Disclaimer: Sojitz G Auto Philippines Corporation, the official importer and distributor of Geely in the Philippines, very kindly lent us a 2022 Geely Okavango Urban Plus for one week. It came with a full tank of gas and RFID cards with load. AutoFun Philippines paid for additional fuel, toll fees and a car wash.

Being a race organizer and a race instructor is exhausting.

Case in point, when the Philippine Autocross Championship Series (PACS) held its Danny Santiago’s “Track All You Want” event on March 10 to 12, 2023, I was there for three days as a Senior Instructor.

Many of the participants had never set foot in a motorsports environment, but they decided to give it a shot. The challenge was guiding over 80 drivers over three days, from correcting their seating position to teaching them proper techniques for steering and braking.

At the end of each day, the drivers set timed runs to provide a quantitative measure of their driving aptitude and compare their performance to other drivers. Some were so excited by this that they joined more than one session.

Despite the work, it was always worth it because all the drivers discovered something new that can help them be better on the road. 

And for the first two days, I had a steed that wafted me to and from my home in Quezon City to the event in Santa Rosa, Laguna – the Geely Okavango Urban Plus.

It’s an SUV

Following the sensation that the smaller Geely Coolray caused in the subcompact crossover segment, the Okavango hopes to do the same against some really big boys.

This top-spec Urban Plus variant takes on the likes of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport and Toyota Fortuner, which are both highly established, seven-seat sport-utility vehicles (SUV) that use ladder-frame chassis from pick-up trucks.

The Geely may be big, but it actually sits on a unibody, front-wheel-drive platform. And styling-wise, it eschews “macho” things like big bumpers and large wheel arches, leading to a functional if fairly anonymous look.

Up front, the familiar Geely grill is flanked by adaptive LED headlights that not only provide excellent lighting, but also follow your steering input. The array of LED foglights also lights up as you make a turn for even more visibility.

The Okavango is rather slab-sided, with only some silver trim and character lines around the wheel arches providing some pizzazz. This Urban Plus variant comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels.

At the rear, again, not much happening except for the large LED taillights and lower bumper garnish.

Palatial interior

Just stepping inside the Okavango already shows a huge difference from its ladder-frame rivals.

The floor is much lower in the Geely than in the Fortuner or Montero Sport. Combined with the tall roofline, the interior space can almost be measured in stories – a trait that contributes to the good all-around visibility.

Much like the Coolray that I tested, the dashboard is quite stylish, with all the switches within easy reach. There are also huge storage spaces in the armrest, glove compartment and doors, along with a massive panoramic moonroof that can really brighten up the interior.

Although the Okavango has nice leather, there is quite a lot of hard, scratchy plastic on the door cards and the dash. However, the digital gauge cluster is easy to read and changes color according to the driving mode you use.

The second and third rows, although fiddly to move around, offer plenty of room for all occupants. All the chairs in the second row can also be moved individually, a neat feature that allows for more flexibility when hauling cargo and passengers.

And because all of the rear seats can fold flat, the Okavango has 2,050 liters of cargo volume. This was more than enough for the two-dozen cones I had to haul for the PACS event.

Driving experience needs work

Because of the completely different way that the Okavango is made, it has a more car-like driving experience than other seven-seat SUVs.

The ride is much less bouncy than the Fortuner or Montero Sport, but the soft springs produce quite a bit of body lean in the corners. The 18-inch wheels and tires are also quite crashy over big bumps.

The light steering is also welcome, along with the impressively small turning radius. But at higher speeds, there’s a clear lack of reassuring heft that even the Montero Sport has.

Power is courtesy of a turbocharged 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 12-valve inline-3 gasoline engine, also used in the Coolray. For this application, it pumps out 193 PS and 300 Nm of torque, which are coursed through a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

The powerplant may be more refined than its turbodiesel rivals, but you can really feel the torque difference, especially when you floor it. The turbo really kicks in at around 2,000 rpm and the boost gently peters out near the redline.

As with the Coolray, the DCT is jerky when accelerating from a stop, also struggling with parking on inclines. The Okavango comes with a mild-hybrid system that powers the air-con and infotainment system while the engine is shut off. 

However, the system has an odd habit of cutting power at low speeds even when the Okavango has not yet fully stopped, which can be a bit alarming if you are relying on engine braking.

Speaking of the brakes, the Okavango has much more stopping power than the Coolray and is controlled by a nice, firm pedal.

Fuel consumption too high

Another thing that the Okavango carries over from its smaller sibling is the strong fuel consumption.

Even with the mild-hybrid system, I could only get 6 to 9 km/L in the city driving below 2,000 rpm in Eco mode. Fuel economy out on the expressway is a respectable 13 to 16 km/L, with 100 km/h coming in at a serene 1,900 rpm in 7th gear using the cruise control.

I must also take this time to discuss the Okavango’s build quality. This test unit is a 2022 model with a little over 22,000 km on the odometer.

There was noticeable chatter from the engine at idle, even when the car has been warmed up. The rear camera also made a noise because of a part defect and the fuel filler door simply would not close properly.

Then again, these things may just be for this particular unit, which has done (likely) hard miles as a media test car.

A compelling alternative

In summary, the Geely Okavango Urban Plus offers SUV buyers a more realistic rendition of the modern seven-seat SUV.

I say more realistic because these big cars are used more for urban haulers than for getting rough and ready on unpaved paths. In effect, Geely has gotten all the space and practicality of a seven-seater, without the outdoor pretension and physical exertion of a typical SUV.

And with a price tag of ₱1,765,000, it certainly offers plenty for people who would typically be shopping for midrange Fortuners and Montero Sports.

If Geely can work on difficult driving dynamics and, perhaps, bring in a full-hybrid version, then it could really bring the fight to its Japanese rivals.

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