A few months after its Panda Mini, the Chinese manufacturer Geometry (Geely), lifts the veil on a new, more adventurous version. Called Panda Knight, the latter takes the form of a small electric SUV with a very cute style.
As specialists feared, Chinese cars are invading the whole world, while the country has become the largest exporter ahead of Japan and Germany. This is how brands like MG, Nio, BYD and even Xpeng are in the process of conquering our market, to the chagrin of Brussels.
A cute little SUV
But other still unknown manufacturers could also end up coming to us over the next few years. This is for example the case of Geometry, which you may have already heard of by reading the Survoltés columns. This Chinese brand is part of the Geely group, like Volvo, Lynk & Co and Lotus, among others. It was created in 2019 and has already unveiled several models.
Among them, the electric SUV known as the Geometry C and rivaling the Tesla Model Y. A few weeks later, last December, the firm also lifted the veil on an adorable city car, the Panda Mini, which competes with the Hongguang MINI EV and other Dacia Spring, with a very affordable price. And now she has a little sister!
This is the new Panda Knight, which this time takes the form of an adorable little electric SUV. This variant is distinguished by plastic body protections on the flanks and by more prominent front and rear bumpers. Something to remind us of another car of the same style and still unknown in Europe, the Baojun Yueye presented a little earlier in the year.
Available in three body colors and equipped with a small ladder and roof bars, this newcomer to the catalog has dimensions similar to the Panda Mini. The Chinese site It Home announcement indeed a length of 3.14 meters for 1.57 meters wide and 1.66 meters high.
A little weak autonomy
Of course, you shouldn’t expect incredible roominess aboard this Panda Knight, which displays a wheelbase of 2.02 meters only. The trunk has a volume of 800 liters when the rear seats are folded down, which can accommodate up to four large suitcases. The driving position is taken from the city car and is fairly classic.
It is, however, equipped witha 9.2-inch digital handset, combined with an 8-inch touchscreen. However, it is not specified whether the latter is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is unlikely for China. Note that the electric SUV is equipped with keyless opening via the smartphone, although it will be necessary to wait before knowing the detailed standard equipment.
If all the technical information has not yet been communicated about this new Panda Knight, it should logically include those of its big sister. The power is announced at 30 kW, or 40.7 horsepower for a maximum torque of 110 Nm. The battery should display a maximum capacity of 17.03 kW, then offering a range of up to 200 kilometers according to the Chinese CLTC cycle. which should give about 170 kilometers in WLTP.
The Dacia Spring can travel up to 230 kilometers with its 27.4 kWh capacity. The Chinese SUV is able to cash in up to 22 kW fast charging, which allows him to recharge his battery from 30 to 80% in half an hour. Note that two driving modes are offered and three levels of regeneration. It remains to be seen whether the Knight will ever arrive in Europe, while its price could be higher than the 53,900 yuan, or 7,400 euros requested for the Panda Mini.
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