argue this isn’t excellent value for your money. As I said, it’s a little more expensive than the Sealion 6 and Territory, but it brings more to the table than both of those hybrids. All that while offering more space than pricier hybrids like the RAV4 and CR-V. Promising, indeed.