The Geely HQ, sold under the Chinese name Haoqing, was the first car Geely ever produced. Launched in February 1998 as a subcompact hatchback, it used the platform of the Daihatsu Charade licensed through FAW Tianjin, and it stayed in production until 2006, by which time the company had a full range of saloons.
Geely Haoqing at a glance
| Maker | Geely Automobile, China |
|---|---|
| Production | 1998–2006 |
| Launched | February 1998 |
| Body | subcompact hatchback; also 5-door and estates |
| Platform | Daihatsu Charade G100, licensed from FAW Tianjin |
| Engine 1 | 993 cc Daihatsu three-cylinder, 52 PS (38 kW) |
| Engine 2 | 1,342 cc Toyota four-cylinder, 86 PS (63 kW) |
| Update | 2003 |
| Estate models | Geely Pride HQ7130B1U (2002–2007) and S-RV (2002–2005) |
| Shown at Frankfurt | 2005, with the MR, CK, CD and Maple Marindo |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Geely HQ.
History of the Geely Haoqing
The first Geely
Geely entered the car business in February 1998 with the HQ, a small hatchback that the company sold at home as the Haoqing. It was a modest beginning: the car was based on the G100 platform of the Daihatsu Charade, which Geely licensed from FAW Tianjin, the Chinese company that had built the Charade itself under licence. The same basic underpinnings were shared with the Merrie and Uliou and with the Rural and Urban Nanny, which gave Geely a family of cheap small cars rather than a single model.
Engines and body styles
Two engines were offered from the start. The smaller was a 993 cc three-cylinder of Daihatsu origin with 52 PS (38 kW), the larger a 1,342 cc Toyota four-cylinder with 86 PS (63 kW). A special edition five-door hatchback was sold as the Liangjing, and there were estate models too: the Geely Pride HQ7130B1U and the Geely Pride S-RV. The HQ7130BU was sold from 2002 to 2007, while the S-RV lasted from 2002 to 2005.
Later years
The HQ was updated in 2003, and in 2005 Geely took it to the Frankfurt Motor Show, where it stood alongside the MR, the CK, the CD and the Maple Marindo. For a company that had started seven years earlier with a licensed Charade, the stand showed how quickly the range had grown. Production of the Haoqing ended in 2006, when Geely’s attention had moved to the larger saloons that made up its export plans.
Design and features
- Charade platform: the G100 floorpan of the Daihatsu Charade, licensed from FAW Tianjin.
- Two engines: a 993 cc three-cylinder and a 1,342 cc four-cylinder.
- Many body styles: five-door hatchback, the Liangjing special edition, and two estates.
- Shared underpinnings: the same base served the Merrie, Uliou and Nanny models.
Geely Haoqing versions
- HQ hatchback (1998–2006): the standard three- and five-door cars.
- Liangjing: a special-edition five-door hatchback.
- HQ7130B1U estate: the Geely Pride wagon, sold from 2002 to 2007.
- S-RV (2002–2005): the second estate version, with a more utility style.
- 2003 update: the revised HQ shown at Frankfurt two years later.
The HQ was the ancestor of the later small Geelys such as the Geely LC, and it shared its era with the Geely CD that followed it to Frankfurt. More cars are in the Geely collection.
Sources
- Geely HQ, English Wikipedia: launch, engines, body styles, platform
