Geely passes 100 Australian dealerships and targets 130 as model line-up expands

Century milestone at Mandurah

Geely Australia has officially opened its 100th dealership, with the Mandurah location in Western Australia taking the brand past the century mark less than two years after its factory-backed launch in March 2025. GoAutoNews Premium reports the brand debuted with 22 foundational outlets, a count that doubled before the end of 2025. Geely Australia managing director Alex Gu said reaching 100 dealerships was 'a significant milestone' and 'a reflection of the incredible momentum behind the brand', thanking dealer partners for building the marque locally. ³

The expansion has been matched by sales momentum. According to GoAutoNews Premium, Geely delivered 23,632 vehicles year-to-date as of the end of September 2026, a 639.2 per cent increase on last year, and broke into the national top 10 for the month with 4473 sales. The EX5 led volumes on 12,745 deliveries, followed by the Starray EM-i on 7923 and the EX2 on 2964. ³

Target of 130 dealers, with rural growth to follow

The network is set to keep growing quickly. GoAuto reports that Geely's director of product planning and marketing, Andrew Tuitahi, said: 'the target is for the next three to six months to stretch (the network) out to about 130 dealers. Based on the way we've been going and the dealer partners we've been talking to, I think that will be closer to three than six.' CarExpert separately reported the 130-dealer plan within six months, including a focus on regional and rural areas. ¹²

Tuitahi told GoAuto that rural and provincial growth 'will come with time', tied to products more suited to those markets. The Battleship 700 plug-in hybrid off-roader, along with other pipeline models, is expected to aid that push, though the local nameplate could change from its Chinese-market identity. ¹

The strategy mirrors moves by rival Chinese brands. GoAutoNews Premium notes BYD, which launched in Australia in 2022, currently has 120 dealerships and expects 200 by mid-2027, while Chery's sub-brand Lepas is launching with 30 dealerships and GWM published 123 dealerships in January. GoAuto also reports GAC executives linked SUV and ute introductions to a similar rural and provincial expansion earlier this year. ³¹

Confirmed 2027 arrivals: Monjaro, Emgrand L and Battleship 700

Geely Auto Australia has confirmed three models for 2027, as GoAuto reported in September: the Monjaro EM-i SUV and Emgrand L EM-i sedan in the first half of 2027, followed by the Battleship 700 plug-in hybrid off-roader in the second half. All three were recently previewed at the Everything Electric show in Sydney. Three further 2027 arrivals remain to be detailed. ⁴¹

GoAuto details the Monjaro EM-i as a five-seat SUV of roughly 4.8 metres positioned above the Starray, using a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors and a battery of up to 40kWh. Geely claims up to 170km of electric-only driving and as much as 1137km of combined range under WLTP, with Australian outputs and consumption subject to final homologation. Its confirmation settles an earlier question, with GoAuto having reported in May that a plugless i-HEV hybrid was being assessed before the local operation chose the longer-range EM-i plug-in hybrid. ⁴

The Emgrand L EM-i will be Geely's first sedan under the factory-backed operation, targeting models such as the BYD Seal 6 and Toyota Camry. GoAuto reports Australian cars will use an 18.4kWh battery with more than 80km of claimed WLTP electric range and more than 1000km combined, with system output exceeding 180kW; Australian specification and pricing are unconfirmed. The Battleship 700, in its flagship overseas configuration, combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with three electric motors for a claimed 830kW, though Geely Australia says its proposed version will offer up to around 170km of pure-electric driving with final local drivetrain specifications to be confirmed closer to launch. ⁴

Beyond the confirmed trio: SUVs, utes and small cars flagged

The pipeline may be larger than the six models previously flagged. GoAuto reports Tuitahi said: 'we've got five or six cars over the next 12 months. Can probably throw a few more in if we extend that out to 18 months', adding that 'a couple of cars' will arrive between the Monjaro and Emgrand L launches in the first half of 2027 and the Battleship 700 in the second half. He described the rollout as 'a curated pace', giving dealers and salespeople time to learn each product. ¹

Tuitahi identified small SUVs, larger SUVs and utes as segments Geely does not currently cover. GoAuto reports he pointed to something 'similar size to a Corolla Cross or a Kona' and larger SUVs akin to a Toyota Kluger or Hyundai Santa Fe, while saying of utes: 'Pick-up truck is a big gap, and again, can't speak to that right now.' CarExpert noted he indicated the same segments in separate remarks. ¹²

GoAuto's own analysis suggests candidates: the Galaxy M9, displayed at the Melbourne Motor Show with six seats and a 1.5-litre turbo plug-in hybrid, as a possible three-row contender; the Icon, Cowboy and Coolray as Corolla Cross-sized options; and an electrified ute from Geely sub-brand Riddara previously reported by GoAuto. On MPVs, Tuitahi told GoAuto there was 'Nothing we can confirm today' but said the brand is 'looking at everything'. No future models beyond the plug-in hybrid trio have been officially confirmed for Australia. ¹

No local suspension tuning, but OTA responsiveness

Geely has ruled out following Hyundai, Kia or GWM in reworking its models for local driving tastes. CarExpert reports Tuitahi, who previously led Hyundai Australia's local ride and handling program, said 'Not at this stage' when asked about reworking models for Australian conditions, pointing instead to engineering know-how across Geely Holding Group, including Volvo's safety expertise and Lotus's ride and handling dynamics. He said group engineering excellence could be deployed here and elsewhere 'to deliver a product that will perform well in Australia and wouldn't need to be done by us alone on-ground in full'. ²

The brand has moved quickly on software, however. CarExpert notes Geely introduced over-the-air updates earlier in 2026 to improve the liveability of its driver assist features, letting customers save preset favourites that activate each time the car restarts rather than navigating menu screens. Tuitahi said the brand remains committed to getting research and development right on spec, tech and suitability for local conditions. ²

The current range now includes the Starray EM-i Inspire AWD, launched this month. CarExpert reports the all-wheel drive variant undercuts big-name plug-in hybrid SUV rivals in its class by tens of thousands of dollars, while Geely's three models have kept the brand in the top 10 for new vehicle registrations in both August and September, the latter up 870.3 per cent on September 2025. ²⁴