How the Geely Coolray Sport Limited lives up to its name (and color)

And they — meaning high-performance, luxury exotic cars — were all yellow.

From then till now, Aston Martins, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, or Porsche cars and their ilk have come in bright yellow paint jobs — either as special-edition models, or some whimsical customer chose to have their exotic in such an eye-catching hue. 

Now, even to us mortals, there's still a sporty yellow car in our midst. Local Geely distributor Sojitz G Auto Philippines (SGAP) has brought in precious few units of the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited finished in what it calls "Sunburst Gold" color. 

All right, some explanation is in order. First, the color may be called gold, but when you see the Coolray Sport Limited in the metal, the Sunburst, well, bursts with the brightness like any other shade of yellow. 

Second, if you already fancy the Sunburst Gold Coolray in this webpage, then tough luck, buddy. According to SGAP, the around-70 units it has allocated for the market have all been accounted for. In case you want to regret not running to your SGAP dealer sooner, the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited retails for P1.218 million (with all the trimmings we'll get to later on).  

But never say never, right? In the off-chance SGAP brings in more of these cars in Sunburst Gold, by reading on you'll get to know how the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited lives up to its name and exciting color. 

Channeling its inner sports sedan

It's not just multi-million-peso exotics; it's really not the first time a sporty car came in yellow. 

SGAP said that the Sunburst Gold has taken inspiration from a popular, performance-oriented, Japanese compact sedan from the late '90s — if that's the case, then Geely impressively replicated the color down pat for this crossover. 

That sedan was every late '90s to early aughts college guy's dream ride. So, if these guys wish to make up for lost time — or they can't simply find that particular yellow-green sedan; it's a unicorn — they could find a chance to grab the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited's smart key.  

Looking the part

Apart from the Sunburst Gold, the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited has more devils in its details. 

On its front bumper, the crossover wears a front lip adorned with faux carbon-fiber accents. Along the sides, the mirrors are finished in the same accents, while the 18-inch black turbine style wheels offer a glimpse of the red brake calipers. 

It's in the rear, however, where the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited went cray-cray. It's likely the crossover turned to a World Rally Championship car for inspiration on its tall rear wing up top, and to an F1 car for its aggressive rear diffuser below. The quad tailpipes could border on overkill, but they're all functional (take note, other carmakers). 

As if the exterior wasn't enough, the inside further puts the driver in a racy mood. The 2022 Coolray Sport Limited's dashboard and part-leather sports seats — whose front ones, thanks to bolsters, do a good job in holding the two passengers in place — are colored black and red. 

Walking the talk

The 2022 Coolray Sport Limited is far from being a show-pony.

Under the hood lies perhaps the most powerful mill in the sub-compact crossover segment: a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine generating 177hp and 255Nm of torque. The power is sent to the front wheels — which can wheelspin at the behest of one's heavy right foot.

The 2022 Coolray Sport Limited manages the power with a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. Swapping cogs can be done via paddle shifters or the gear shifter itself. The transmission may be quicker at downshifts than upshifts, but its shifts are smooth and exhibits virtually no rev hanging. 

Geely claims the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited sprints from nil-to-century in 7.9 seconds. That's one believable claim. 

Carving corners

At a presence of corners the 2022 Coolray Sport Limited doesn't falter. 

The brakes bite sharply yet progressively. Point the responsive and accurate (though a touch too light) steering to your desired apex, and those 18-inch Continental tires stick to the road.

The 2022 Coolray Sport Limited's suspension — composed of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion rear suspension bar out back — may be slightly firm on other than a smooth ribbon of tarmac, but keeps away not even a whiff of body lean. 

In the Sunburst Gold 2022 Coolray Sport Limited, the color yellow doesn't mean mellow. 

Photos from Roy Robles