[upbeat music] Is it a crossover-MPV or an MPV-crossover? Well, whatever the case may be, the Geely Okavango sure looks like
a practical high-riding wagon. Now here's the thing: Given Geely's track record, we have
high expectations for this model. So can they make it three-for-three? Well, let's get to it. [upbeat music] Now before we hit the road... What do we think of the styling? Well, it follows Geely's
current design language. So you have the relatively angular lines and that three-bar grille at the front. Now you put them all together and, well... from the face of it,
the Okavango looks pretty imposing. And why wouldn't it be?
This thing is well over 4.8 meters long. So to bring out the proportions, might as well make the front end
look pretty mean. Now when you go to the side, you have the pronounced
fender flares and the shoulder line. And that sort of makes it look
like an off-roader, but... here's the thing—it's not. Because regardless of what variant
you choose of the Okavango, well, they're all two-wheel drive,
they're all front-wheel drive. But at least, you still have that
"muscular look" going on. But when you go to the rear, well... I think it could use a little
bit more detailing because there's not much
in the way of, well... "style" But here's the thing, it's all about utility when you
go at the back because... well, you have that wild tailgate which should make loading
in and out a lot easier. So what we have here is the
top-of-the-line Urban variant. So you get 18-inch alloys
and a roof rail to go along with it. [upbeat music] Inside, when comes to design,
it looks similar to other Geely models but there is
a significant difference. The top of the door panels are hard plastic. In the other Geely models,
like the Azkarra and the Coolray, these are soft-touch
and so are the ones lower here. But thankfully, the touch points are soft so that's when you grab this
little pocket here and the armrest. Now I do like this,
the floating grab handle... and it makes pulling in the door a lot
easier because it is pretty chunky. Now right in front of me,
D-shaped steering wheel. Leather wrapped, well,
just for that 'extra premium feel'. And of course, your controls for the
infotainment and the instrument cluster. And that brings me neatly
to the display here: Now from further away, it looks analog
but it is actually fully digital. And not only that, it also has
a comprehensive list of displays: From your travel time,
your average fuel economy, and even your tire pressure monitor system. And of course, dig a little bit deeper... and you could also change
some settings for the display too. You can even change it to miles per hour
if you prefer imperial to metric. Moving a little further away
from the driver's side, you have this rather "interesting" shelf. Now it's pretty shallow so I'm not
exactly sure what you could put there. Perhaps you could put... well, relatively small items just to keep
them out of your pocket and all that. (so I think this is a nice little touch) Now the Okavango comes with a
high-rise center console, and I think that just makes things
a lot easier to reach from your gear selector,
your climate control and, well, your cupholder and all that. And that also means your
armrest is set relatively high, and that's what I like about this. Now other features... you have two USB ports and
triple-zone climate control. So it's dual for the front and
single for the rear. Also have pretty sizable cupholders, and open this... and you get a cool box which is always a plus especially if you carry drinks around a lot. Now the electronic gear shift, well... for some people, they might take
some time for them to get used to. But, you know, try to use it often enough and, you know, you're gonna get the hang of it. And you also have, of course,
your drive mode selectors: You have Eco, Comfort, and Sport. And from here, you can also access
your 360-degree camera. But we'll get more on that later. Now because of the
high-rise center console, you also have a massive cubby down here. And I think, well...
it's a sort of influence from Volvo but when you think about it,
Geely owns Volvo so probably not surprised to see this feature in just about every model they make. Now the infotainment system... and in some ways it kind of
looks like an Android display. (I actually kind of like it) And I also have to say that... well, the speed—it's pretty fast;
it's also pretty responsive. Now, of course, this is a rather
comprehensive infotainment system so you have your vehicle
settings and all that. And let me head back to the main menu; you can also fiddle around
the 360-degree camera. And there's even a 3D view just to... well, entertain you a little bit, or give you a better view
of your surroundings. So simply press 3D, and you can
change the camera view from here: I can go for the full front view, I can go for like a front
three-quarter view and all that. And not only that, you can also change
the color of the car that's on display: So right now this car
is finished in 'Luna Silver' but say, I want something
a little bit different so I'll choose 'Diamond Red'
in this case, and voila! You have a diamond-red car on the screen. (pretty entertaining) Now head back to the main menu. and... What else is there to see? Well, unfortunately it doesn't come
with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto; instead, you have something
that's called QD Link. But if you don't want to use QD Link, this car does come with auxiliary
audio and a Bluetooth system. Now as you'd expect from a vehicle this long, you'd have a lot of legroom and headroom. And as you could see, I can stretch out quite
easily in the second row of the Okavango. Legroom "pretty good" and so is kneeroom. (there's absolutely acres of it) And headroom, well...
