All smiles! I was all smiles—a mental smile—after an impressive test drive of the 2025 Geely Preface, and here’s why! For those who don’t know, Chinese carmakers are many, but Geely is one of the bigger players in the domestic Chinese market. They entered the UAE market in May 2023 through AGMC, launching with three models and expanding to eight, including sedans, SUVs, and EVs.
The mid-size Preface, though not Geely’s first offering, has a name apt for a brand launch. Having driven rivals like the MG6 and Dongfeng Shine Max, I knew Chinese sedans could deliver style, features, and value—but the Preface elevated my expectations to a kind of admiration.
Exterior: Executive car styling with Volvo influence & black 18-inch wheels
Some of you may be familiar with the Geely Emgrand, which is their first sedan—a compact commuter. The mid-size Preface is a notch above. This elegant sedan defies dated and cheap stereotypes of Chinese design and could easily be mistaken for a modern-day Volvo—which makes sense, given Geely owns the Swedish marque. Giving it the stylistic edge is a bold front fascia with a large grille with chrome-embellished vertical slats, which is flanked by sleek, pulled-back LED headlamps and a sculpted bonnet above. Right below the lights are chrome-trimmed faux air intakes that add a touch of flair. I also like the “Geely” lettering inside the light clusters, which is a nice touch too, although the Geely badge itself does look plain and unfinished—yet oddly refreshing.
At 4,825 mm in length, it’s one of the largest in its class. It is probably also the widest car and has the longest wheelbase—1,880 mm and 2,800 mm, respectively. From the side, its conventional 3-box silhouette and black painted, multi-spoke 18-inch wheels enhance its executive presence. Furthermore, the rear features full-width LED tail lamps with elegant light sequencing at the ends, and the quad exhaust tips add a little extra drama for a modest 2.0-litre engine.
All in all, the Preface brings executive car sophistication to the more affordable segment, with the looks to charm a wide audience.
Interior: Sophisticated 2-tone cabin with a 13.2″ infotainment screen and few other luxury traits
The Preface may be a Chinese car, but it isn’t an AED 50k vehicle with a 30k interior as one would expect — it’s a 100k car that feels worth 150k, thanks to high-quality materials, distinctive design touches, and luxury features typically found in far pricier models. It starts with a two-tone interior — black upper surfaces and tan seats, lower dash, and doors — featuring a sweeping design that seamlessly links doors to dash. Piano black trims with embedded graphics and tasteful wood-look plastics add more visual texture, while the build feels solid, with plastics that don’t squeak or rattle. The stylish 4-spoke steering wheel, wrapped in two-tone leather with flat top and bottom edges reminiscent of the Lotus Emira sportscar, features well-sized, intuitive buttons and a smooth, well-damped BMW-style stalk shifter. The driver gets 6-way power seat adjustability with 4-way lumbar support, so it’s easy to get into a comfortable driving position. Space is almost lavish and the PVC leather seats with great stitching detail enhance its luxury feel. At the rear there is generous legroom (up to 3 inches behind a 6-footer), though shoulder room is tight for three large adults in the rear. A panoramic sunroof adds airiness and frames Dubai’s skyline beautifully.
The list of unique attributes continues with a tab-style door handle — pull once to unlock, pull again to open — paired with upscale knurled aluminium window switches and a smoothly operating, squeak-free rolling cupholder cover. Despite its affordability, the Preface offers a 13.2-inch portrait-style touchscreen with 2K resolution — rare at this price — alongside a 10.25-inch digital cluster. The clean, button-free layout looks elegant, though adjusting the side mirrors via the screen is inconvenient.
Drivetrain & drive: Turbo 2.0L with Golf GTI like power
Expectedly, the Preface has been endowed with a powertrain configuration common in Chinese brethren. It comes with a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder that’s neither too big nor too small, but just right. It makes a potent 218 PS at 5,500 rpm and 325 Nm of max torque between 1,800 and 4,500 rpm, which is very comparable to the Golf GTI! Power is sent to the front wheels via a 7-speed DCT, a lightweight and cost-effective setup typical for this segment.
As soon as I rolled onto the streets, I could feel the eagerness of the motor, with strong torque delivery and little signs of lag. We clocked the 0–100 km/h sprint in the Preface in 7.5 seconds, which is plenty of ‘go’ for every kind of need.
Despite its size, it’s easy to manoeuvre in the city, and responds quickly when needed—whether off the line or darting through traffic. Handling is confident, consistent, and pleasantly sporty, though not razor-sharp. There are no paddle shifters, but a handy drive mode toggle offers Eco, Comfort, and Sport settings.
The suspension delivers a smooth, refined ride—even over speed bumps—without fancy tech, rivalling some mid-level luxury cars. Braking is solid thanks to disc brakes all around with a claimed stopping distance of 35.9 metres, and in real-world driving, it felt composed and predictable. Fuel economy showed 12 km/l, which seems optimistic, but actual figures shouldn’t be far off.
Features & Functionality: Impressive ADAS, 12-spkr Harman Infinity unit & average A/C
The A/C cools the front cabin well, but both directional and temperature control can only be made via the infotainment screen, which can be a pain, and the front vents are partially obstructed by the screen. The ventilated front seats help though. At the rear, vents exist, but airflow is weak—my companions were sweating it out after leaving the car under the sun. Storage includes a medium cubby, cupholders, and a console undershelf. The boot is spacious—ideal for daily use or airport runs—and opens via a bumper-mounted circular button. It is claimed to have a segment-leading depth of 1,132 mm.
The large infotainment screen has good graphics but slow response times, especially when changing radio stations; voice control didn’t work during testing. The 12-speaker Harman Infinity system sounds decent but could benefit from EQ tuning—headrest speakers allow private conversations even with music playing. Rear-seat passengers get both USB-C and USB-A ports, though there’s no wireless charging.
Safety is strong, with a 540° panoramic image and transparent chassis with 2D and 3D views, and ADAS features like Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control, enabling true and usable semi-autonomous driving.
Verdict: Executive car styling, features and peppy power at an affordable rate
The Geely Preface is more than just a sedan—it’s a statement that Southeast Asia is thriving and capable of building executive cars for the people driving that growth. With smart styling, solid build quality, generous space and features, and peppy performance, it delivers executive car hallmarks at an affordable price. It’s one among the better vehicles we’ve tested recently, though the infotainment can lag at times and the A/C has some design quirks. Reliability and resale also remain unknown due to its newness, but the 7-year/250,000-km warranty helps ease those concerns.
Rivals & alternatives
You have everything from long-established automakers like the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Mazda, Kia K5, Hyundai Sonata and Volkswagen Passat which have priced themselves out leaving the market open to products from new-fangled Chinese rivals like the GAC EMPOW, Dongfeng Shine Max and MG7. The Skoda Superb and Peugeot 5008 are also worth considering.
GOOD – Executive car styling; cabin space and features; potent turbo motor; overall value
BAD – Temperamental screen; minor A/C design flaws; reliability and residual value yet to be determined
EDITOR’S RATING – 7.5/10
SPECIFICATIONS
Body type – 5-seater; 4-door mid-size sedan
Engine – Front-engine; turbo 2.0-litre 4-cylinder; front-wheel drive
Transmission – 7-speed DCT (automated manual)
Peak output – 218 PS @ 5,500 rpm; 325 Nm @ 1,800 – 4,500 rpm
0 to 100km/h – 6.9 seconds (claimed); 7.5 seconds (tested)
Top speed – 230 km/h (drag limited; estimated)
Fuel economy – 8.33 /100km (tested)
Price – Starting at AED 89,100
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