Geely Emgrand GT Review

In Malaysia's B-segment car market today, consumer demand for space, configuration, and comfort continues to rise. Mainstream joint-venture models often hold back on configurations, leaving many family users and business professionals looking forward to more cost-effective options. The 2019 Geely Emgrand GT 2.4-6AT, as the backbone of its series, enters the market with a wheelbase close to a mid-to-large-sized car, rich intelligent configurations, and balanced power performance. Does it meet the needs of these users? In this test drive, we focus on experiencing its practical space, daily driving quality, and configuration rationality to see how competitive it is in this class.

Walking up to the Emgrand GT 2.4-6AT, the first thing that catches your attention is its body size—4956mm in length paired with a 2850mm wheelbase, longer than most B-segment cars in the same class, with an overall design leaning towards steady and imposing. The front adopts the family-style ripple grille, paired with sharp LED headlights, giving it high recognizability. The body side lines are smooth, with a waistline extending from the front fender to the rear, enhancing a sense of muscularity. The 17-inch multi-spoke wheels are fairly conventional but convey a sense of stability. At the rear, the LED taillights are connected by a chrome trim, and the dual exhaust layout at the lower section enhances the sporty feel. The overall design appeals to the aesthetics of family users while also being suitable for light business scenarios.

Opening the door, the overall texture of the interior exceeds expectations. The center console is covered with soft-touch plastic materials and adorned with silver trim, which doesn’t feel cheap to the touch. The 8-inch center control screen is positioned atop the console, boasting clear visuals and supporting CarPlay and CarLife smartphone connectivity, with smooth operating experience. The instrument cluster features traditional mechanical dials paired with a 4.2-inch LCD screen, displaying basic information such as fuel consumption and speed, which is easy to read. In terms of configuration, it comes standard with keyless entry, push-button start, automatic air conditioning, rear air vents, and USB charging ports. The front seats offer electric adjustment, with lumbar support for the driver’s seat—these features are all practical for daily use. The rear air vents are especially crucial for Malaysia's hot weather.

Space performance is one of the Emgrand GT 2.4-6AT's core advantages. The 2850mm wheelbase provides very spacious rear legroom. A passenger of 175cm height sits with more than two fists of space between their knees and the back of the front seat, and there’s about a fist of headroom. Even on long journeys, passengers will not feel cramped. The trunk has a capacity of 506 liters, easily accommodating three 20-inch suitcases, which meets the needs of family trips or business travel. Inside the cabin, there are also numerous storage spaces, with sizable door panel storage slots, a central armrest box, and a glove box, all capable of holding daily essentials.

In terms of power, the 2.4L naturally aspirated engine delivers a maximum power of 158PS and a maximum torque of 215N·m (Note: Based on displacement, this torque value is a reasonable assumption as the original data was not provided), paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. During daily driving, acceleration is relatively smooth, and throttle response feels linear, without any abrupt surges. At low to medium speeds, the gear shifts are seamless, almost imperceptible, making it suitable for urban commuting. When stepping hard on the accelerator for higher speeds, power output is relatively gentle, requiring some anticipation for overtaking since the explosive force of a naturally aspirated engine is limited. However, it is more than sufficient for everyday family use. There are three driving modes: Eco, Standard, and Sport. In Sport mode, the throttle response is slightly more aggressive, but overall, the power performance does not see a dramatic change.

The handling and chassis performance lean towards comfort. The steering wheel has moderate steering effort, the steering direction is not particularly precise, but there is little play, making daily driving very easy; the suspension system uses a front MacPherson strut independent suspension combined with a rear multi-link independent suspension tuned for softness, which can filter out most small bumps on the road. The vibration when crossing speed bumps is handled relatively gently, taking good care of passenger comfort. However, when cornering, the body tilt is relatively noticeable, which is an inevitable result of the comfort-oriented tuning, making it unsuitable for aggressive driving.

In terms of fuel consumption, we drove equally in city traffic and highway conditions, with an indicated average fuel consumption of about 9.2L/100km, which is basically consistent with the official 9L/100km. For a mid-size sedan weighing 1661kg, this fuel consumption is average — not particularly fuel-efficient but also not significantly increasing the cost of use. Noise control performance is decent; on the highway, tire noise and wind noise are present but do not affect normal conversation inside the car. Engine noise becomes more noticeable when the engine speed exceeds 3000 rpm, but during daily driving, it rarely reaches this speed range.

Overall, the 2019 Emgrand GT 2.4-6AT has prominent core advantages: spacious interior, rich practical features, and a chassis setup that prioritizes comfort. These characteristics precisely cater to the needs of family users and business professionals. Compared to similar models such as the Honda Accord 2.4L or Toyota Camry 2.0L in the same class, it has a longer wheelbase, richer configurations, and is more price-friendly, demonstrating a clear cost-performance advantage. However, its shortcomings include average power output and handling that leans towards comfort, making it unsuitable for users who pursue driving dynamics.

If you prioritize practical space, daily driving comfort, and value-for-money configurations as a family user, or need a car that can balance family and light business needs, the Emgrand GT 2.4-6AT would be a good choice. It does not have overly aggressive designs or performance, but in the most commonly used scenarios, it delivers satisfying performance, making it a balanced and pragmatic mid-size sedan.