Geely is going after the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes-Benz G-Class with the Galaxy Cruiser – and it will be coming to the UK, the Chinese firm has told Autocar.

The SUV – which first appeared at the Shanghai motor show last year – is currently in concept form but is very close to production, said design studio director Flavien Dachet, with sales due to start in China by the end of the year.

While no concrete date for exports have been set, Yan Tianxiao, Geely Auto UK’s marketing boss confirmed that “we will definitely launch that car in the UK".

The car uses the same SEA-R platform as the Zeekr 9X; an adapted version is also used by the incoming Lotus Eletre plug-in hybrid - the PHEV version of Lotus's electric SUV, which is due to be fully revealed later this month.

While those cars are luxury offerings, Dachet said the platform also offers impressive off-road capabilities, with the Galaxy Cruiser concept pushing the underpinnings to their limit.

“When they went testing in Chinese deserts, it was way beyond what they expected to do in terms of capacity,” he said.

The concept is fitted with a host of features that showcase its off-road capabilities. For example, it features independent active suspension that controls each wheel individually (handy for low-grip environments), a 800mm wading depth and steer- and brake-by-wire technology. 

The Galaxy Cruiser uses AI to assist with ADAS its functions. While it won’t counteract a command from the driver, it will highlight obstacles and point out ways to keep safe should the worst happen. 

In production form, the Galaxy Cruiser is expected to use the same hybrid powertrain as its Lotus and Zeekr siblings. This is centred around a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and offers up to an electric-only range of up to 220 miles, thanks to a 70kWh battery – although that figure is according to China’s CLTC test cycle, which is more generous than the WLTP standard used in Europe.

In the 9X, there are three electric motors, which would give the Galaxy Cruiser four-wheel drive. While the power figure is still under wraps, it's expected to be lofty, given the 9X puts out 1381bhp and the Eletre PHEV is expected to pack 912bhp.

The Galaxy Cruiser marks a new direction for Geely, as the rugged, off road space is one yet to be explored by the manufacturer. 

Dachet admitted that the team took inspiration from other 4x4s already on sale for its design, saying: “There’s always the same recipes: whether you look at the Defender, the G-Wagen, the [Ford] Bronco, the codes are the same. It’s [about] how we interpret it in a way that’s recognisable.”

Dachet noted, however, that unlike those 4x4s mentioned, the Galaxy Cruiser is geared less towards the hardcore end of the market and more at luxury and family buyers.