Geely and its local partner GB Auto started assembling Emgrand EC7 in Egypt on Sunday, reports Xinhua. The factory assembling CKD (Complete Knock Down) units of Geely’s most popular car is located in Cairo, and has a designed production capacity of 30,000.
According to an agreement signed in February this year, GB Auto, the largest auto trader in Egypt, will also set up Geely-franchised dealerships and export the EC7 to other countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Following the EC7, other Geely models may be added to the Egyptian product line.
Geely currently runs assembly operations in six countries: Russia, Ukraine, Indonesian, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and Egypt, with forthcoming ones in Uruguay and Belarus. Production capacity is also planned in Brazil, India, and Iran. Geely’s overseas sales soared 76% on year to 38,000 in 2011. This year, it aims to more than double that count to 80,000.
The EC7 compact first went on sale in China as a 1.8L notchback (EC718) in August 2009, joined later by 1.5L and hatchback (EC7-RV) versions. It has a price range of 66,800-109,800 Yuan (US$10,649-17,504) in its native market.
