Geely Galaxy's first boxy off-roader, the Cruiser 700, opens for pre-orders on September 15

Geely's Galaxy line will start taking reservations for the Cruiser 700 — its first rugged, boxy off-road SUV, also known in China as the Zhanjian 700 — on September 15, the brand said on Tuesday. The model was first shown on July 24 and is expected to go on sale before year-end.

Propulsion comes from a three-motor, four-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid setup with differential locks and a combined 830 kW (1,113 hp). Every version carries a 47.14-kWh LFP pack sourced from CATL, works with either a 1.5- or 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, and covers 165 to 185 km on electricity alone.

The five-seater is 5,085 mm long with a 2,900-mm wheelbase, and wears classic off-roader cues such as a squared-off body, side-hinged tailgate and externally mounted spare wheel. Geely's in-house GVMC system enables tricks like crab walking and tank turns, while the spec sheet also lists an 800-mm wading depth, satellite connectivity, a roof-mounted LiDAR and driver-assistance functions.

Galaxy is wading into a niche where BYD and GWM already market several rivals, with electrification and smart-driving tech emerging as the battlegrounds. The move comes as the brand's sales recover: August volume rose 7.63% year-on-year to 119,115 units, a third straight month of annual growth, though the January-August total of 746,705 is still down 0.98% from a year earlier.