Geely Galaxy M9 leaked – production Starship is a flagship 6-seater PHEV SUV, Proton version coming?

The Geely Galaxy Starship concept may have given its name to the Galaxy Starship 7, but this is what the car was always supposed to become. The production version, a flagship six-seater plug-in hybrid SUV, has been sighted completely undisguised in Milan ahead of its world premiere there this Thursday, May 22, and it’s clearly a descendant of the show car.

Except the name. In a twist of irony, the car that sired Geely’s Galaxy Star lineup of PHEVs won’t be called a Starship or Star-anything – instead, it will be called the Galaxy M9, bringing it closer to electric models like the E5 (the Proton eMas 7‘s twin) and regular PHEVs like the L6. According to Geely, the M stands for Master (master quality), Mountain (peak technology), and Moment (creating good times for users).

Beyond the confusing name, the car as seen in these photos posted on Autohome shares more than a few key design cues from the Starship concept, not least the dark blue paint. The large body features full-width front and rear light bars integrating the head- and taillights, a clean front end with minimal adornment, prominent chrome side window trim and upright C-pillars.

The few changes are minor in nature, including proper door mirrors, conventional pull-type door handles (a strange choice at a time when everyone is going flush) and a pair of fake exhaust outlets. Oh, and there are also large multi-spoke alloy wheels that is becoming a trademark for the Star lineup.

Geely seems to be on a roll when it comes to large SUVs, the M9 forming a trifecta together with the Zeekr 9X and Lynk & Co 900. Given the relatively low positioning of the mother brand, however, don’t expect this car to have anything like as much power as the other two, which can be had with well in excess of 800 PS.

Instead, the M9 should share the same powertrains as the rest of the Star lineup, including the efficiency-biased EM-i system that pairs a 111 PS/136 Nm 1.5 litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine with a 11-to-1 electrified dedicated hybrid transmission (E-DHT), the latter incorporating an electric motor producing 218 PS (160 kW) and 262 Nm. With a large enough battery and fuel tank, it should provide the circa-2,000 km total range that Geely touted during the reveal of the Starship concept last year.

Also expected is the performance-focused EM-P setup with a 163 PS/255 Nm turbocharged engine and a three-speed DHT (3DHT Evo) for a total system output of 381 PS and 605 Nm of torque. An additional 212 PS rear motor can be optioned with this powertrain, pushing power up to 593 PS.

The western location of the M9’s debut could be hinting at the car’s global aspirations, which raises one question – could the car eventually make it to Malaysia as the flagship of the eMas lineup (an eMas 9 PHEV, perhaps)? One thing’s for certain: if it does come here, it will likely be the most expensive Proton ever by a long shot, surpassing even the X90.

GALLERY: Geely Galaxy Starship concept at Auto China 2024

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