Geely’s acquisition of several brands of expertise in the automotive world is now moving the Chinese car maker into the fast lane with the launch of a host of new products and technologies.

On the local front the South African market is holding its breath for the arrival of the acclaimed new EC7, which

will mark the introduction of Geely’s new flagship sub brand, Emgrand.

Earmarked for local launch in early May, the new EC7 will later this year also be boosted by the addition of a new 1.3T engine, which was recently unveiled. Geely has finally pulled back the covers on its proposed new engine for the new EC7 sedan and hatch, which will find its way into this exciting new model before the end of 2013.

“The EC7 will be launched in South Africa in mid May,” says Henri Meistre, Managing Director of Geely South Africa. “A media contingent has just returned from a pre-launch of this model in South America, and feedback so far has been extremely positive.”

Part of the feedback after initial test drives in Chile was that the 1.8ℓ power plant for the launch model was “willing” and smooth.

“The new model will be launched with only the 1.8ℓ engine, and whilst we won’t see the new engine in the EC7 in the near future, we will be sure to offer it as soon as it becomes available in right hand drive configuration. No confirmation on dates are available just yet, however, we will have a much better idea on the future availability of this engine and other exciting products on our return from next month’s Shanghai Auto Show.”

The new 4-cylinder engine, which has a displacement of 1 299cc, is expected to deliver around 100kW and 190Nm of torque, and will be one of a range of small turbo charged engines being developed by Geely.

Currently, Geely and Volvo, the Swedish automaker taken over by the private Chinese company in 2010, are jointly developing a range of smaller green engines. Geely will develop a 1.0T, the new 1.3T, a 1.5T and a 1.8T engine as well as what they call “fuel stratified injection” (FSI) technology.

Apart from last year taking over Manganese Bronze Holdings (MBH), the maker of the iconic London black cabs, Geely has also bought out the Australian transmission manufacturer DSI, and is now developing a 6-speed manual transmission, as well as a 6-speed automatic which is expected to be available for the EC7.

Geely International are expected to showcase a number of exciting new models and concepts at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show, including SUVs, a new MPV, a new sports car and the latest in efficient engine technology.