In December 2017, if not a significant, then at least an important event took place: the appearance on the Russian market of the first crossover from Geely, assembled in Belarus, and more specifically - at the BelJi plant near Borisov. It is noteworthy that the Belarusian enterprise will only be assembling a new Geely Atlas (photo below), the assemblies and components of which are made directly in the car’s home country - in China.
Photo: New Geely Atlas 2018
Geely Atlas 2018 (photo below), despite the well-known relationship with Volvo (namely, from him, Gili took the platform, which he successfully uses in all his own modern crossover models), has nothing to do with the same-name line from the Swedish auto giant: Chinese crossover - more compact, maneuverable and, oddly enough, more like a "European". For the latter, we should thank the British designer P. Horbury, hired to develop the new Atlas, who managed to fully transfer it to the western direction while maintaining the driving characteristics and initial ergonomics of the car. Now the crossover, at least outwardly, is no different from fellows from France, Spain or Germany, which means it has a much better chance of successful implementation in Europe. As follows from the official statements of the manufacturer, the release date of Geely Atlas on the European market in quantities comparable to those supplied to the domestic consumer is scheduled for 2019. For the remaining time, the Chinese will have, despite the successes already achieved, to significantly refine the technical component of the car in order to bring it under European standards.
Of course, we are already talking about the new generation of Gili Atlas, who, regardless of the place of assembly, will also be in Russia - but in the future. In the meantime, the Atlas model 2018 (photo below) is available to the domestic car enthusiast - and I must say, this is far from the worst option, especially when compared with other Chinese crossovers that have a less attractive appearance and an incomparably less ergonomic interior.
