This is the new Cool. With a name like that, you'll expect additional flair and more power, and joy of joys, they're all present. And it also wants to chomp at the .
Spun from the carmaker's B-Segment Modular Architecture (BMA) platform – like the one our sits on – the Binrui Cool sports aggressive styling (termed 'Racing Storm') that's aimed at luring those who grew up on Need For Speed to sign the dotted lines.
In some angles it looks a bit like its cousin, the Geely Emgrand, but not many youngins would like that. Cue then a gaping front bumper, a spoiler which has nothing subtle about it, and bright brake calipers peeking behind 17-inch wheels.
Digitalisation takes centrestage in the cabin, and this has got a double-screen setup: there's a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, and extending from that is a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
With customisability being a key point, the Binrui Cool comes with several colourway choices for the interior, corresponding to its exterior paint. There's also a 72-colour ambient lighting.
Like the recently-refreshed Geely Binyue, the Binrui Cool also drops its three-cylinder engine for a turbocharged four-pot: good for 181 PS and 235 Nm. Linked to a wet-type 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT), it's more powerful than the regular Binrui with its 1.4-litre mill.
With these outputs, it matches the China-spec Civic (182 PS and 240 Nm). Prices for the Geely Binrui Cool are set to start from RMB 79,800 (~RM 52,757), as it begins domestic sales in the second quarter of this year.
Keyword: Geely Binrui Cool turns up the heat on Honda Civic with edgy styling, 181 PS/235 Nm