The Geely Emgrand->ke4939 7 is one of the most important export cars for the Chinese brand. The car itself has been designed to appeal to European tastes, regulations and safety expectations. As it stands the Emgrand 7 is the only car that was Chinese designed and built to score a four-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test ratings. The Emgrand 7 debuted in 2009 and has carried on unchanged since that date. There is no refresh in site as we head into the 2014 model year.

A pair of fuel efficient engines and a pair of transmission options ensure that there are plenty of choices to meet the varied demands found across the Chinese->ke2090 and European markets. There is even a five-door variant of the 7 called the RV for buyers who need a bit more space.

Is the Emgrand 7 a good car for Geely->ke3815 to enter the U.S. market with? It has the spaciousness to match many of the current competitors, but a rock bottom price could help score it extra sales. Take a closer look at all the features of the Geely Emgrand 7 below and let us know in the comments if you think this seems like a good candidate for North America.

Click past the jump to read more about Geely Emgrand 7.

Exterior

Like most midsize sedans on sale today, the Emgrand 7 falls on the boring but safe side of the design scale. It is a machine that is supposed to look handsome without drawing too much attention to itself. The hood features a few interesting sculpted cuts that remind me a touch of the older Skoda Octavia,->ke1949, and there are some lines in the profile that add some character to the body, but overall it is appropriately simple and unobtrusive.

The best exterior design touch to my eyes are the alloy wheels. There is a simple five-spoke design, but there is also a second five-spoke alloy wheel that features an unique cutting design that is oddly reminiscent of the old Porsche->ke1 “Turbo Twist” wheels.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

The interior is a very traditional setup as well. The front seats are buckets, the rear seats are bench that is designed to hold two, but can squeeze three if needed. Although for some really weird reason, there are four seatbelts in the photos. Not sure what that is about.

The cockpit itself is mostly beige in color with a splash of dark grey on the dash and the tops of the door panels to add a little flavor to the color palette. There is also a grey-and-black combination interior available as well. The actual interior design in regards to ergonomics looks like a solid mix of Nissan->ke62 and Toyota,->ke88 with a navigation unit that was sourced from GM. To the left of the steering wheel you will find large square buttons to operate functions like trunk opening and traction control, the steering wheel features buttons arranged three per side, and the center infotainment is stacked by small square buttons.

Drivetrain

Powering the 7 is a pair of motors available in a trio of configurations. The base-level car carries a 1.5-liter engine with a manual transmission. This produces 107 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque. One optional unit is a 1.8-liter engine with 131 horsepower and 125 pounds of twist. This engine also comes mated to a five-speed manual . The final engine choice is still a 1.8-liter, but power is bumped slightly to 136 horsepower and 126 pound-feet. This final engine configuration comes equipped with a CVT automatic.

Performance isn’t exactly blistering. The base 1.5 is quoted for a 0-to-60 sprint of 18 agonizing seconds with a top speed of 105 mph. The 1.8 is good for a 14-second 60-mph sprint and a 111-mph top speed with the manual. The CVT is quicker to 60 at 13 seconds, but it is slightly slower with a top speed of 109 mph.

Needless to say, the only engine option that would make it here in the states is the 1.8-liter.

Drivetrain/Specifications

Prices

We don’t have exact pricing for the Emgrand 7, but Geely sells the car in other countries, so perhaps we can get a good idea of what might happen if the car goes on sale here in the U.S. In Iran, you can get a top trim model with the 1.8-liter engine and the CVT transmission for around $13,500. I wouldn’t see it as a stretch for Geely to keep the car under $15,000 for a starting price if it heads to North America.

Competition

Nissan Versa

The Nissan Versa may play in a market that is smaller and more economically focused than the the “entry-level luxury” of the Emgrand 7, but when the Nissan is the cheapest car you can buy in the States today it pulls some of the wind out of Geely’s sails. With a starting price of just $11,900 the Versa is substantially cheaper than our best estimate for the Geely. With only 109 horsepower, and a much smaller footprint, the Versa doesn’t have the performance or space of the Emgrand 7.

It will be interesting to see how they compete in terms of equipment though. Even the cheapest Versa comes with air conditioning and Bluetooth. The Versa also has the well-known Nissan name behind it, and it holds the record as “best-selling entry vehicle” for five years running now.

Honda Accord

It seems impossible to discuss midsize family sedans without discussing the venerable Honda. With a base engine that pumps out 185 horsepower, a standard six-speed manual transmission, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth, eight-inch infotainment screen and more, the Accord handily trumps the features and performance of the Geely. That said, the Accord also starts above $22,000. This means it could be as much as $8,000 more expensive than the Chinese car.

The Honda Accord does score higher in crash tests however, and that is an extremely important selling point in this market. If Geely can nail the driving experience and luxury interior trim pieces, they may be able steal a fair number of sales from cash-strapped buyers who want the space and practicality of a larger midsize sedan but can’t afford a new Accord or Camry.

Conclusion

The Geely Emgrand 7 has some strong points. It is one of the safest cars to come out of China, it boasts a relatively competitive size, interior configuration and exterior style, and with a projected price of $15,000, or so, it will be the cheapest car in its segment.

I am still not sure that buyers are willing to sacrifice interior equipment and higher safety ratings to save money when these sedan's are primarily used as family cars.