SPY PICS: Geely SUV to underpin Volvo XC40

Spy photographers have snapped the much-discussed Geely compact SUV being developed by CEVT (China Euro Vehicle Technology AB), the company jointly owned by Volvo and its parent company, the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

It is rumoured the new SUV will be sold in various guises wearing Volvo, Geely and spinoff Emgrand badges. Emgrand, owned by Geely, was first unveiled in 2009 with the introduction of the mid-size EC7 sedan.

Work on the new SUV is said to be in progress for an introduction late in 2016, and it is likely to be based on the new CMA platform that, as well as the Chinese-badged vehicles, will also support upcoming Volvos including the XC40 and other 40 series derivatives. The compact Volvo XC40 will compete in the Mazda CX-5/Volkswagen Tiguan category – slotting into the company’s range below the current XC60, XC60 XC70 and XC90 SUVs.

The jury's out as to whether the car spotted in the Austrian alps is a Geely or an Emgrand, but one thing it's not is the XC40. Under the camo there appear to be few if any styling cues common to either the XC40 concept or Volvo's large XC90, which is the standard bearer for the Swedish marque's current design language.

The current set of spy photos shows a car with what appears to be a totally different body structure evident in the roof and window lines, as well as what we can see of the tailgate.

So if the new SUVs are to be based on the same fundamental underpinnings, the same is not likely to apply to the actual body structures. Indications are that, despite the joint development, there will be very clear differentiations between the Chinese and European iterations.

The Volvo XC40 is expected to arrive in Australia in late 2017, or early 2018.