The subcompact crossover market is a fickle one in 2026. There now exist various specifications and layouts at various price points. In fact, there is now a decent selection of EVs and hybrids at this price, but what happens if you are looking specifically for a non-electrified ICE option in the segment? That’s where the Geely GX3 Pro Comfort comes in.
While Geely Philippines is now pushing electrified and EV offerings, within its catalog is the humble GX3 Pro, a subcompact gasoline-engined vehicle that slots in to fight vehicles like the Toyota Raize. It’s so hidden that we struggled to even get our hands on an official price or specifications, as we couldn’t find either on the brand’s local website.
Does the GX3 Pro have the features or the value proposition to make a mark in its segment? Or is the subcompact ICE crossover market brand-loyal? Read on to find out.
I have to be honest: I had to pull up the photos of the car I took just a few hours ago to remind myself what the GX3 looks like. It’s a bit inoffensive, and it does not really stand out whether it’s on the road or sitting in a parking lot. To be fair, that also means it’s inoffensive in the sense that it does not look bad.
It has the look of a slightly raised hatchback, with a silhouette reminiscent of the Suzuki SX4, which, if you remember that quirky car, is a shape I actually like.
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I was surprised by the faux carbon fiber—to be fair, it does look good on the side mirrors and the side skirts. It just helps that a car in this shade of red has some contrasty bits in black to make it stand out even a bit.
Open the door and you are greeted by acres of very, very scratchy plastic. In fact, everything in and around the interior is scratchy, with the exception of the steering wheel and the center armrest. While I wish there were at least a little bit more soft-touch materials, especially on the very hard armrest on the door, at the very least, everything feels solid, with no creaks or rattles. At the end of the day, Geely has been making cars for years in this segment, and it shows. Everything has a solidity to it that belies the GX3 Pro’s price tag.
The instrument cluster is generally legible but plain, and the eight-inch infotainment screen accentuates the center console to give it that modern touch.
Funny enough, the seats, according to the Geely website, are “semi-bucket seats with bolsters.” Just because you say it doesn’t make it true. The seats lack any sort of lateral support and are the furthest thing from buckets there possibly is. Additionally, the steering wheel has no adjustment for reach, and because I have long legs, I could not find a good seating position: With my legs stretched out to my driving position, my arms were reaching out a bit too far for comfort.
Finally, the rear seats are a bit tight, but that is more or less par for the course in this segment. That said, the rear cargo area has about 400 liters of cargo space, which is decent.
The Geely has a 1.5-liter in-line-four gasoline engine with about 102hp and 142Nm of torque. It’s paired with a continuously variable transmission, and is a bit wheezy and underpowered. You have to mash the throttle a lot to go anywhere quickly, which results in a lot more noise than acceleration.
Annoyingly, fuel economy isn’t great, either. We averaged somewhere between 5km/L and 10km/L. I say ‘between’ because to make your way anywhere, you really have to accelerate quite hard, which is unfortunate because the CVT can feel quite rubbery. The transmission even has a semi-manual mode with eight gears—a bit of overkill for this engine. It’s just the choice of noise or more noise, with “shifts” being laggy and unresponsive.
We did try Sport mode, a function that is annoyingly hidden inside the touchscreen. Yeah, we could not feel any noticeable difference.
All in all, if you’re going to be disappointed in one thing in this Geely, it’s this lackluster engine and transmission.
Handling was generally okay. The suspension was pliant and comfortable, and while it can be a bit crashy over some potholes, I found that driving it in and around the Metro was decent, save for the largest potholes I encountered.
On the highway, the GX3 was generally planted and was decent in long sweeping corners. Yes, this isn’t in any way sporty, but as a daily driver, inoffensive suspension is actually quite a positive feature.
As for extra features, here’s where the GX3 Pro crawls back some points. For a subcompact crossover in this price range, the Geely is quite well-appointed. Yes, it has some shortcomings, but one must always keep in mind its price (which we will get to in the next section).
The first thing you notice is the sunroof. It’s easy to use, adds a lot of premium feel to the interior, and makes the interior quite airy, especially during the day.
The GX3 Pro has no ADAS, but makes up for this with a decent cruise control/speed limiter implementation, as well as automatic headlights, although the wipers are manual as well. It also has a tire-pressure monitoring system, which, thankfully, we never had to test.
Annoyingly, there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, so you are limited to downloading an app for screen mirroring. The sound system is just okay, but the rearview camera implementation is decent. It also has only USB-A ports, but there is a port in the back for your rear passengers to use, at least.
The air-conditioner is decently cold and has physical controls, which definitely helped because the demo unit had no tint, and the smart key system means less fumbling in your bag for a key in the dark. Funny enough, a feature even some luxury cars don’t have is present here: All four windows are auto-up and auto-down.
Overall, it’s quite well-appointed, with the highlight being the one that, well, brings in more light: the sunroof overhead.
Taken in a vacuum, the GX3 Pro may have been a completely average but acceptable option. In 2026, however, there are quite a lot of other options priced at P799,000, including some fully electric vehicles.
It’s decent at being a car, but if you are shopping in this price range and segment, you will have a few other models to consider. It’s really based on your needs, and if the selection of features listed above truly speak to you.
Price: P799,000
Engine: 1.5-liter gasoline I4
Power: 102hp
Torque: 140Nm
Transmission: continuously variable
Layout: FWD
Seating: 5
Score: 6.5/10
