Geely patents a 2,000-km hybrid in China

Geely’s latest submission to the country’s patent database concerns a sedan called the Starshine 6, the smallest electrified vehicle on the company’s lineup right now. It is speculated to have the same drivetrain as the Geely Galaxy A7, which would give it over 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) of range.

The report comes from AutoHome.cn quoting data from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and IT. The car has a rather traditional profile with an emphasized front grille sporting convex vertical bars not unlike some Mercedes-Benz models. It also features thin headlights, stamped sides, classical door handles and a single taillight strip.

The dimensions (L/W/H) are stated as 4,806 x 1,886 x 1,490 millimeters with 2,756 mm between the axles. This is slightly larger than Hyundai Elantra but smaller than Toyota Camry.

Where things get interesting is the powertrain. It is listed as a “next-generation Thor hybrid system” with a 1.5-liter IC engine at its base producing 111 PS (109 hp / 82 kW). Further details are unknown, but the recently launched Galaxy A7 sedan (see video) combines this exact engine with a single e-motor making 238 PS (235 hp / 175 kW). It can cover up to 150 km (93 miles) of road in all-electric mode, but is slightly larger than the new Starshine 6. Given the same powertrain, the Starshine 6 should extract even more range from it.

Having said that, Geely might as well choose to position it as an entry-level car and dial down the performance to keep the price low. We should be able to learn more in a few months.