I had a buddy who bought a Geely Coolray during the pandemic.
He was doing really well as a multi-level marketing specialist at the time, genuinely working hard and making it happen when a lot of us were just surviving.
He deserved that car.
And when I first saw one parked outside SM Lanang, I remember thinking… okay.
This is actually really nice.
Like, nicer than I expected from a Chinese brand.
That was a few years ago.
My opinion of the Coolray has only gone up since.
How It Looks
The Coolray looks like it costs more than it does. That’s the simplest way I can put it.
Design features include a larger aggressive grille and air inlet, “Energy Matrix” LED headlights, and Tomahawk-style 18-inch alloy wheels with sport calipers.
At the back it gets angular LED taillights joined by a full-width lightbar, plus red accents, a rear spoiler, diffuser, and quad tailpipes.
This is a nice looking car that can easily be rebranded as a more expensive car and people would still line up to pay for it.
Performance
The Coolray is a cool car.
The new NordThor 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine produces 174 horsepower and 290 Nm of torque, routed through a 7-speed wet-type dual clutch transmission with four drive modes.
Zero to 100 km/h is dispatched in just 7.6 seconds.
7.6 seconds.
That’s quick for a crossover in this price range.
For comparison, most naturally aspirated competitors take 10 to 12 seconds to do the same run.
And in Eco mode, fuel efficiency reaches around 17.24 km/L, which is solid for a turbocharged engine.
The BMA architecture is engineered to balance dynamic performance with everyday comfort, and is designed to prioritize handling performance.
Comfort and Practicality
The cabin gets a monolithic-style gauge cluster combining a 10.25-inch driver display and a 12.3-inch high-definition touchscreen for infotainment, a leather-clad multi-function steering wheel, shift-by-wire gear selector, wireless charger, rhythmic ambient lighting, and a panoramic sunroof.
The panoramic sunroof opens up the cabin with a generous 0.8 square meters of visible area and an ambient lighting system illuminates the diamond-pattern door panels.
The rear seats feature a 6:4 split with foldable backrests which is practical for grocery runs or weekend trips to Samal.
Safety includes blind spot detection, automated parking assist for both parallel and perpendicular parking, and a 360 degree camera system.
That 360 degree camera is especially useful when parking in tight spots at Abreeza or any mall here in Davao.
Variant Price List
| Variant | Price |
| Comfort | ₱989,000 |
| Premium | ₱1,049,000 |
| Sport | ₱1,149,000 |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Turbocharged 174hp engine genuinely quick for its price
- 7.6 second 0-100 is best in class
- Stunning interior tech (dual screens, 72-color ambient lighting)
- 540-degree panoramic camera
- Panoramic sunroof standard on higher trims
- Bold design that looks premium
Cons
- Dual clutch can feel hesitant in slow stop-and-go traffic
- 180mm ground clearance is lower than some competitors
- Geely service center network in Davao still smaller than Toyota or Mitsubishi
- No Android Auto (only Apple CarPlay) on the 2025 model
- Brand resale value still catching up to Japanese compettitors
Should You Get One?
If you’re open to a Chinese brand and you want a car that genuinely punches above its price… yes. The Coolray Sport Plus at ₱1.149 million gives you a turbocharged engine, a stunning interior, and features you’d normally only see in cars costing ₱400,000 to ₱500,000 more. The Coolray I saw may have been an older model but it still looked great. The new one looks even better!
