The Geely Icon came out in China in late February 2020, and today, a rather unusual set of photos emerged online with the poster claiming they depict a PHEV version of the compact car.
This leaves open the question of why the company bothered to wrap the car like this, since the time has not come for a facelift yet. Spray-painted squiggly lines on the body pose another mystery. Overall, the pics look shady, but not in the way most fakes do.
In all likelihood, the PHEV should hit the market with 258 hp (192 kW) and 415 Nm (306 lb-ft) at its disposal, just like the Binyue ePro it shares its principal tech with. All-electric driving range will be limited at 62 kilometers (38.5 miles), and fuel economy will be close to 1.4 liters per 100 km (UK: 202 MPG; USA: 168 MPG).
In the meantime, the Icon is available in two main specs. One draws power from a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine rated at 177 hp (132 kW) and 255 Nm (188 lb-ft), partnered with a seven-speed DCT. The other one uses a MHEV hybrid system for 190 hp (142 kW) and 300 Nm (221 lb-ft) of torque.
If it indeed is coming up soon, the Geely Icon PHEV should debut either at the Chengdu Motor Show on July 24, 2020 or the Auto China show in Beijing scheduled to begin on September 26, 2020.