If you have been living in the UAE (or any nearby GCC nations) for a while, you would have seen an increasing number of Chinese cars plying our roads. This has been, in part, due to the ever-growing number of brands from the PRC and their wide array of car models.
Spend some time browsing new cars in UAE on YallaMotor’s car buyer guide and you will come across well over a dozen Chinese carmakers selling a variety of car types – including sedans and SUVs. The latter has hit the ground running, with new Chinese compact crossover SUVs selling hard and fast.
Affordable, well-styled, and offering decent features and equipment, the MG RX5 2024 and Geely Coolray 2024 will be our prime focus today. Which one of these two crossover SUVs should you bet your money on? Let’s find out.
Price
The price of the new Geely Coolray 2024 is around AED 73,900 and AED 89,900, with AGMC being the sole distributor of all new Geely cars in UAE. Sold exclusively by Inter Emirates Motors in UAE, the price of the new MG RX5 2024 is in the region of AED 80,000 and AED 95,000. While they are competitors in the same segment, the price delta between the Coolray and RX5 is appreciable.
Specifications
Under the hood of the MG RX5 2024 is a 1.5-liter turbo-petrol engine that cranks out 171 hp and 275 Nm of torque. This four-cylinder unit is mated to a 7-speed DCT which drives the front wheels, while the MG RX5 takes 9.4 seconds to go from 0-100 km/h. Unrestricted, the top speed of the new MG RX5 is 190 km/h.
Halting this 1.5-ton crossover are all-around disc brakes with ABS and EBD provided as standard. The powerplant of the Geely Coolray 2024 is a turbo-petrol three-cylinder, generating 172 hp and 290 Nm of torque. It also uses a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, though a curb weight of only 1.3 tons means a naught to 100 km/h time of 7.6 seconds.
|
Specifications |
MG RX5 |
Geely Coolray |
|
Engine |
1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol |
1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol |
|
Horsepower |
171 hp at 5,600 RPM |
172 hp |
|
Torque |
275 Nm at 2,000–4,000 RPM |
290 Nm at 2,000–3,500 RPM |
|
Transmission |
7-speed DCT |
7-speed DCT |
|
Fuel consumption |
14.7 km/L (6.8 L/100 km) |
17.2 km/L (5.8 L/100 km) |
|
Fuel tank |
55 liters |
45 liters |
|
Top speed |
190 km/h |
195 km/h |
|
0-100 km/h |
9.4 seconds |
7.6 seconds |
(2024 MG RX5 and 2024 Geely Coolray specifications shown)
Features
Some of the main features of the new MG RX5 2024 are:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlamps with LED DRLs
- Power tailgate
- Keyless entry with push-button ignition
- Electrically adjustable, folding, and heated ORVMs
- Leather upholstery
- Power-operated front seats with driver-side adjustable lumbar
- Dual-zone automatic climate control with rear AC vents
- PM 2.5 Air Quality Management System
- Cruise control
- Panoramic sunroof
- 6-speaker audio system
- Wireless charging
- 12.3-inch digital driver’s display
- 14.1-inch touch-infotainment with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
Features worth noting on the new Geely Coolray 2024 are:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlamps and LED DRLs
- Electric tailgate
- Panoramic sunroof
- 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat with ventilation
- Leather upholstery
- Single-zone automatic climate control
- CN95 cabin air-filtration system
- 6-speaker audio system
- Wireless charging
- 12.3-inch infotainment system with Mirror Link & Bluetooth
- 10.25-inch digital driver’s display
Safety equipment
The following are some of the key safety features of the MG RX5 2024:
- 6 airbags
- Front & rear parking sensors
- 360-degree cameras
- Electronic parking brake with Auto Hold
- Anti Rolling Program
- Emergency call
- Electronic Stability Program
- Corner Braking Control
- Hill-Descent Control
- Traction Control System
- Intelligent Headlamp Control
Here are the most notable safety features of the Geely Coolray 2024:
- Front & rear parking sensors
- Surround-view cameras
- Adaptive cruise control
- Automatic Parking Assistance
- Blind-Spot Detection
- Intelligent High-Beam Control
- Traction Control System
- Electronic Stability Control
- Hill-Hold Control
- Hill-Descent Control
- Hydraulic Brake Assist System
- Lane-Departure Warning
- Lane-Keeping Assist
- Electronic parking brake with Auto Hold
- 6 airbags
Exterior
The exterior design of both these crossover SUVs is in line with what we expect when talking about these types of cars. Basically, neither of them will have their names written in the history books of the automobile of ground-breaking design. The front fascia boasts aggressive styling on both, with the Geely Coolray’s reminiscent of the new Fortuner, while the MG RX5’s grille seems to be heavily ‘inspired’ by Lexus.
The rear of the Geely Coolray looks really busy but sporty, featuring chrome-tipped quad exhaust pipes, a completely believable air diffuser, and a massive roof spoiler. Meanwhile, the rear design of the MG RX5 seems to have taken a few leaves from the BMW X3/X5 handbook. Nevertheless, both these crossover SUVs look pretty modern and stylish.
|
Specifications |
2024 MG RX5 |
2024 Geely Coolray |
|
Length |
4,571 mm |
4,380 mm |
|
Width |
1,855 mm |
1,810 mm |
|
Height |
1,719 mm |
1,615 mm |
|
Wheelbase |
2,708 mm |
2,600 mm |
|
Curb weight |
1,539 kg (appx.) |
1,360 kg (appx.) |
|
Boot space |
430 liters |
330 liters |
(2024 MG RX5 and 2024 Geely Coolray dimensions)
Interior
When it comes to the interior, it is the sophisticated and contemporary design of the Geely Coolray that leaves a lasting impression. It not only looks modern and high-tech, but the sporty touches (along with the LED mood lighting) make this cabin experience quite memorable.
The cabin experience of the MG RX5 is not bad, with enough room for five average-sized adults (despite the big panoramic sunroof). However, the rest of the interior is pretty mundane and doesn’t offer much in the way of excitement or cool tech features like the Geely.
Conclusion
Despite costing less than the MG RX5 2024, the new Geely Coolray looks sporty and comes with plenty of cool tricks for those seated in its sporty-feeling cabin. Its technical specs are almost on par with the RX5, but has more torque and is quicker to 100 km/h. The three-cylinder engine is also likely to consume less fuel but at the cost of operational smoothness.
The MG RX5 2024 is a size larger, therefore also offering a bigger boot and more legroom for rear-seat passengers. Its four-cylinder engine is smooth enough, and its larger fuel tank means longer legs on the highway. The RX5’s features list is extensive and contains a few extra goodies over the Coolray. Given their relative price gap, I leave the final purchase decision to your budget and design preference.
If you want something entirely different (or similar), click here to search for used cars in Dubai, or here to find secondhand cars in Abu Dhabi.
