The South African motoring landscape is littered with weird and wonderful vehicles. There's a range of new and old, classic and modern all mixed together, sharing the roads. We have large SUVs in the city and compact hatchbacks on the freeways. We love our cars and enjoy driving. With our varied terrain, it's no surprise that crossover vehicles have become more popular. One such player from yesteryear was the Geely LC Cross.
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While not a roaring sales success, the Geely brand entered into the market to offer a more affordable way of getting around. The Geely LC Cross was one of the models that could have done rather well, had its release been timed a little better.
If you're in the market for an affordable crossover, you may have your eye on the LC Cross. Before you take the plunge, here are three things you may want to know.
1. A brief history
The Geely LC Cross was first shown to the public in 2011 at the Johannesburg International Motorshow (remember those!?) as Geely ramped up for local distribution. The LC Cross was officially launched in 2012 but soon departed in 2015 due to poor sale figures. Geely is however a large international player and the company owns Swedish firm Volvo.
2. A familiar face
The Geely LC Cross has a very animated front end and a cheerful demeanour. The LC Cross is based on the LC 5-door hatchback but rides 160 mm higher and is fitted with roof rails and has a boot-lid-mounted spare wheel to make the vehicle seem more off-road-ready. The increased ride height also means that it is better suited to rougher surfaces and gravel roads.
3. Two engines
Two engines were made available in the LC Cross. Early models had a 1.3-litre engine the produced 63 kW and 110 Nm torque. This was later increased to 1.5-litres with a power output of 70 kW and a torque rating of 128 Nm. This model had a claimed top speed of 180 km/h. Neither will set your hair on fire, but for the daily commute, they prove adequate.
