The Geely MK is a subcompact saloon and hatchback that Geely built as a reverse-engineered copy of the first-generation Toyota Vios. Its side profile and dashboard followed the Japanese car closely, while the front and rear were said to resemble the Opel Astra H. The model also produced the Englon SC6 saloon and the SC6-RV crossover, and its last version was sold simply as the Geely Jingang.
Geely MK at a glance
| Maker | Geely Auto, China |
|---|---|
| Bodies | subcompact four-door saloon and hatchback |
| Basis | reverse-engineered first-generation Toyota Vios |
| Resemblance | Opel Astra H at the front and rear |
| Chinese name | Jinying, also Geely Jingang |
| Crossover versions | Golden Eagle Cross, Englon SC6-RV |
| Englon SC6 engines | 1.3, 1.5 and 1.8 litre |
| Englon SC6 gearbox | six-speed tiptronic |
| Englon SC6 price | 53,800–60,800 yuan |
| Last facelift | late 2015, for the 2016 model year |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Geely MK.
History of the Geely MK
Origins
The MK was one of the cars that showed how Geely worked in its early years: it was a reverse-engineered first-generation Toyota Vios, matching the Japanese car in dimensions, side profile and dashboard design. The front and rear, however, were compared with the Opel Astra H, so the result was a mix of two European and Japanese influences. In China the car was also known as the Geely Jinying, and it was sold as both a saloon and a hatchback.
Crossovers and the SC6
The MK’s platform produced a family of related cars. The Geely Englon SC6-RV debuted as a concept at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show and went into production in 2012; it was based on the post-facelift Geely Golden Eagle Cross, and both were crossover hatchback versions of the MK. The Englon SC6 saloon was based on the MK saloon, revealed as a concept in 2011 and put into production at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2012. It came with three engines, a 1.3-litre, a 1.5-litre and a 1.8-litre, mated to a six-speed tiptronic gearbox, and prices ran from 53,800 to 60,800 yuan.
The last facelift
The final facelift was carried out in late 2015 for the 2016 model year. It changed the front and rear views and clarified the model’s name and branding, which from then on was simply the Geely Jingang under the Geely brand, the separate Englon marque having been wound up. That made the MK one of the last survivors of Geely’s multi-brand period, a car that had started as a copy of a Toyota and ended as a badge on a Chinese name.
Design and features
- Vios underpinnings: dimensions, side profile and dashboard copied from the first-generation Toyota Vios.
- Astra-style ends: front and rear that onlookers compared with the Opel Astra H.
- Crossover family: the Golden Eagle Cross and Englon SC6-RV were raised hatchback versions.
- Wide SC6 range: three engines from 1.3 to 1.8 litres and a six-speed tiptronic gearbox.
Geely MK versions
- MK saloon: the four-door version, sold in China as the Jinying.
- MK hatchback: the five-door body on the same base.
- Golden Eagle Cross: the crossover hatchback, facelifted before the SC6-RV.
- Englon SC6-RV (2012): crossover shown as a concept in 2010.
- Englon SC6 (2012): saloon with 1.3, 1.5 and 1.8-litre engines, 53,800–60,800 yuan.
- Geely Jingang (2016): the final facelift, sold under the Geely brand.
The MK was smaller than the Emgrand EC7 and shared its market with the Geely LC; its derivatives were sold under the Englon name. More cars are in the Geely collection.
Sources
- Geely MK, English Wikipedia: origins, crossover and SC6 versions, facelift
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