2025 Geely EX5 review
Few Australians would have heard of this brand, but it hopes to change that with a value-packed Tesla alternative.
Never heard of Geely? You’re not alone – but this Chinese automotive business is bigger than you realise.
Geely Holdings owns brands like Volvo, Polestar and Zeekr, and has a big stake in the recently reborn smart brand. It even has its hands on Lotus and Proton – remember the Jumbuck?
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But Geely is also seeking to establish itself as a mainstream alternative brand in its own right, and it will arrive in Australia in 2025 with the EX5, a fully electric midsize SUV that is expected to be priced closer to some of the smaller EVs on the market like the BYD Atto 3, despite being a similar size to the Toyota RAV4.
That could well mean pricing closer to $45,000 than $55,000, shaping this up as a bargain compared with the all-conquering Tesla Model Y.
So, is the EX5 good?
Based on a track drive of a China-spec model in the brand’s home country, it seems there’s work to be done in terms of the drive experience – but there’s a lot of other solid attributes that will help the EX5 find a market in ours.
That drive experience …?
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Well, Chinese buyers prefer a super-softly sprung car, so it feels pillowy and cushy in corners. Too cushy, in fact, and the steering also didn’t have the most intuitive responses to it, either.
That’s not what Aussies like – it’s part of the reason that Kia and Hyundai’s ride and handling programs have led the brands to hold the positions they currently enjoy in the market.
To Geely’s credit, it has confirmed Australian-delivered EX5s won’t have the Chinese tune for the chassis, which is a big plus.
Fundamentally, it feels like a car that is focused on safety and comfort, not driving thrills or performance, despite the fact this new model – built on a new architecture with a really clever 11-in-1 drive unit that weighs just 80kg – is pumping out a decent 160kW and 320Nm.
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The claimed 0-100km/h time is 6.9 seconds – as fast as a Golf GTI from a decade ago. But in my test drive, its traction control system got in the way of ever experiencing that sort of, er, not-quite-blistering acceleration.
Powering the EX5 is battery pack with LFP chemistry offered in 49.5kWh and 60.2kWh sizes. We’re likely to get the larger pack, which has a claimed driving range of 425km.
The business is also taking the tuning of the advanced safety systems seriously, engaging in a program to ensure it doesn’t frustrate drivers, as many of these newer models tend to. It has also stated its belief that it will achieve a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2025 – and it has all the box-ticking stuff to do that.
It’s inside where the EX5 shines – literally, with a 256-colour ambient lighting system. And it has a choice of a few different interior trims, sumptuous feeling materials and groovy finishes, like the rose gold trim on show in the China-spec test vehicle.
It’s not weird inside like a BYD, but not as soulless as a Model Y, either.
There are plenty of top-notch features in the cabin, including a 15.4-inch touchscreen with online maps and services, a 10-inch driver info screen, and a head-up display as well.
The seats are trimmed in fake leather and the front chairs have speakers in the headrests (as part of a 16-speaker stereo), and they also have heating, cooling and massage functions with electric adjustment as well.
Back seat room is exceptionally good – taller adults can fit with space to spare, and the flat floor and cushioned rear seat offer enough room for three across.
Boot space is good at 461 litres, and there’s a massive underfloor storage well, plus Aussie cars will come with a front trunk under the bonnet to store charge cables, too.
There are plenty of finer details to be confirmed, including the pricing strategy and also the ownership considerations like warranty cover and servicing locations, which Geely’s local reps have stated is a big focus for them in the lead-up to launch.
If the brand focuses on what Aussies buyers want, the Geely brand could become one of the names you know a lot better.
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