Geely Preface, Xingyue L i-HEV – 1.5L hybrid, 1-speed DHT, up to 25.1 km/l; tech coming to Proton hybrids?

Following on from its announcement of a new i-HEV hybrid powertrain, Geely has now launched the first models fitted with the system in China – the Preface and Xingyue L (Monjaro in export markets) i-HEV. This system essentially brings Geely’s know-how from its plug-in hybrid models to more conventional self-charging hybrids, like the ones found in Japanese rivals.

Just like the eMas 7 PHEV, it uses an 11-in-1 single-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) that integrates the electric motor. The latter powers the car most of the time, with the engine – a hybrid-specific BHE15 1.5 litre four-cylinder – being used to charge the battery. However, the combustion mill can also clutch in to provide motive power at higher speeds where it is most efficient, similar to Honda’s e:HEV hybrids.

We should point out that the powertrains in the Preface and Xingyue L are not exactly the same. The sedan uses a detuned electric motor producing 190 PS (140 kW) and 240 Nm of torque, juiced by a 111 PS/136 Nm naturally-aspirated mill.

Those outputs from the four-banger, by the way, are the same as those in the Chinese-market Galaxy Starship 7, which in turn is more powerful than the eMas 7 PHEV. It’s unclear if this engine is the latest version with a claimed thermal efficiency of 48.41%, vis-à-vis the Galaxy Starship 7’s 47.26%.

Meanwhile, the Xingyue L uses the Galaxy Starship 7’s electric motor (confused yet?) for the full 238 PS (175 kW) and 262 Nm. This motor – and the larger, heavier SUV body – obviously needs more electricity, so the ICE instead gets a turbo and makes 163 PS and 255 Nm.

The i-HEV’s positioning is complicated by the fact that the Preface and Xingyue L are both already offered with a hybrid powertrain, utilising the aforementioned turbo mill, a torquier 136 PS/320 Nm electric motor and a more complex three-speed DHT tuned to provide greater performance.

The efficiency gains are minimal to say the least, with the Preface i-HEV boasting a WLTP-rated fuel consumption figure of 3.98 litres per 100 km (25.1 km per litre), versus 4.22 litres per 100 km (23.7 km per litre) for the existing Preface Hybrid. The difference is even slimmer for the Xingyue L i-HEV, achieving 4.75 litres per 100 km (21.1 km per litre) as opposed to the Hybrid’s 4.79 litres per 100 km (20.9 km per litre).

As expected, the main benefit is cost. With less moving parts, the Preface i-HEV is priced starting from 107,700 yuan (RM62,400), significantly lower than the 126,700 yuan (RM73,500) Preface Hybrid. Meanwhile, the Xingyue L i-HEV starts from 148,700 yuan (RM86,200), compared to 167,700 yuan (RM97,200) for the Xingyue L Hybrid.

The i-HEV powertrain will next be offered in the fifth-generation Emgrand (the successor to the car that spawned the Proton S70) and the Boyue (formerly known as the Boyue Cool). The Emgrand was the one that managed to hit 2.22 litres per 100 km (45 km per litre) in a highway test, as certified by Guinness World Records. With parts being shared with the eMas 7 PHEV, could we see the i-HEV system making its way to Proton’s hybrid models that were announced in late 2025 and set to arrive as soon as this year?

GALLERY: Geely Preface i-HEV

GALLERY: Geely Xingyue L i-HEV

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