Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Chinese carmakers have taken great strides to improve their reputation and appear to be delivering dream machines matching, if not far exceeding, the quality of their more established traditional competitors.
Geely is one leading example of what it takes to change public perception, and after taking out the 2017 Emgrand X7 Sport for a road test, I challenge anybody to do the same and label this model as a ‘budget’ alternative to a leading brand.
This is a fine piece of engineering, with a sleek chassis that has both family friendly curves and sporty edges for the favoured faster look. There are no shortcomings here, with high quality materials the order of the day.
This translates to the interior too, and no more so than the finely-stitched leather seats. Having pulled my back during a particularly competitive game of squash with my friends the night before, a comfortable chair to settle into was exactly what I needed.
Aside from this, wood panelling on the doors and metal dashboard buttons create a feeling of luxury, as does the keyless entry and ignition, and the automatic handbrake. The vehicle is extremely large, one of those behemoths on the road that you feel particularly safe in should something untoward happen.
However, despite looking like it would handle like a whale, the X7 is surprisingly smooth. It has a small turning circle, perfect for the tight streets of Hoora around the GulfWeekly offices, and has good traction around corners.
The steering has some give in it, which I always prefer to those loose vehicles which you can drive with your little finger. The 2.4L, four-cylinder engine doesn’t pull up any trees, but it’s enough to get the beast purring and moving along.
The six-speed transmission runs smoothly, especially when you slip the car into Sport Mode (Eco is also available for the more greeninclined), and you can use stick shift if you want a more authentic experience.
Driving the car is only half of the event these days with the amount of infotainment features available in the modern vehicle, and the X7 is no different. I must have spent a good half-an-hour in the Tubli showroom’s car park having a fiddle with the various options, which included plotting a course to the office with the navigation system, plugging my iPod into the music system with my USB, then adjusting the wide variety of sound options to get the best out of the beefy speakers.
Using the touch screen, which also features Bluetooth, AUX, AM/FM radio and incar call networking, I chose some Bob Dylan to entertain me as I sat in a typical Bahrain traffic queue on the way to Manama.
This even got me a nod of approval from Editor Stan when I picked him up for a short spin … the first time we’ve agreed on music taste as his propensity for playing his collection of Drifters classics usually brings groans and eye rolls from the rest of the office.
Overall, the Emgrand X7 Sport is a fine SUV indeed, and should go a long way to enhance the reputation of the marque and the Chinese automotive industry as a whole. And the price is always right. At BD6,400 you get a lot for your money. Get giddy about Geely!
For more information, visit the K E Kanoo Geely showroom in Tubli or call 17680110.
