By Moses Akaigwe
After weeks of intense suspense and teasers that fuelled expectations in the auto market, Mikano Motors Division has finally taken the veil off the new Geely Azkarra; a luxury crossover SUV described as “a gamechanger” on a mission to alter the status quo in its segment.
And what a standing ovation welcomed the new kid on the block when it was introduced to a select audience of auto enthusiasts and journalists at the Geely showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos, as a masterpiece of technical expertise!
The General Manager of Mikano Motors Division, Mr. Ralph Haidar, who ushered in the new Azkarra, said it as an SUV richly endowed with unique selling points that include: exceptional luxury; power without compromising fuel efficiency; cutting-edge technology; alluring exterior design; and an impressive interior plan execution finished up with class-beating materials.
The luxury C-segment SUV is being offered in two variants in the Nigerian market; namely the Azkarra Platinum Pro and the Azkarra Titanium.
A foretaste of the ripples the SUV is set to create in the local market lies in fact that in less than one month after it arrived the Nigerian market, and well ahead of the official launch, Geely Azkarra has sold over 100 units through confirmed orders, thanks to a pre-sale offer made on the vehicle.
This has emboldened Geely to target a total of about 500 unit sales this year.
Some units of the new SUV were subjected to a long test-drive, from the Geely showroom on Odeola Odeku street in Victoria Island, Lagos, to Mikano’s Karameh City industrial complex in Ogun state {on the outskirts of Lagos} – which is home to Geely Nigeria’s modern auto plant where a couple of the vehicles in the brand’s line-up is assembled.
The drive to Karameh City afforded some of the participants the opportunity to test the luxury SUV’s off-road capabilities.
During the unveiling, Haidar, who was with the Group Marketing Manager, Mikano International Limited, Mr. Romeo Moussallem; Mikano/Geely Marketing Manager, Karima Okunola; and showroom Manager, Grace Anasiudu, among other members of the marketing team, provided more information on new Geey Azkarra:
Game Changer
The Mikano Motors General Manager explained that the new Geely Azkarra has earned the “game-changer” tag, because it is driving into the Nigerian market with a huge advantage of being endowed with selling points discerning car buyers always look out for, some of which the competitors lack.
He said that the new vehicle is a customer-focused, lifestyle SUV.
Moreover, Haider remarked, the Azkarra is the latest Geely offering to benefit from technological collaboration to maximise the strengths of the Chinese brand {Geely} and Volvo in developing engines, powertrains, joint procurement, and after-sales.
Boosting these gains in automotive technology by Geely is the added fact that it uses the same globally reputable original equipment suppliers {for hardware and software} as European, American, Japanese and Korean auto makers. Again, the new Azkarra is a beneficiary of their latest technologies.
The long list of the suppliers that contributes some of the hardware and software that make Azkarra tick include Bosch, Continental, Valeo, Autoliv, Sachs and General Electric,
The vehicle’s suspension system from Borg- Warner offers a great shock absorption effect for the enhanced comfort of the occupants.
Exterior design
An alluring silhouette is one of Geely Azkarra’s strongest points: The intelligent new Geely makes a mature and elegant statement with bold, distinguished lines on the exterior The front fascia has a striking look with a raised hood and the pronounced Expanding Cosmos grille. The unmistakable and very visible grille is flanked by accentuated deep-set intelligent LED headlamps.
Interior ambience
The elegant statement of the exterior continues in the well planned interior. The spacious interior boasts of the finest Italian Nappa leather on the Platinum Pro trim. The leather seats are specially crafted to provide muscular support to the waist, shoulders and thighs of driver and passengers alike, making for an incredibly comfortable ride.
Just like the other cars in the Geely lineup, the noise and vibration from the Azkarra is virtually non-existent due to the high- quality sound insulation materials that shield the car from external noise, keeping the cabin a sanctuary for peace and isolation even when cruising at high speeds.
Describe the cockpit as a sensory playground, and you won’t be wrong! The aforementioned 42 different colour choices of ambient lighting, the biggest skylight panoramic sunroof in its segment, and the mirror link feature that allows the user to replicate his phone screen on to the large 12.3 inch infotainment panel tell the rest of the story.
Engine
The engine of both Azkarra Pro Platinum and Azkarra Titanium, transmission, platform and suspension, were developed in conjunction with Volvo where Geely is a majority stakeholder. In addition, the Platinum Pro features a unique 48V EMS (Electric Motor Synergy) Mild Hybrid technology which generates 200 horsepower and 300 nm {Newton metres} of torque.
The engine technology ensures an incredibly smooth handling of the car, intuitively combining an electrical configuration with the conventional fuel system to power the turbo- charged engine. This also means that this car offers up to 15 percent improved fuel efficiency.
Salient features
Haidar re-emphasised that considering the host of luxury features Geely Azkarra flaunts that distinguish it from its peers, it has indeed earned the sobriquet “Gamechanger.”
They include: Mild hybrid engine, transmission, platform, and suspension co-developed with Volvo; smart electronic tailgate; HD 360 degree camera; and mirror link technology {mirroring your smartphone screen onto the Azkarra’s infotainment system}.
It also has a 12.3-inch HD smart touchscreen {the biggest in its segment}; over 42 colours of ambient light; Seven-inch LCD instrument cluster {the only one in its segment with three different interfaces for different drive modes; wireless charging for phones; and skylight panoramic sunroof which is the biggest in its class.
Safety
Geely Azkarra is brimful of active and passive safety, but the ultimate confirmation of safety ideation in the five-star NCAP {the European New Car Assessment Programme} rating that is to its credit.
Active safety features include dual front, as well as side and curtain airbags; anti-lock braking system [ABS|; electronic breakforce distribution {EBD}; brake assist system {BA}; electronic stability control {ESC}; traction control system {TCS}; cruise control +speed limiter; hill descent control {HDC}; as well as front and rear parking assist system.
There are also a long list of passive safety provisions, like ISOFIX child assist seat, and collision safety {that cuts off fuel supply}.
After-sales support/Warranty
Perhaps, the real game-changing selling point is the warranty support of five years or 150, 000 kilometres {whichever comes first}.
The warranty reinforces Haidar’s assurance that the Mikano nationwide sales and after-sales network with major service/maintenance centres with adequate replacement parts availability and trained personnel, will be brought to bear on the new Azkarra and other Geely vehicles. Some of the branches are located in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Ibadan.
Limited offer
One of the highpoints of the luxury Geely Azkarra SUV unveiling was the announcement by the Ralph Haidar of a limited-time launch offer of the flagship Geely at a price starting from N17.3 million, with the additional perks from the pre-sale promo as throw-in.
This limited-time launch offer, the General Manager explained, was to celebrate the success of the pre-sale promo, which yielded over 100 units of Azkarra sales within a short time.