A CHINESE car giant is taking on the big boys with a hulking new SUV heading to the UK.
Geely’s brilliantly named Galaxy Battleship 700 is a new large, rugged 4×4 designed to take on established off-road icons such as the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser.
According to Auto Express, the model has been confirmed for the UK in 2028 – having first been shown as a concept at the 2025 Shanghai Motor Show.
The production version is said to look almost the same, which means it keeps the same very upright, boxy and aggressive styling.
described as blocky and squared-off with a bluff front end, a vertical rear, a tall roof, pronounced wheelarches and chunky bumpers, the models glasshouse somewhat resembles that of the Land Cruiser, while the round headlamps seem to draw on Land Rover design cues.
Indeed, SUV enthusiasts will likely say it looks like the cross between a Defender, a Land Cruiser and even a Ford Bronco.
Geely’s design boss, Flavien Dachet, openly admits that iconic off-roaders influenced the design.
He said: “There was, of course, some inspiration [from iconic 4x4s]. But if you look at classic off-roaders, they always follow the same recipe.
“Whether you’re looking at the Defender, G-Wagen, Bronco, the classics, the codes are the same. So it’s a matter of how we interpret it in a way that is recognisable.”
Dachet also explained that Geely wanted the Battleship to appear muscular and tough – without looking overly aggressive or intimidating.
The aim was to create something powerful and reassuring rather than something that seemed hostile or unsafe for family use.
Even some of the details, such as the 3D daytime running lights, were inspired both by modern Defender-style lighting signatures and by dancing dragons in Chinese culture, giving Geely a way of blending familiar off-road design with a more international influence.
Inside, the cabin is said to boast lots of physical switches, especially for off-road-related controls such as what appear to be differential locks.
There is also a central control area likened to that of a Lamborghini Urus, with a large gear selector and separate rotary dials that are likely used for drive modes.
Dachet claims the interior as a whole will feel more premium and more comfortable than that of the current Defender – which he describes as quite simple.
On the technical side, Geely has not published full specs yet, but the Battleship is expected to sit on the latest version of the company’s platform already used elsewhere within the wider Geely group – including by the Lotus Eletre and the Zeekr 9X.
Perhaps the standout feature is Geely’s use of AI, which the car reportedly uses to decide how best to deploy its plug-in hybrid system depending on the terrain – choosing whether to operate in electric mode, range-extender mode or full hybrid mode.
The platform can also support advanced features such as steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire and four-wheel steering, underlining that Geely wants this motor to feel technologically advanced as well as mechanically capable.
Indeed, Geely has worked hard to ensure the Battleship is a genuine off-roader rather than just a rugged-looking SUV.
Dachet says the company has pushed the platform to its limits in order to maximise ground clearance and fit the biggest wheels possible.
This saw test prototypes driven in a range of extreme environments, from the freezing conditions of northern Sweden to deserts in China.
Dachet even says he has seen photographs of the car jumping across dunes.
One thing that might be different by the time the model is launched in the UK in 2028 is its name – which may revert to something a little more subtle.
The 4×4 will be Geely’s first foray into the world of off-roaders, and could be the first of many.
Dachet said: “It’s opening doors to potentially more products that could be launched in the off-road space, so it’s the first of hopefully many more to come.”
And he added: “This may be the start of something very cool.
“If the response is positive, we have a lot more coming. So it really will depend on how the public responds to it.”
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