Geely’s New Hybrid SUV Just Showed Up With 1,113 Horsepower, and the Defender Should Be Nervous

Geely has finally revealed its first serious attempt at a hardcore off-road SUV, and the numbers are hard to ignore. Known as the Galaxy Zhanjian 700 in China and the Cruiser 700 everywhere else, the new plug-in hybrid debuted in Hangzhou on July 24 before making a quick stop in Milan just two days later. That kind of rollout tells you exactly how serious Geely is about going global with this one.

The name “Zhanjian” roughly translates to “warship,” and honestly, it fits. Boxy proportions, a tall stance, and a full-size spare mounted on the tailgate all point to a rig built for trails, not just grocery runs. It’s the classic off-roader formula, just reworked with a battery pack and electric motors under the skin.

A Powertrain That Puts Luxury SUVs to Shame

The headline number here is output. The Cruiser 700’s plug-in hybrid setup produces a combined 1,113 horsepower, thanks to a gas engine up front paired with two electric motors driving the rear axle, all coordinated through an all-wheel-drive system.

That figure alone is more than double what you’d get from a Land Rover Defender OCTA, which happens to be the exact rival Geely built this thing to beat. The power-to-weight math backs it up too: at roughly 6,350 pounds, the Cruiser 700 delivers about 175 horsepower per ton.

Where things get interesting is the rear axle setup. With two separate motors linked through a hydraulic coupling, the SUV can shift power around individually when one wheel loses grip. That’s the kind of engineering that separates a genuinely trail-capable rig from something that just looks the part in a parking lot.

Battery, Range, and Water Fording

Under the floor sits a 47.14-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack supplied by CATL. Depending on trim, that’s good for somewhere between 102 and 115 miles of pure electric driving before the gas engine needs to kick in.

Off the pavement, the Cruiser 700 comes with locking differentials and can ford water up to 31.5 inches deep, a figure that holds its own against plenty of gas-only off-roaders that have been doing this for decades.

Big Footprint, Bigger Presence

Nobody’s going to call the Cruiser 700 small. It stretches 200.2 inches long and 78.7 inches wide, riding on a 114.2-inch wheelbase. Height varies by configuration, running from about 74.6 to 75.8 inches depending on trim.

Those dimensions put it in the same conversation as a Defender 130 or one of the larger Toyota Land Cruiser variants — full-size territory, no exceptions.

A Cabin Built for Getting Dirty

Step inside and the Cruiser 700 mixes a large touchscreen with actual physical buttons, a combination that’s become rare in new vehicles but makes a lot of sense in something meant to tackle rough terrain. The digital gauge cluster runs edge to edge, the infotainment screen floats above the dash, and the shifter takes a traditional form modeled after a boat’s throttle lever. A rotary dial handles the drive-mode switching.

Up on the roof, a LiDAR sensor hints at some form of advanced driver-assistance tech, possibly including a camera-based rearview system, since that full-size spare mounted out back blocks a good chunk of the traditional rearview mirror’s sightline.

Availability and Pricing

China is expected to get the Cruiser 700 sometime later in 2026. On the international side, the United Kingdom has been confirmed as the first market outside China to get the SUV, with additional regions following in 2027. There’s no word yet on whether — or when — it’ll reach the US.

Geely hasn’t announced official pricing. Industry estimates put the starting price somewhere around $70,000, though that’s speculation until the automaker confirms regional figures.

The Bottom Line

The Cruiser 700 is Geely’s shot at a segment it’s never really competed in before: buyers who want a genuinely capable off-roader with cutting-edge tech and an electrified powertrain to boot. How it actually performs off-road is still an open question, but on paper, it’s already trading blows with the biggest names in the business.