Geely-Daimler JV’s assembly plant said to be located in Xi’an

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The joint venture co-built by Daimler's Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for smart brand locates its car assembly plant in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, according to a local media outlet.

Photo credit: Daimler

Situated at Gaoling district in Xi'an, the smart brand's first China plant is built on the basis of Geely's existing manufacturing facilities and features a designed capacity of 300,000 cars per year, according to the local report.

While moving forward with the plant construction, the joint venture has started recruitment for business units of sales operation, user development, marketing and after-sale services.

Code-named HX11, the first China-built smart-brand model is likely to be a small-sized all-electric SUV measuring over 4 meters in length, which are comparable to that of the MINI Countryman. The new vehicle will ride on Geely's PMA-2 architecture, a platform dedicated to small-sized pure electric vehicles.

The HX11 SUV will reportedly carry an electric motor at the rear axle that can pump up to 200kW. The all-wheel-drive variant might be offered later for consumers with different needs. Powering the new model would be a 70kWh battery pack that enables a range of more than 500km under NEDC cycle.

Regarding the responsibilities of two parents, Daimler will be accountable for the design of exterior, while Geely takes charge of the businesses concerning engineering technologies. The vehicle will be manufactured at the Xi'an plant.

The Geely-Daimler joint brand will launch a fire new concept at the 2021 Munich motor show in September, according to a local media channel. The mass-market version is expected to go into the market next year.