This could be Geely's great leap forward

Imagine a fairly large family sedan with a 1.8-litre engine, airbags, electric windows and mirrors, pleasant styling, a big boot, aircon, a sound system and a five-year/100000km warranty.

Then imagine that it costs R149900. That's the new Geely Emgrand EC7, a Chinese vehicle with the potential to change the way South Africans see cars from that part of the world.

Geely has been tapping at the door of SA's car markets for some time and the Emgrand EC7 could be the model that turns a trickle into a steady stream - and one day, perhaps, a deluge.

Henri Meistre, MD of Geely SA, confided that he would like Geely to provide South Africans with a car like the old Toyota Camry - well-priced, reliable and spacious.

The Emgrand EC7, he points out, has a huge price advantage over its C-class rivals. He hopes that, as people feel the discomfort of the economic slowdown, more and more of them will sense the good value in a car like the Emgrand EC7.

What is it?

The Emgrand is loosely described as Geely's luxury brand, in the same way as Lexus represents Toyota's focus on a luxury market. But, of course, Geely goes nowhere near Lexus prices. The GL Luxury version - the one I drove in the southern Cape last week - costs just under R150000 and, for an extra R15000, you get the GT Executive, which adds electric glass sunroof, electrically adjustable driver's seat, traction control, and extra airbags. Both models have the same 1.8-litre motor and five-speed manual gearbox. An auto is in the pipeline.

How does it look?

Surprisingly good. (Those two words crop up often in describing this car.) Overall, the styling is conservative but smart.

What's it like to drive?

Again, surprisingly good. It's not a performance car but the quietly respectable motor easily rushes to speeds well above 120km/h and has enough punch to make overtaking fairly easy.

Any special features?

Apart from the nice-to-haves already mentioned, the Emgrand has won four out of five stars in the EuroNCAP safety awards. You can get a satnav/reversing camera system for about R8500.

Buyers can add a four-year/120000 service plan for R14665, or shorter periods for less money. Standard features include disc brakes all round, with anti-lock braking and electronic brake distribution and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Should you buy one?

In the mid-1990s the Hyundai Elantra was in the same sort of position as the Emgrand EC7 is now. Many said it was a bad buy and had no future. I bought one and was not sorry. Everyone knows how Hyundai stands now and Geely are following in their footsteps.

Do you jump in and get ahead of what might turn out to be a mini-stampede of buyers? Or do you play it safe and wait and see?

The prices are bound to go up fairly soon but Geely is doing an awful lot of things right, including acquiring the services of acclaimed designer Peter Horbury, along with Geely's takeover of Volvo. The Emgrand EC7, compared to the little cheapie Geelys we have seen so far, is indeed a great leap forward.

What Geely China needs to recognise, is the potential the EC7 has to be a breakthrough car in South Africa and to make a significant effort to boost the brand here. In South Africa it could even lose a few of the nice-to-haves, drop the price further and watch the customers flock in.

The Specs:

GEELY EMGRAND EC7

Engine: 1.8-litre DOHC four-cylinder petrol

Power: 102kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 172Nm at 4200rpm

Top speed: 185km/h (claimed)

0-100km/h: 10.5 seconds (claimed)

Fuel consumption: 7.6 litres/100km (claimed)

Pricing: R149990 for GL Luxury; R164990 for GT Executive

We like:

Stunning price, especially for GL Luxury

Comfortable, spacious cabin and quiet engine

Refreshing looks

We don't like:

Some small details

Geely still a minor brand in SA