Geely auto news

Report: Volvo designer Horbury headed to China with Geely

Bringing a steady-handed designer to lead its styling efforts will help Geely stand apart from its sometimes weirdly penned compatriots. Looking at what the British designer accomplished during his tenure at Volvo, going from iconoclastic boxes to a decidedly curvy design revival in Gothenburg, he's already masterminded what Geely needs to accomplish. The best part is that it's not a loss of design continuity for Volvo, as he'll stay on there, but it's a whole new playground for Mr. Horbury to devise a new design language.

This should be interesting.

Geely channels London's iconic taxi with Englong SC7-RV for Shanghai

Chinese automaker Geely is part owner of Manganese Bronze, which makes the famous black taxi cabs for the UK and Chinese markets. But while a pricey cab makes sense for the UK, a high-dollar cab in China isn't always profitable. For that reason, Geely will introduce the Englong SC7-RV next week at the Shanghai Motor Show.

While the instantly recognizable UK taxi does its job well, it utilizes a platform that is totally unique. By contrast, the Englong SC7-RV will reportedly use a platform from Geely's existing fleet. And since the parts are common and the production will likely occur in China, costs are expected to dip considerably. And if you ask us, the SC7-RV actually manages to look kind of cool. Even better for prospective taxi owners in China, this livery special will likely make it to production.

Gallery: Geely Englong SC7-RV

Report: Volvo moves away from 'premium' image

Volvo should no longer be lumped into the premium category, according to the wishes of CEO Stefan Jacoby. It's not that the cars aren't good, but according to Autocar, Jacoby thinks it sends the wrong message. "It sounds like a pricing strategy, and it's got an expensive ring to it," he tells the UK pub. Having recently come to Volvo from a tenure as CEO of Volkswagen's American operation, Jacoby has no illusions about where his new brand sits. This latest statement dovetails with an earlier assertion of his that it's too early for Volvo to consider gunning for the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S-Class, directly contradicting Li Shufu, chairman of new owner Geely.

Rather than put on airs, Jacoby wants Volvo to emphasize its unique Swedishness to stand apart from the herd. Going after the territory well-covered by the German juggernauts hasn't set Volvo's sales off in search of the 800,000 units per year Jacoby wants to be shifting come 2020, which lends a certain credence to the new strategy.

Yes or No? Jacoby reportedly says Volvo isn't ready for a 7 Series rival

Just days after Geely purchased Volvo from Ford, the Chinese automaker's chairman, Li Shufu, proclaimed that the Swedish automaker needed a 7 Series fighter. Shufu's idea makes a lot of sense, at least in the large car-loving China market, where Volvo leadership wants to push a lot more metal. But when Shufu stated that Volvo needed to go big, he admitted that he needed to sell the idea to the company's new board. According to Autocar there is at least one very important vote that doesn't like the idea - at least not yet.

New Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby reportedly called the idea of a Volvo that can go toe to toe with a Mercedes-Benz S-Class "a step too early." The British site claims that Jacoby prefers to hold off on going further upscale until after Volvo reaches its goal of 800,000 sales per year within the next five years.

So who's right here? Shufu undoubtedly knows the China market very well, and he's thinking that the key to China's collective heart comes in the form of a sedan with a lot of rear leg room. Jacoby, on the other hand, is taking a more pragmatic approach; use the company's funds to spur overall growth and then look upmarket once the company reaches its volume goals. Add in the fact that Jacoby already experienced first-hand how tough it can be to bring a new large luxury vehicle to market (Volkswagen Phaeton, anyone?), and we can see why the new Volvo CEO is preferring to play it slow.