Geely looks to have set its sights on the Japanese hybrids, particularly Toyota, with its newest i-HEV Intelligent Energy hybrid system, that has achieved a Guinness-certified fuel consumption figure of 2.22 litres/100 km under a combined cycle. The move aligns with a broader shift among Chinese carmakers that are shifting their focus towards hybrids as
Geely looks to have set its sights on the Japanese hybrids, particularly Toyota, with its newest i-HEV Intelligent Energy hybrid system, that has achieved a Guinness-certified fuel consumption figure of 2.22 litres/100 km under a combined cycle.
The move aligns with a broader shift among Chinese carmakers that are shifting their focus towards hybrids as a cost-control alternative to battery-electric vehicles (BEV) as hybrids use a smaller battery. Furthermore, the shift also aligns with the evolving Chinese regulatory landscape, as reported by Car News China.
Geely managed to improve overall efficiency by over 10%, primarily via AI energy management and the hybrid powertrain. The dedicated hybrid engine has a thermal efficiency of 48.4%, one of the highest among mass production engines.
The results are a third-party verified Guinness-certified fuel consumption figure of 2.22 litres/100 km under combined conditions.
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Electric propulsion delivers 313 PS for a 0-30 kph time of 1.84 seconds. That is not a typo as the entire system was optimised for low-speed urban responsiveness. The new hybrid powertrain will be fitted into key-volume models such as the Geely Preface (Xingrui), Geely Monjaro, Emgrand and Boyue this year, adding hybrid variants across its mainstream models.
Each model will be fitted with a different dedicated hybrid engine, spanning a 1.5-litre (NA), 1.5-litre TD (turbo) and 2.0-litre TD (turbo) unit, paired with an 11-in-1 electric drive unit.
Thus far, the new i-HEV powertrain has achieved a WLTC figure of 3.98 litres/100 km in the Geely Preface i-HEV and 4.75 litres/100 km in the Geely Monjaro i-HEV.
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Hybrids have always been a significant contributor to carmaker’s sales, with Toyota reporting approximately 4.4 million hybrid vehicles sold in 2025, or about 42% of its total volume.
Policy changes in China has also contributed to Chinese carmakers pushing hybrid development, especially among Geely, Chery and Changan. However, these brands are taking a different approach, mating the engines with higher-power electric motors to deliver performance alongside efficiency.
Will the i-HEV powertrain make its way here in some of the rebadged Geely models?