A Euro connection: Geely Emgrand vs. Volkswagen Santana

While most European car brands locally cater to the upscale market, some of them offer vehicles that carry the style and substance of Euro cars for the price that match — and in some cases, undercut — those of more common Japanese makes. 

Take Geely and Volkswagen, for example. While the former is a Chinese maker and the latter's local arm offers products from VW China, offerings from both brands — such as the Emgrand and Santana, respectively — stay true to their European connections. 

Geely has acquired Volvo, and so the Chinese carmaker's products wear the stylish and minimalist designs that made the Swedish brand's cars recognizable. 

In the 2022 Emgrand, its front end is mostly composed of only a waterfall radiator grille that's flanked by sleek headlights. The car's side profile features an equally clean design with broad shoulder lines and doors that do without fussy lines. 

This subcompact sedan's rear end is slightly more adventurous as it's centered by a horizontal LED tail lamp that runs across the car's width. By the way, here's a fun fact about the 2022 Emgrand's rear lights: When the car is locked or unlocked, the rear combination lamps' 190 LED bulbs produce three different light patterns.

As for the 2022 Santana, this subcompact sedan developed by Volkswagen's Chinese division definitely wouldn't look out of place in the German manufacturer's stable.  

That's because the 2022 Santana wears the VW family face: Two rectangular headlights flow neatly into the grille, creating the illusion that these three pieces make a single panel. Meanwhile, the sedan's side profile is composed of straight lines and a staid shape. 

At the rear, the no-nonsense design theme continues, with the 2022 Santana's triangular tail lights that border the plate number recess. 

Inside, both the Emgrand and Santana both feature dashboards that are easy on the eyes — perhaps another Euro design cue. The cabins of these small sedans are also well-equipped. 

The higher trim of the 2022 Emgrand is equipped with a 12.3-inch digital meter with a 3D interface and a high-definition display that shows relevant driving information. Across the Emgrand range, an eight-inch central screen takes care of the phone mirroring, and other vehicle functions such as toggling between driving modes, the sunroof, and smart aircon features.

Among these aircon features is the Intelligent Scene that deodorizes and keeps the cabin air clean at all times. This is very useful when getting into the 2022 Emgrand after it is parked under direct sunlight, not used for an extended period of time, or for starting the car in the morning with stuffy air trapped overnight. With the AC's CN95 filter, air entering the cabin is virus- and germ-free. 

Inside the 2022 Santana, front and center is an optional seven inch Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment can pipe music through six speakers. 

Elsewhere in the cabin, the 2022 Santana's higher trim levels are equipped with more creature comforts, such as part-leather seats, cruise control, and even a sunroof. The 2022 Santana's manual aircon comes with a pollen filter for cleaner cabin air. 

In terms of quality, Geely and Volkswagen Philippines say that the Emgrand and Santana match those of European metal. 

The Emgrand is built on the Geely Auto Group's B-segment Modular Architecture, a platform also used by the Coolray. Due to BMA's over five million kilometers of test mileage, the Emgrand is expected to have better reliability and a longer lifespan. 

Volkswagen Philippines says the 2022 Santana is German-engineered, and only needs servicing once every year for every 10,000 kilometers. The local VW arm, by the way, is also bundling promos with its lineup, including the Santana. 

Under the 2022 Emgrand’s hood is a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine that churns out 102hp and 142Nm of torque. The engine's all-aluminum alloy cylinder block makes it lightweight. Depending on the variant, this is mated with an eight-speed continuously variable transmission (CVT) for improved acceleration, decreased shift shocks, and high responsiveness.

Moving to the 2022 Santana, its 1.5-liter NA features BlueMotion technology for increased efficiency, and horsepower and torque figures of 108hp and 145Nm, respectively. A six-speed automatic is available in upper 2022 Santana variants. 

