The Geely LC is the city car Geely sold at home as the Panda, and also as the Gleagle Panda and GC2 in the years when the company used several brands. It was built from November 2008 to 2016. In 2010 it scored 45.3 points in C-NCAP crash tests, making it the first locally developed Chinese compact car to earn five stars.
Geely LC at a glance
| Maker | Geely Auto, China |
|---|---|
| Production | November 2008 – 2016 |
| Names | Geely Panda, Gleagle Panda, Gleagle GC2, LC for export |
| Body | four-door city car, five seats, 305-litre boot |
| Engines | 1.3 and 1.5 litre petrol |
| C-NCAP | 45.3 points, five stars, 2010 |
| Design | outsourced to CH-Auto, described by Geely as bionic |
| Replaced by | Geely Yuanjing X1 in 2017 |
| Online sales | Taobao Mall from 22 December 2010 |
| Electric versions | Tobe M’car EV, Yulu EV2, Lynx Nanoq |
History of the Geely LC
Design and crash safety
Geely outsourced the exterior design of the LC to another Chinese firm, CH-Auto, and called the result bionic: the company said the car resembled a panda, while critics thought it looked more like the Toyota Aygo. Whatever the resemblance, the styling was widely praised as exceptional for a Chinese small car of its period.
In 2010 the LC scored 45.3 points in the C-NCAP crash tests, which made it China’s first locally researched and developed compact car to be awarded five stars. It was subsequently described as the safest Chinese hatchback of 2011. The result was all the more notable because the development process relied more on computer simulations than on real crash tests.
Selling the Panda
The car used Geely’s usual arrangement for the period: it was sold under several names as Geely reworked its brands, first as the Gleagle Panda and GC2, then back as a Geely. The equipment list was decent for a city car of the time, with power steering, a height-adjustable steering column, a radio and manual air conditioning among the standard items, and at least five trim lines that could add airbags, ABS, electronic stability control and electric windows.
Geely also tried selling the LC online. From 22 December 2010 the retailer Taobao Mall offered the car on its site, though buyers had to put down a deposit of 288 yuan and visit a local dealership for a test drive before taking delivery; the cars were not delivered to the door. Sales on the first day totalled almost 500.
Names abroad
Outside China the car changed name and brand with the market. In Indonesia it was sold as the Geely Panda, in New Zealand as the LC Hatch, in Egypt as the Geely Pandino and in Argentina between 2016 and 2018, while in Brunei it was offered only in 2013, with a five-speed manual and four colours. In Sri Lanka the local company Micro Cars assembled it from complete knockdown kits. In Taiwan a redesigned version called the Tobe M’car was sold by Yulon, and in Cuba the Panda was a common rental car and was also sold to private owners.
Electric versions and the end
The LC’s body was reused for several electric cars. The Tobe M’car had an EV version, and in Denmark the electric model was sold as the Lynx Nanoq with a 40 kW motor and a 21 kWh battery, a claimed range of 215 km and a top speed above 130 km/h, though only a small series appears to have been built. The Yulu EV2, launched on 18 October 2017, used a 21.9 kWh battery with an NEDC range of 150 km, a 36 hp (27 kW) motor and a 100 km/h top speed, and production ended in 2018. The Panda itself was replaced in 2017 by a facelifted version of the car sold as the Geely Yuanjing X1.
Design and features
- Bionic styling: a panda-inspired shape designed by CH-Auto for Geely.
- Five C-NCAP stars: 45.3 points in 2010, a first for a locally developed Chinese compact.
- Good standard equipment: power steering, adjustable column, radio and air conditioning.
- Online selling: offered through Taobao Mall from December 2010.
- Electric offshoots: the Tobe M’car EV, Lynx Nanoq and Yulu EV2.
Geely LC versions
- Geely Panda / LC (2008–2016): the standard four-door city car.
- Gleagle Panda and GC2: the names used while Geely ran separate brands.
- Tobe M’car: the Taiwanese version built by Yulon from November 2009.
- Geely Pandino: the Egyptian name; LC Hatch in New Zealand.
- LC Cross / Gleagle GX2: a soft-roader version on the same base.
- Yulu EV2 (2017–2018): electric version for mainland China.
The Panda was the smallest car in a range that included the Geely MK and the Emgrand EC7. More cars are in the Geely collection.
Sources
- Geely LC, English Wikipedia: production, crash tests, design, markets, electric versions
- Tobe M’car, German Wikipedia: equipment, Lynx Nanoq, Gleagle history
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