The latest Geely sedan has just been named the best new car model in China this year.
Just recently launched in October at the 2020 Beijing Auto Show, the Geely Preface sedan has already been collecting accolades in its home market of China. The latest of which is being awarded with prestigious 2021 China Car of the Year title at the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show that was held last week.
Presided over by 41 distinguished automotive journalists and experts who make up the jury of the Chinese automotive industry’s “fairest and most authoritative annual car award”, the Geely Preface has been selected to be the best new model overall to be launched in China over the course of 2020.
That said, it is worth noting that the as-yet-unlaunched Maserati MC20 sports car has also bagged top honours in the performance car category of this award. So make of that what you will about these results here.
The first Geely sedan to be based on Geely’s own Compact Modular Architecture (CMA), which incidentally is underpinning various other models within the Geely corporate umbrella already, this new Preface supposedly also marks the Chinese automaker’s entry into the next chapter of its product cycle. Known as the Geely 4.0 era, new Geely cars will all be ‘based on advanced modular architectures that allow for leading levels of connectivity, intelligence, and quality that include safety as a standard’.
Moreover, to further emphasise this generational leap for Geely, the automaker has recently publicly showcased its first Firmware Over The Air (FOTA) update for the Preface. Touted as the first for an internal-combustion engined car, these updates works much like the ones already seen Teslas and Jaguars, though for Geely’s case it looks to encompass a wider array of in-car tech. Allegedly allowing for the constant and remote incremental improvements to this sedan’s in-car software, vehicle power, driving dynamics, assisted driving features, and other integrated systems.
Saying all that however, what is perhaps the most appealing news from Malaysian perspective is Geely’s announcement that global sales of the Preface has been planned for a future date. Meaning that there is a chance that this new award-winning advanced Geely may soon be a future Proton Perdana.
Having just gone on sale in its home market just last month though, it would probably be not a while coming before we see a rebadged-Preface Perdana on Malaysian roads any time soon. After all, right hand drive conversions aren’t instantaneous.
PRESS RELEASE: On the eve of the Guangzhou Auto Show, the highly anticipated 2021 Annual China Car Award Ceremony was held. Geely Auto’s flagship CMA-based Preface sedan was awarded with the highest honour of the ceremony and named the “2021 China Car of the Year.” In addition, at the opening of the Guangzhou Auto Show, Preface’s first FOTA Firmware Over the Air update was showcased to the public for the first time.
The annual awards known in the industry as China’s “fairest and most authoritative annual car award.” An independent panel made up of 41 distinguished automotive journalists and experts voted on the best models launched in China over the course of 2020 before the ceremony. Along with the most prestigious “Car of the Year” award, the panel voted on a total of six different awards including SUV of the year, Green car of the year, Performance car of the year, Design of the year, and Corporate CSR.
This year’s winner, the first CMA-based sedan from Geely Auto, Preface was first unveiled as a concept in 2019 at the Shanghai Auto Show. The production model was launched in late 2020 after the Beijing Auto Show. The Preface sedan marks Geely Auto’s entry into its an Innovative Geely 4.0 era. Geely’s fourth generation of vehicles are based on advanced modular architectures that allow for leading levels of connectivity, intelligence, and quality that include safety as a standard.
With the CMA highly advanced architecture, Preface has been endowed with the highest level of connectivity supporting FOTA, “Firmware Over the Air” updates. In an industry first for an ICE powered vehicle, FOTA allows Preface to be constantly improved remotely with incremental updates to its in-car software, vehicle power, driving dynamics, assisted driving features, and other integrated systems. Through FOTA updates, users can enjoy the benefit of having the “new car experience” every time they step through the door.
The Preface Sedan has begun sales across China in October 2020 with global sales planned for a future date.
