Geely Cityray

Design & Quality

The interior of the CityRay is refreshingly spacious and feels far more premium than you’d expect for the price. That makes the Chinese brands a lot more evolved now by offering something the customers will just love. It reflects in the materials, which are soft to touch, and I didn’t notice any cheap plastics that creak, and the quality is also nothing to complain about, which is a positive for the brand.

The cabin has a lot of space, like head and shoulder room, and the surfaces are easy to wipe clean, which makes your job of keeping the cabin dust-free rather easy. The fancy 72-colour ambient lighting is meant for a nice glow at night, and the big 13.2-inch 2K screen is crisp and fun to use. Another big aspect of Chinese OEMs, they are really good at electric and modern interior experience; the CityRay user experience is a great example of it. Seats are well cushioned and ventilated, and cabin insulation is impressive, which means the quietness is high. The tech experience is further elevated by wireless charging, ADAS, and even ventilated seats in mid trims. Against rivals like the Venue or Sonet, in terms of more space, better features, and still manages to be priced lower.

Front Seat

The front seats in the CityRay feel well designed for both comfort and practicality. In the base trims, there are manual adjustments that still allow a decent driving position, while the higher trims offer power adjustments, memory function, and ventilation comes as a standard. The high driving position actually achieves its purpose of offering a commanding view of the road, and you’ll find driving through the city or highway feels better, less stressful than a lets say, a sedan.  The leather-wrapped steering is grippy with a touch of high class and feels good in the hands, making long drives more enjoyable. 

Electronic Parking Brake

This comes standard across all variants and is most useful during bumper-to-bumper conditions. I didn’t have to keep pressing the brake every few seconds, which took out a lot of stress when returning from the office during peak traffic hours. 

Rear Seat

At the rear seat, greater comfort is ensured with higher legroom and headroom. Generally, a three seater is good for two adults, but the third one can also sit; however, not recommended for long drives, as obviously they will be uncomfortable. but not for long drives. The split-folding option is for flexibility, letting you expand the boot space easily when carrying larger items. Knowing that families love practical touches, there are rear AC vents that keep passengers cool, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, and a centre armrest (rather standard these days) with cupholders, which means greater convenience during long trips. It feels like a cabin designed with family comfort in mind, and there are a lot of indicators of that effect around the cabin, which point towards everyday usability.

AC Vents

The automatic climate control, another standard in most cars, is good and does the job of cooling the cabin rather quickly, with no issue or any complaint as such. The rear vents do their job well, and the air purifier helps filter dust. Even in peak sun, the system kept things comfortable without being noisy.

Storage Options

The cabin storage includes a big enough, easy-to-access, lit glovebox, door pockets for bottles, and even useful cubbies in the centre. Boot has under-floor storage too, which helps keep things organised, and you can carry everything you wish. 

Armrest

Both front and rear armrests are an addition that enhances comfort and also becomes practical when it comes to using them as storage or work space. The rear one comes with cupholders, good for longer family drives.

Charging Options

You get several USB Type-C and Type-A ports at the front and back, and higher trims come with a wireless charging pad that works flawlessly, something I love during our test drives.  

Boot Space

The SUV comes with 571 litres of boot space, which is quite big for this segment, and should serve well for all types of cargo hauling needs. With the seats folded, you get even more space.  Access to the boot is easy, loading and unloading feel like a cakewalk, without much effort. 

• 6 airbags  

• ABS with EBD  
• ESC, hill assist  
• Blind-spot detection  

• Lane-keep assist  

• AEB pedestrian  

• Rear Cross Traffic Assist

• Forward Collision Warning 

• TPMS  
• Door open warning  
• High-strength body  

In the exterior, the CityRay SUV doesn’t fail to attract attention due to its prominent design cues and overall imposing road presence. It has that stylish, upscale vibe with sporty lines that make it look more expensive than it is. The new headlights are bright at night, and the two-tone body on the higher trims makes it premium.

The overall design is fresh and practical, giving you the feeling of something stylish without being bulky. Especially the 4,510 mm of length and a width of 1,865 mm, make it compact enough for perfect city drives, and the 200 mm ground clearance means speed breakers and sandy patches don’t feel like a big deal, something SUVs are known for, and preferred these days, over sedans. 

Front

The front of the CityRay is typical of an SUV with some modern design elements. The sizable grille looks appropriate with the edgy style. The placement of these lights at the front makes the overall appearance smart and futuristic.  The hood has a muscular feel visible from the inside, cementing its SUV-like stance. So, looking right at the front, the CityRay would feel like greeting you with its special appeal, and make you notice the car and pay a little more attention.

