By Moses Akaigwe

The Outstanding Design/Technology honour won by Geely Coolray at the recent Nigeria Auto Journalists (NAJA) Awards was the culmination of the critical acclaim the breathtaking compact SUV has been earning since its launch in Nigeria about seven months ago.

It was a day of glory for Geely Nigeria as the Sales Manager for Mikano International (Motors Divison), Ralph Harder, stepped out to receive the award amid loud applause.

Guests at the event could not but wonder how Geely, a relatively young player in the global auto industry, was able to design and build the class-beating Coolray that set a new standard in configurations and technology for global compact SUVs.

How exactly has Geely managed to grow consistently and exponentially in such little time? How has the auto manufacturer managed to produce top-class vehicles like Coolray, and a range of other models that have been rippling their respective segments across the world?

Harder provided the answer in form of a press release containing a brief insight into the background of Geely which has grown from small beginnings to a leading auto manufacturer in the world.

The word ‘Geely’, the document explained, can be translated from Mandarin to mean ‘auspicious’ or ‘lucky’…no doubt the perfect moniker for the company, founded as recently as 1986, and currently taking the global auto scene by storm.

In 2003, Geely’s total production stood at only 76,274 units. By 2005, they had made their debut into the global market with a small stand at the Frankfurt International Automobile Show, just one year after breaking the 100,000 unit annual production barrier.

Comparing that to the company’s current sales volume of over a million units per annum in the last five years, Geely’s growth and success is unquestionable. Within a decade and a half of venturing into the global market, Geely produces cars that compete with models from car makers who have been around for much longer.

For instance, between January and October 2021, Geely had posted an impressive global sales volume of 1, 033, 395, with Coolray alone taking the credit for over 400,000 cumulative sales.

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The key to Geely’s remarkable success can be found in the company’s doggedness and unyielding dedication to innovation and high standards in quality, safety and tech advances. This was further validated by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), when Geelybecame the first Asian automaker to be appointed as a voting member of the organisation earlier on this year.

From being the first independent Chinese car maker to attend an overseas show, Geely went on to form a joint venture with Manganese Bronze, the former owners of the London Taxi Company, to make cars in Shanghai.

Soon after, Geely acquired the London Taxi Company (now LEVC), formed a joint venture partnership with Volvo Autos (taking full ownership in 2010) and became the largest shareholder at Daimler AG (the parent company for Mercedes Benz). With these tactical moves,

Geely’s international outlook and ultimately, sales volumes grew sporadically as their market expanded. Since then, Geely has recorded sales volumes exceeding one million units every year between 2016 and 2021.

Geely’s legacy is not just a tale of great numbers and small beginnings. With 5 R&D centers and five design centres across the globe, innovation in design has become another strong essence of the company. In the past years, Geely has carefully mastered the art of efficiently manufacturing cars that have ranked best in their class in design and aesthetics, without compromising on performance.

The Coolray, Geely’s shining star and fastest selling model, is one of such top performers in the design, technology and performance categories. Asides performing with record-breaking numbers globally, the Coolray has become a real fan’s favorite with its eye-catching design, hi-tech features and the outstanding power and performance of its 1.5L Turbo gasoline engine which was co- developed with Volvo. “an athletic beauty and audacious spirit,” performed remarkably well, with a year-end turn Since Geely’s epic launch in Nigeria, via the exclusive partnership with Mikano International, the brand has done exceptionally well with the introduction of the Emgrand7 sedan, X7 Sport SUV and of course, the Coolray, which has enjoyed immense popularity and continued affinity.

The compact SUV, which is becoming something of a fixture in the entertainment industry, is currently owned by many influential persons across the industry including comedian Sydney Talker, Cubana Chief Priest, afro-fusion musician and ‘Access to the stars’ maiden edition winner, LOVEN, amongst others.

The Mikano Motors Sales Manager disclose that outside the entertainment industry, the Coolray has also been well received and is poised to achieve exceptional numbers in Nigeria as it has globally.

Harder also hinted that to celebrate and show appreciation for the support received so far from the local market, Geely Nigeria is offering attractive price slashes on the well-loaded Coolray and Emgrand 7 models.

“The Nigerian market has warmly welcomed the Geely cars, and we are grateful. Anybody who wants more information on these offers can visit www.geely.ng and be surprised at the generous incentives,” he stated.