there's a whole handspan of that. Now the Okavango also comes with
individual seats in the second row. That means where I'm sitting,
I can slide it forward and back; so can the center seat
and the one furthest from me. That also means whoever's
sitting here will be very happy because, well, the seat's
not raised and all that so he can get legroom he wants. Unfortunately, that also means
you don't have a center armrest. And your drinks, well, they're relegated
to the bottle holders on each of the doors. Now I notice a relative lack of cubby
spaces here in the second row which is a stark contrast to what's in front. (there's tons of it in front) However, it does make up for it
when it comes to versatility. Now Geely says there are
up to 19 seating configurations: So aside from sliding these
forward and back, you can also fold these down,
you could also tumble them and whatnot. Other things you could find
in the third row: You have a pair of storage
pockets on each side, and as well as a pair of cupholders. But there is one thing missing
at the back of the Okavango and that is a charging port. Now you don't even get a 12-volt socket here, which means filling up that
optional airbed is a bit cumbersome. And if you recall, well,
Pablo had a little more quality time with that optional air bed when
he did the unboxing for this model. [comfy] Now for the cargo space: And behind the third row,
you have about 250 liters and that's good enough for
like an overnight bag. But if you fold the third row down,
and it's pretty easy, all you have to do is pull the strap... and same goes for the other side... and you're looking at 1,200 liters of space. And if you fold all the seats down,
you have over 2,000 liters. And I have to say that's even more than
some mid-sized truck-based SUVs. [upbeat music] How's the Okavango like on the road? Well, like most cars these days... it comes with electronic
power steering assist. So that means the steering
effort is very light, and there's not a lot of feedback
that courses to the steering wheel. But then again, this is a family hauler so... not really expecting
a lot from that department. Now that doesn't mean the
Okavango handles like a truck, (actually it's far from it) because it's based on a car
rather than a pickup truck; it handles much like a crossover. And it doesn't feel very
cumbersome behind the wheel, and actually in fact,
it's pretty maneuverable which is a surprise considering
this car is about 4.8 meters long. (it's no small vehicle at all) One thing that does surprise me about
the Okavango is how quiet it is in here. Has a good amount of sound deadening
so that keeps out all the outside noise. Although, I have to say that you do
hear a bit of the tire noise. And those big side mirrors,
well, they contribute a bit of wind whistle between
the mirror and the window. But other than that, it is a hushed cabin. And that's also thanks in part
to the gas hybrid powertrain right up at the front,
but we'll get to that later. Now we know how the Okavango
drives, but how does it ride? Well... I do admit that you will feel the bumps in this crossover or MPV or MPV-crossover. But here's the thing,
it's not firm or it's not harsh. You will feel them
but in a sort of gentle way. So I could best describe the ride as, well, supple... and it's generally comfortable here. However, do note that... what I observed... is that when you go over a speed bump
at relatively higher speeds, you could hear the front shocks
sort of rebound a little too quickly; you're gonna hear a thud right at the front. But don't be too worried about it, that's just the suspension
reacting to the bump. (but again, it's generally comfortable) Now powering the Okavango
is a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. And I know what some of you are thinking: Isn't that a little bit too small to
carry around this big of a vehicle? Well, you have to try it out first because
that 'little engine' is turbocharged and it's good for 190 horsepower
and 300 newton-meters of torque. And those are figures we
wouldn't call "underpowered". Now how does it pull like? Well, it's pretty smooth and refined, and you can barely hear the engine working. And what's even more amusing
is even if we head uphill, it doesn't feel strained even
if you're trying to overtake. (that's how smooth that engine is) And speaking of other things
that are smooth, I have to commend
the dual-clutch transmission. Now dual-clutch transmissions tend
to be a little bit jerky for some people but not in the case of the Okavango. So the engine does deliver the goods,
but what about fuel economy? So despite having 190 horsepower
and 300 newton-meters of torque, fuel economy is, well, pretty decent. Now around the city,
I'm doing 8.8 kilometers per liter, and some would say that's a little bit thirsty for a 1.5 liter with just three cylinders. But here's the thing,
it's lugging a lot of weight. And considering the
capability of this vehicle... 8.8 kilometers per liter is pretty good. (actually really commendable) But let's say you often take
the Okavango out on the highway, well, you're looking at figures
of about 15 kilometers per liter. And let's say it's a mix of both city
and touring and a bit of highway, I saw figures of about
12 to 13 kilometers per liter. So in some ways, it consumes
a little bit like a diesel but without the vibration or the harshness. [upbeat music] So what do we think of the Okavango? Well, I have to say after trying it out
and looking at the prices, it presents a pretty good
value proposition too. Now the entry-level Comfort variant
starts at 1,208,000 pesos, while this Urban variant starts at 1,328,000. Now some of you thinking
that's a lot of cash to shell out but here's the thing... it's more affordable than
similarly sized vehicles and it has a lot more standard equipment. Not to mention loads of room inside. So yes, I have to say that
Geely is three-for-three so far with the impressive Coolray and Azkarra, and we can add the Okavango to the list. But one question still remains: Is it a crossover-MPV or an MPV-crossover? Well, we'll leave that up to you guys to decide. Now this has been Anton Andres
from AutoIndustriya.com If you enjoyed this review,
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