The company apparently has had to push its new architecture to its limits to give the 4×4 the off-road capabilities customers expect, “raising the ground clearance as much as we could, getting the biggest wheels we could”.  

Prototypes of the Battleship have been tested in various environments, from the bitter cold of northern Sweden to the deserts in China. Dachet tells us he has pictures of them jumping in the dunes, where they’ve exceeded expectations when it comes to handling difficult terrain. The concept had a wading depth of 800mm (not far off the 900mm the equivalent Defender 110 can reach), and we assume the road-going version can match that too.

First of new 4×4 model range

Auto Express has confirmed the Geely Galaxy Battleship will be coming to the UK in 2028, although we don’t yet know if it will wear that not-so-subtle name over here.

Whatever it’s called in the UK, the hulking hybrid 4×4 will be Geely’s first foray into the world of off-roaders, but potentially not the only one. Dachet told us: “It’s opening doors to potentially more products that could be launched in the off-road space, so it’s the first of hopefully many more to come.”

Geely is already exploring some ideas for other off-road models, but whether or not they are taken forward will depend on the reaction to the Battleship. “This may be the start of something very cool,” Dachet hinted. “If the response is positive, we have a lot more coming. So it really will depend on how the public responds to it.”

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