To ensure the safety of every occupant, the 2022 Emgrand comes with a well-equipped safety kit. This includes anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), electronic stability program, traction control, hill hold control, electronic parking brake with autohold, six airbags, three ultrasonic reversing radars, high-definition wide angle reverse camera, real-time temperature and pressure tire monitoring system, and rear intelligent monitoring system. 

The 2022 Santana matches all of the above, particularly with its tire monitoring system, electronic stability program, and reversing sonars. 

And so the Emgrand and Santana are appearing to be worth more than their European-inspired looks and engineering. In their top-tier trims — the Emgrand Premium and Santana 180 MPI AT SE — their attractions continue still. 

See the spec sheets of the 2022 Emgrand Premium and 2022 Santana 180 MPI AT SE below:

SPECIFICATIONS	Geely Emgrand Premium	Volkswagen Santana 180 MPI AT SE
Overall Length (mm)	4,638	4,475
Overall Width (mm)	1,822	1,706
Overall Height (mm)	1,460	1,469
Wheelbase (mm)	2,650	2,603
Ground Clearance (mm)	151	150
Seating Capacity	Five	Five
Fuel Tank Capacity (L)	50	55
Cargo Volume (L)	500	400
Engine	Inline-4, 16-valve, DOHC, with D-CVVT	4-cylinder, in-line, Multi-Point Fuel Injection Gasoline Engine with BlueMotion technology
Engine Capacity (cc)	1,498	1,498
Transmission	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with Eight-speed Tiptronic Manual Mode	Six-Speed Automatic
Power Output (hp/rpm)	102/5,600	108/6,100
Torque (Nm/rpm)	142/4,400-4,800	145/4,000
Emission Standard	Euro VI	Euro V
Drive Modes	Eco, Comfort, and Sport	Without
Suspension	Front: MacPherson Strut Rear: Torsion Beam	Front: MacPherson Independent Suspension  Rear: Composite Torsion Beam Semi-independent Suspension
Brakes	Front: Ventilated Disc Rear: Solid Disc	Front: Ventilated Disc Rear: Drum
Parking Brake	Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with Auto Brake Hold	Manual
Wheels	17-inch Aluminum Alloy	15-inch Alloy
Tires	205/50R17	185/60R15
Spare Tire	Space Saver	Space Saver
Headlights	Projector LED	Halogen-type With Adjustable Headlights
Auto Headlight Control	With	With
Daytime Running Lights	LED	Without
Power Side Mirrors	With Power Fold and Defrost	Without
Hands-Free Trunk Release	With	Without
Antenna	Glass Printed	Fin Type
Interior Color	White and Blue	Gray
Infotainment System	Eight-inch Infotainment with Wireless Screen Mirroring via EasyConnection	Seven-Inch Infotainment System with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (Optional)
Speakers	Six	Six
Seats	Driver: Six-way Power Front Passenger: Four-way Manual Rear: 60:40 Split Trunk-Pass Through	Driver: Six-way Manual Front Passenger: Four-way Manual Rear: 60:40 Split Folding with Heater
Seat Material	Premium Leather and Suede Feel	Leather/Fabric
Air-conditioning	Electronic with Intelligent Interactive System	Manual
Rear AC Vents	With	Without
Gauge Cluster	12.3-inch Digital	Info Display
Airbags	Front, Front Side, and Side Curtain	Driver and Front Passenger
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)	With Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)	With Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Traction and Stability Control	With	With
Hill Start Assist	With	Without
Reverse Camera	With	Without
Rear Parking Sensors	With	Without
Cruise Control	With	Without
Tire Pressure Monitoring System	With	Without
Immobilizer	With	With
Central Locking	Speed-Sensing	Manual
Available Body Colors	Proud Teal, Dark Blue, Gold, Gray, Red, and White	Polar White, Reflex Silver, Deep Black,
PRICE	P908,000	P948,000

 

Photos from Sojitz G Auto Philippines, Volkswagen Philippines, and Roy Robles