Geely officially teased its upcoming gasoline-powered light off-road SUV named the Cowboy, built based on the Geely Icon. The Geely Cowboy was previously declared by the Chinese MIIT. It is unclear whether a plug-in hybrid variant will be available in the future.
The Geely Cowboy measures 4442/1860/1770 mm, and the wheelbase is 2640 mm.
For the exterior, the Geely Cowboy adopts a two-color body and a floating roof design. An oversized luggage/equipment rack is added to the roof, with a cargo area of 1.3m² and a maximum load of 50 kg. The words “Born Free” are engraved on the luggage rack. Four spotlights can also be installed optionally in front of the luggage rack. The D-pillar comes with an external container, further enhancing the off-road characteristic of the Geely Cowboy.
Additionally, at the rear, there is a container with an upper opening design that supports drainage. The Geely Cowboy runs on off-road AT tires with red sports calipers.
At this time, Geely has not yet officially announced the interior design and configuration information. The powertrain will continue to be equipped with a 1.5T turbocharged engine with a maximum power of 133 kW (178 hp) and a peak torque of 290 Nm, mated to a 7-speed DCT, which is consistent with the power parameters of the Geely Icon currently on sale.
Rise of off-road vehicles in China
Today, with the continued rise of the outdoor trend, off-road vehicles are becoming more popular in China. New players are pouring into this market segment covering high-end and entry-level, new energy and gasoline-powered, as well as hardcore and light off-road. Back in 2023, Li Xueyong, deputy general manager of Chery, predicted that “in one to two years, the market sales of light off-road vehicles will exceed 2 million units, and will gradually replace urban SUVs.”
Furthermore, BAIC previously pointed out that the Chinese off-road vehicle consumer groups are mainly divided into four categories. The first category is professional users, and their usage scenarios include military, forests, and mine applications. The second category is off-road hardcore enthusiasts, who love extreme off-road, accounting for about 2%; the third category is off-road regular enthusiasts, accounting for 8%; the fourth category is called off-road aspirants, who usually use off-road vehicles as a means of transportation, accounting for 90%.
