Englon was the brand Geely used for its entry-level cars between 2009 and 2016. Its range ran from the small SC5-RV hatchback to the TX4, the London taxi that Geely had taken over, and it also absorbed Geely’s earlier Shanghai Maple business. The name disappeared in 2016 when Geely folded its separate brands back into one.
Englon at a glance
| Owner | Geely, China |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009, Shanghai |
| Market launch | June 2009 |
| Shanghai Maple | integrated in 2010 |
| Position | Geely’s entry-level brand |
| Restructuring announced | 2014 |
| Brand discontinued | 2016 |
| SC5-RV engine | 1,498 cc four-cylinder, 69 kW |
| SC5-RV size | 3,919 mm long, 1,745 mm wide, 1,505 mm high |
| SC5-RV wheelbase | 2,461 mm |
| Other models | SC5, SC6, SC6-RV, SX5 and the SX6 SUV |
| London taxi | TX4, previously built by London Taxis International |
Based on one source, the German Wikipedia article on Englon; the English Wikipedia has no page for the brand.
History of the Englon
A maker or a brand?
Englon is usually described as a Chinese car manufacturer, but the sources also note that it may simply have been a brand. The distinction matters: Geely set the company up in Shanghai in 2009 and launched the name on the market in June of that year, and the cars sold under it were Geely products. In 2010 Geely’s earlier Shanghai Maple business was integrated into Englon, which widened the range with models that had until then carried another badge.
The cars
Englon was positioned as Geely’s entry-level brand, the cheapest step in a group that also had Emgrand at the top and Gleagle in the middle. Its most unusual model was the TX4, the purpose-built London taxi that had been made by London Taxis International before Geely took that company over; the cab was then assembled and sold in China under the Englon name. The other well-documented car is the SC5-RV, a small five-door hatchback with a 1,498 cc four-cylinder engine of 69 kW. At 3,919 mm long, 1,745 mm wide and 1,505 mm high on a 2,461 mm wheelbase, it was a compact city car rather than a family saloon.
Around those two, the range listed the SC5, the SC6 and its SC6-RV derivative, the SX5 and an SUV called the SX6. Several of them were reworked versions of cars Geely already built, which was typical of the group’s approach at the time: new badges were cheaper than new platforms, and each brand could be given its own showroom identity.
The end of the name
Geely announced a restructuring in 2014 and completed it in 2016. As part of that reorganisation the separate brand names were given up and the cars were sold simply as Geelys, so Englon ceased to exist as a marque. The TX4 continued under the London Taxi Company, and the small hatchbacks were absorbed into Geely’s own range.
Design and features
- Entry-level position: Englon was the cheapest of Geely’s brands, below Gleagle and Emgrand.
- The London taxi: the TX4 gave the brand a model with a history going back to the Austin FX3.
- Shanghai Maple heritage: the 2010 integration brought in cars developed by Geely’s earlier subsidiary.
- Badge engineering: several models were reworked Geelys sold under a new name.
Englon versions
- TX4: the London taxi, assembled and sold in China under the Englon badge.
- SC5-RV: 1,498 cc, 69 kW, 2,461 mm wheelbase.
- SC5 and SC6: small hatchback and saloon models; the SC6-RV was the crossover version.
- SX5 and SX6: the brand’s SUV line.
The brand’s best-known model was the TX4 London taxi, and its cars sat below the Emgrand range in Geely’s hierarchy. More cars are in the Geely collection.
Sources
- Englon Automobile, German Wikipedia: founding, models, dimensions, end of the brand
