Chinese automakers are very willing to explore the Russian market, regularly offering their latest new products. So Geely, following the sedan, officially announced the start of sales of the Emgrand EC7 hatchback model. In terms of its content, the novelty is "the same sedan", but received the fifth door and minor modifications, which should help this model as a whole become more popular among Russian buyers.
A clear similarity with the sedan, on the basis of which the new hatchback Emgrand EC7 was created, is already visible in the appearance of the car.
The body retained its usual shape, becoming only slightly rounder, and also received new optics and bumpers. The rest of the successful contours that Chinese buyers of the sedan liked, migrated to the Geely Emgrand EC7 RV hatchback. Of course, it is impossible to call the design super successful, but the novelty is quite modern, has some rudiments of its own style and insignificant sportiness, which young buyers will surely appreciate.
The length of the five-door is 4397 mm, the width is 1789 mm, and the height does not exceed 1470 mm, while the hatchback's ground clearance is 167 mm. The wheelbase of the car is 2650 mm, and the minimum turning radius is 5.25 meters. The volume of the fuel tank of the EC7 RV is 50 liters, but how long a full refueling will last, unfortunately, is still difficult to say, since the manufacturer is in no hurry to disclose fuel consumption figures. As for the weight of the car, its curb weight is 1341 kg.
The designers tried to make the interior of the hatchback in the European style, but it still has the notes of a budget Chinese car. Everything was done soundly, neatly, without obvious distortions, large cracks and creaks when touched. But, despite this, the interior decoration does not shine with sophistication and originality. The interior is too simple and even a little conservative. The only thing that stands out is the dashboard, made more modern, informative and with high-quality LED-backlighting. The installed seats are comfortable, comfortable and will not allow you to get tired during long journeys. There is quite enough free space in the cabin, there was even a place for several pockets for a phone or various small things, as well as for a cup holder in the back. As for the trunk, its capacity is 390 liters, which is not a little, but not a lot.
If we talk about technical characteristics, then for the Geely Emgrand EC7 RV hatchback sold in Russia, only one, but top-end engine is offered. It is a 16-valve, 4-cylinder, 127 hp petrol unit. The displacement of the engine used is 1.8 liters (1792 cm3), and the maximum torque reaches 162 Nm at 4250 rpm. Experts from several European companies helped the Chinese engineers in the development of this power unit, which made it possible to achieve good environmental performance that meet the requirements of the Euro-4 standard. The engine has an aluminum block, two overhead camshafts and is equipped with a complex of electronic systems that optimize fuel consumption. This unit will be completed with a mechanical five-speed gearbox or a continuously variable variator.
The EC7RV hatchback is a front-wheel drive car, and there is no way to make it all-wheel drive even as an option. The driving characteristics, according to the manufacturer, should please Russian buyers, since the car behaves well on bad roads, does not make much noise and provides a smooth ride, as well as good maneuverability thanks to the rack and pinion steering gear with hydraulic booster. The front suspension of the novelty is completely independent and is based on the McPherson struts, at the rear the manufacturer preferred to use a semi-independent suspension. A disc braking system is installed on all wheels, to the aid of which two modern safety systems are added: ABS and EBD.
In Russia, Emgrand EC7 RV is available only in the maximum "Luxury" configuration, the price of which starts at 609,000 rubles (at the end of 2016). Simpler and cheaper configurations should appear later, but the manufacturer has not yet named the exact dates. Such a strange policy of promoting a new car on the Russian market may turn out to be a disadvantage, seriously affecting the sales of the hatchback. However, in such a high price for a Chinese car, the manufacturer has put the maximum possible: leather interior, electric and heated side mirrors, an electrically adjustable driver's seat, climate control, a powerful audio system with a touchscreen display and six speakers, fog lights, parking sensors, a sunroof with electric drive, light-alloy wheels, spare wheel, additional 12 V socket, immobilizer, central locking, alarm system, power windows for all doors with remote control and hands free Bluetooth system. The safety of the Emgrand EC7 hatchback, which received four stars according to the ENCAP test results, is also at a high level. It is based on side airbags in the doors, front and side airbags in the front, front and rear curtain airbags. In addition, the car is equipped with three-point seat belts with height adjustment and pretensioners, a child lock system and an ISOFIX child seat mount.
