Ten thousand reservations in nine minutes — faster than most people finish a gas station coffee. When Geely opened pre-sales for its Galaxy 700 in mid-September 2026, the Chinese off-road SUV market responded with 43,900 refundable reservations within the first hour. The limited 700-unit “Land Ark” launch edition was gone in roughly 12 minutes. The vehicle at the center of it all: a tri-motor plug-in hybrid SUV producing 1,113 hp, priced from roughly $29,400 to $57,300 at current exchange rates. These are refundable deposits, not confirmed sales — but the signal is hard to ignore.
What 1,113 Horsepower Looks Like in a Trail Rig
Geely’s Thor EM-T system pairs three electric motors with a turbocharged gas engine, producing numbers that put luxury performance SUVs on notice.
Geely’s Thor EM-T plug-in hybrid pairs a turbocharged gasoline engine with one front and two rear electric motors. The flagship spec outputs 830 kW combined — that’s 1,113 hp — and reaches 60 mph in roughly four seconds. A 47.14 kWh CATL lithium-iron-phosphate battery delivers 100–118 miles of electric-only range under China’s CLTC test cycle, which typically reads more optimistically than U.S. EPA standards.
Total gas-plus-electric range reportedly exceeds 745 miles. Off-road hardware includes nine inches of ground clearance, a 31-inch wading depth, a rear mechanical differential lock, and 17 AI-managed driving modes.
- The limited “Land Ark” edition — 700 units — sold out in approximately 12 minutes
- An active floating mode keeps the SUV buoyant for up to 40 minutes if water exceeds the rated wading depth
- “Waltz Turn” software cuts the turning radius to roughly 11 feet
- A five-screen interior includes a built-in refrigerator and 14-point massaging front seats
Price is where the comparison grows awkward for established rivals. Tri-motor AWD variants are estimated at around $35,000–$42,000 in comparable export pricing — a range where American buyers are choosing a base Ford Bronco or a used Jeep Wrangler 392, neither of which cracks 500 hp. The Mercedes-AMG G63 produces 577 hp and starts near $175,000. Geely’s flagship reportedly nearly doubles that output at a fraction of the cost — though the Chinese pre-sale pricing and any hypothetical export figures involve different market conditions and tax structures, so direct comparisons carry caveats. Questions about what counts as affordable in today’s new-car landscape only sharpen the contrast.
Automotive reporters covering recent Geely products note that build quality and chassis tuning have steadily improved to reach global standards. Geely also owns Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus — brands that sell in North America — meaning the Galaxy 700’s engineering comes from the same conglomerate already competing at a premium level in Western markets.
The Wall American Buyers Keep Running Into
Triple-digit tariffs and proposed legislative bans mean the Galaxy 700 is unlikely to reach U.S. driveways anytime soon.
U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs exceed 100%. Regulations introduced in early 2025 effectively prevent Chinese automakers from selling or building passenger vehicles in the domestic market. Major automaker associations urged Congress in September 2026 to make that ban permanent, citing security and economic concerns, according to Reuters. Even Geely-controlled Polestar is reportedly being pushed out of the U.S. market due to its Chinese manufacturing ties, according to Carscoops. The Galaxy 700 is not crossing any ocean soon.
Whether that shields American industry or simply limits consumer choice is a question the industry has not answered plainly.
The Galaxy 700 sets a benchmark that few asked for and many will be measured against. Chinese buyers registered 43,900 refundable reasons to think Geely is onto something. Western automakers have roughly the same number of reasons to take a closer look.
