Launched in China again in 2022, the Geely Panda Mini has obtained a facelift forward of the Auto Shanghai motor present later this month. The tiny four-seater electrical metropolis automotive, which competes in opposition to the likes of the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV and Air EV, will get an excellent cuter design and a few much-needed security upgrades.
Revisions embrace a brand new entrance finish, nonetheless with giant spherical headlights however with a black strip becoming a member of them, operating throughout the charging port with the “Geome” badge (brief for Geometry, now folded into the principle Geely lineup). The entrance bumper design can also be cleaner with pill-shaped corners, one thing that’s repeated within the rear. In the meantime, the 13-inch wheels get new covers somewhat harking back to a fidget spinner.
The redesign continues on the within with a much more trendy design for the dashboard, door playing cards and two-spoke steering wheel, together with air vents within the aforementioned capsule form. You continue to get a 9.2-inch slimline LCD instrument show, an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen, an non-obligatory reverse digital camera and an octagonal rotary gear selector sitting atop a slender centre console.
Security has been bolstered significantly with the addition of a entrance passenger airbag, taking the house on the dashboard as soon as occupied by a storage cubby. Thoughts you, that also means the Panda Mini solely has two airbags in complete. Stability management and hill begin help have additionally been added, though the automotive nonetheless misses out on driver assists reminiscent of autonomous emergency braking (in fact).
Additionally unchanged are the mechanicals, with the one entrance motor persevering with to push out simply 27 PS (20 kW) and 85 Nm of torque. Much more surprising is the minuscule 9.61 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a spread of simply 120 km – and that’s on China’s ridiculously lenient CLTC cycle.
The “Endurance” fashions are extra highly effective, producing 41 PS (30 kW) and 110 Nm of torque and getting a bigger 17.03 kWh LFP battery for further vary. Further is relative, nevertheless, as even these variants are solely able to travelling as much as 200 km on a single cost. Regardless of the additional oomph, all Panda Minis are restricted to a prime pace of simply 100 km/h.
You do not less than get help for 22 kW of DC charging with the bigger battery, taking half an hour to prime up the pack from 30 to 80% cost. You additionally get faster 3.3 kW of AC charging, shaving half an hour off the charging time from 20 to 100% – 5 hours for the bottom fashions, 4.5 hours for variations with the 17.02 kWh battery.
The principle profit of those underwhelming specs is that the Panda Mini is severely low-cost, ranging from solely 29,900 yuan (RM18,000). You’ll must pay extra for fashions with the larger battery in fact – not less than 49,900 yuan (RM30,000), rising as much as 53,900 yuan (RM32,500) for all of the bells and whistles. The brand new inside and security options, by the way in which, have additionally been fitted to the Panda Knight and Panda Kart.
With the Panda Mini now getting twin airbags and stability management, there’s much less of a barrier for it coming into Malaysia with a Proton badge (other than, you realize, the entire right-hand-drive conversion factor). It would, nevertheless, be somewhat bit costlier over right here, and its poor vary means it can battle to seek out consumers. Would you get one? Hold forth within the feedback after the bounce.
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