Geely has rolled out a new seven-seat version of the Haoyue L, sold outside China as the Okawango, and the pitch is simple: more seats, familiar hardware, and a price that undercuts a lot of rivals before discounts even enter the chat. The new Happy trim starts at 103.4 thousand yuan, or 1.1 million rubles, and can fall to 76.9 thousand yuan, or 830 thousand rubles, with trade-in programs and special offers.
That makes the Geely Okawango an obvious family-hauler play in a segment where space and value still sell better than marketing slogans. Geely is also leaning on the kind of equipment buyers now expect as standard, not premium: digital instruments, a large infotainment screen, and driver-assist features that used to be reserved for pricier SUVs.
Seven seats, larger body, same front-wheel-drive layout
The model measures 4,865 mm long, 1,910 mm wide, and 1,770 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,825 mm. The headline change is the cabin layout: the new version swaps the five-seat setup for three rows and seven places, which is the whole point of the exercise.
That puts it squarely in competition with other value-focused midsize SUVs that try to win families on packaging rather than badge prestige. In this class, the extra row often matters more than peak horsepower, at least until the third-row passengers complain.
Engines for the Geely Okawango Happy version
Geely is offering two turbocharged petrol engines. The base 1.5-liter unit produces 181 hp and 290 Nm, while the stronger 2.0-liter version delivers 218 hp and 325 Nm.
- 1.5-liter turbo: 181 hp, 290 Nm
- 2.0-liter turbo: 218 hp, 325 Nm
- Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
- Drivetrain: front-wheel drive
Both engines are paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and front-wheel drive, which is pretty much the standard recipe for this kind of mainstream SUV. The 2.0-liter version is the one that will do most of the convincing on paper, especially if the car is loaded with people and luggage.
Flyme Auto, L2 assistance and a 5-year warranty
Inside, the Okawango Happy gets a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch infotainment display running Flyme Auto with voice control. Higher trims add L2 driver assistance, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, automatic emergency braking, collision warning, and a surround-view camera with transparent chassis mode.
Geely also backs the car with a 5-year or 150,000-kilometer warranty. For buyers watching Chinese SUV prices climb across the board, that warranty and the discount-heavy entry price may end up mattering almost as much as the extra seat itself.
The open question is whether Geely can keep the Okawango attractive outside the obvious value lane. If it does, the formula is straightforward: seven seats, decent power, and just enough tech to make the badge feel sharper than the spec sheet first suggests.