Geely not worried by Monjaro name comparisons

Geely is considering renaming its upcoming Toyota Prado rival, the Battleship 700, for Australia, despite insisting that a vehicle's name has little bearing on its success.

As more Chinese car brands enter the Australian market, finding names that work locally is proving increasingly complicated, particularly when established manufacturers are already protecting their nameplates.

One recent example is the Forthing Taikon 5, which encountered a naming dispute involving Porsche's Taycan nameplate.

Geely is facing a similar challenge with its upcoming Battleship 700, a rugged plug-in hybrid SUV set to rival the Toyota Prado when it arrives in Australia next year.

Battleship is a direct translation of the vehicle's Chinese name, although Geely Australia's director of product planning and marketing, Andrew Tuitahi, confirmed the company is considering a different name for the local market.

"I think a lot of English-speaking markets will be looking to call it something like Cruiser 700, and I think for obvious reasons we'll be avoiding the word Cruiser," Tuitahi said.

"We're still yet to determine what its local name will be."

While the Battleship 700's identity remains up in the air, Geely has confirmed the Monjaro name will remain when the mid-size SUV arrives in Australia early next year.

The unusual name has already attracted some curiosity online due to its similarity to the popular weight-loss medication Mounjaro, although Geely insists the name has an entirely different origin.

"Monjaro is short for Mount Kilimanjaro, not any weight-loss drug," said Geely Australia's PR manager, Vanessa Lam.

Asked whether an unusual name could deter potential buyers, Tuitahi dismissed the suggestion, arguing that customers would ultimately judge the vehicle on its merits.

"I don't think so. I think it stands on its own merits as a product. It has all of the qualities that people will be looking for."

History suggests car names aren't always quite so inconsequential, however, with Ford ditching the much criticised Kuga name in favour of Escape in 2017 as part of a broader SUV line-up refresh to boost declining sales.

Nevertheless, the Monjaro is expected to play an important role in Geely's Australian expansion, with the brand identifying the mid-size SUV segment as a major growth opportunity.

"Monjaro especially in terms of size, dimension, ability, it's RAV4 for all intents and purposes," Tuitahi said.

The Monjaro and Emgrand L EM-i are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2027, while the Battleship 700 is scheduled for later in the year, potentially under a different name.

Geely has confirmed plans to introduce five or six new vehicles to Australia over the next 12 months, including a mid-size electric sedan and a large plug-in hybrid SUV.

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