Side

The side is equally well designed and looks planted. The flowing character lines and slightly flared wheel arches give it a strong persona. The chrome touches around the windows for premiumness, and the roof rails are more than just for show; handy when carrying extra gear.  The wheelbase is 2,701 mm for better stability. Lastly, what caught my attention is how the paintwork reflects nicely under the sun, especially during evening drives; it does have a certain charm and special vibe.

Alloy Wheels

The alloys are strong, look classy and also stylish. The top GC variants are offered with 19-inch wheels, while others get 18-inch, and they do look sharp. On the 19s with 235/45R19 tires, grip felt confident both on tarmac and when venturing onto sandy bits. The tires appear durable enough for dusty conditions and give the CityRay a tougher character without making the ride harsher.

Rear

After a closer look at the rear reveals the simplistic and orderly design, which actually is quite straightforward. The LED taillights are covered around for clear signalling, and the spoiler gives a sporty edge. The skid plate is great when driving through loose gravel; it protects well. Since this is a compact SUV, parking in tight spots was rather easy.

Colors

As far as exterior colours go, you have four choices, White, Silver, Blue and Grey.

City Performance

Perhaps the name rightly says so, this is a city SUV, made for urban driving needs. The compact size, appropriate power and torque along with easy steering make it effortless for everyday commute or shopping trips to the city a lot easier. The steering is feather-light at low speeds, which makes tight turns, parking in crowded lots, and driving through narrow lanes a breeze. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine is tuned well, and getting strong low-end torque is not a problem. And, this helps in filling in gaps in traffic or climbing flyovers never feels like a struggle. The dual-clutch transmission can hesitate slightly during stop-go situations, but it gets well on the move, shifts are smooth and largely seamless. With a calm right foot. The cabin stays well-insulated from outside noise, and the ADAS suite, particularly blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, makes your city driving a lot cooler.

Highway Performance

Just like city drives, on the highway, the CityRay is equally promising. At a high speed of over 120, which is what you would do on our open highways, it feels in command and boosts your confidence. shows a more confident side. The turbo engine has enough punch in reserve to make highway overtakes quick and not much of any real trouble, while Sport mode sharpens throttle response for drivers who want an extra burst of energy. The cabin noise is low for an enjoyable long drive. A must-have feature for highway driving is the adaptive cruise control, which helps you a lot during steady driving and reduces efforts and, in turn, fatigue. Fuel efficiency also improves on steady runs, climbing closer to 16 km/l. Also, the gearbox feels at its best here, smooth response and predictable.

Ride and Handling

Ride comfort is one of the CityRay’s biggest strengths, which is at least our conclusion after the time spent with the SUV. The suspension has been tuned to strike a good balance between comfort and control. The regular bumps, potholes, and speed breakers are taken care of well without many bumps into the cabin. On mixed road surfaces, it feels stable and in better shape, which gives you confidence for longer journeys. The steering is not bad either, the best of both city and highway. With 200 mm of ground clearance, the SUV also has superb ability to tackle sandy stretches and rough patches without scraping or giving you much trouble. For families, the balance of comfort and stability is something of their liking, which makes the CityRay a suitable companion for both weekday commutes and weekend trips.

• A 13.2-inch 2K touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto  

• 10.2-inch digital cluster  

• Leatherette seats  
• Automatic AC  
• 6-8 speaker audio  
• Keyless entry  
• Adaptive cruise (higher trims)  

• 540-degree camera  

• Panoramic sunroof (GC/GK)  
• Wireless charger  
• Voice control  

GC – SAR 86,500

Entry-level but far from basic. You get LED headlights, a 13.2-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, and the full ADAS features. The sunroof is missing, but overall, not a bad choice if the budget is tight.

GK – SAR 91,500

This middle variant is a bargain, above the base, with an extra price you get ventilated seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a power liftgate, which elevates comfort significantly. It’s the most balanced option for families without overspending.

GF – SAR 97,900

The top-end, with that premium, and everything loaded into the SUV. The leather upholstery, premium audio, and every luxury feature available.

Sayarabay Recommendation: Not much of a confusion to recommend the GK for obvious reasons. At SAR 91,500, it is decently equipped, you hardly miss much, and don’t have to sell out much.

What Geely is offering you in CityRay points towards a bargain buy, and also the emergence of Chinese brands as key rivals to more established ones. There is a lot on offer, including stylish design, spacious interiors, and advanced technology makes it a compelling choice, while the pricing is much lower than the popular brands in the segment, and you don’t miss any real features. undercuts many rivals without skimping on features.

In the city, it is agile and efficient, on highways, it stays composed and frugal, and is capable of handling occasional light off-road stretches without complaint. Some of you may feel a little trouble with the dual-clutch gearbox at very low speeds, but this isn't a deal breaker. For families, young professionals, or first-time SUV buyers who want a stylish, practical, and feature-loaded SUV that delivers strong value, the CityRay ticks all the right boxes.

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