Geely seeking staff ahead of return to Australia – entry into RHD market under own brand, not Proton?

Geely looks set to make a return to Australia after the sighting of a job posting on LinkedIn where the Chinese automaker is seeking a national marketing director. The brand’s return was also indicated by recently filed trademarks, as reported by CarExpert.

In January this year, the company filed to trademark the Geely name, and before that in October last 2023, it did the same for what appears to be its simplified and flatter logo that was unveiled last January.

Unlike Malaysia that receives Geely models adapted for the local market (right-hand drive conversion, styling adjustments) and sold through Proton, it looks like Australia will welcome the company’s namesake brand. It was previously understood that Geely would market its cars under the Proton name in RHD markets. In an initial announcement from years ago, Geely said Proton would be its RHD production hub

However, Australia was never mentioned to begin with, so we are unsure if things have changed or if this was never part of the Proton deal in the first place. For now there’s no official word on when Geely Australia will begin operations, nor is there any indication of what cars will be offered.

Geely’s portfolio is vast and includes its own Geely Auto products in addition to those from its sub-brands and product series such as Geometry (affordable EVs), Galaxy (premium models) and Radar Auto (pick-up trucks). Under the holding company (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group), Geely already has a presence in Australia in the form of the Lotus, Polestar and Volvo brands, with Zeekr set to join the mix in the second half of 2024, followed be Lynk & Co in 2025.

Several years ago, Geely did enter the Australian market through John Hughes when the MK sedan and hatch were launched in 2010. However, these were sold exclusively in Western Australia for a limited time before heightened safety regulations and a high-profile recall saw the brand depart the market.

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