Geely has proved a quiet achiever in Australia.
China is now the main provider of latest automobiles to Australia, however not each Chinese language model has taken off, with some reporting solely modest gross sales – in the event that they report their gross sales in any respect.
Not so, Geely. It commenced native deliveries early in 2025 and regardless of not even being on sale for the complete yr, it outsold the likes of KGM and Jeep. Not unhealthy for a model many individuals hadn’t heard of.
Thoughts you, Geely has had a presence right here for someday by means of manufacturers it owns resembling Volvo and Polestar. However Geely’s namesake model has by no means been supplied right here, aside from a brief run in Western Australia below a third-party distributor within the 2010s.
The electrical Geely EX5 mid-size SUV was the model’s debut mannequin final yr, adopted shortly thereafter by a plug-in hybrid sibling, the Starray EM-i.
The styling is, at greatest, inoffensive. To my eyes, it seems like a previous-generation MG HS with the grille closed off, and is about as thrilling as a Leapmotor C10 – taking a look at these two rivals, it is like seeing a Hisense and a Haier subsequent to one another at The Good Guys.
These two rivals have helped type a brand new sub-section of the mid-size SUV section, providing the spaciousness of one thing like a Tesla Mannequin Y or BYD Sealion 7 however for a lower cost nearer to that of the smaller (however categorised as ‘medium’) BYD Atto 3. The EX5 and C10 will quickly be joined by one other new Chinese language rival, the Forthing Taikon 5.
Very like fridges, Australians have gotten more and more spoiled for selection within the electrical mid-size SUV section.
The EX5 lately obtained a bigger battery with extra vary, coinciding with a $1000 enhance in value. However, that is nonetheless a sharply priced SUV.
How a lot does the Geely EX5 price?
There are two members of the 2026 EX5 lineup, with our tester being the top-spec Encourage.
| Mannequin | Worth earlier than on-road prices |
|---|---|
| 2026 Geely EX5 Full | $41,990 |
| 2026 Geely EX5 Encourage | $45,990 |
The EX5 goes up in opposition to electrical variations of the Leapmotor C10 (presently priced from $47,990 drive-away) and the Forthing Taikon 5 (from $38,990 drive-away), in addition to the BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990 earlier than on-roads.
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To see how the Geely EX5 strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What’s the Geely EX5 like on the within?
Notably with the two-tone ‘Cloud’ colourway of our tester, the EX5’s inside presents effectively. When you begin to use it, nevertheless, it proves irritating.
There are some good particulars right here. The color-adjustable ambient lighting pours out from inside the dashboard, and the window controls have a knurled steel look (although oddly require a push as a substitute of pull motion to wind down).
The entrance seats are comfy, with heating, air flow and energy adjustment, in addition to among the best therapeutic massage features we’ve skilled in a sub-$100,000 automotive.
Then all of it begins to go pear-shaped. The centre console is cut up into two ranges, as in most of the EX5’s rivals, and you may match a purse on the decrease degree; there’s additionally padding on the aspect of the higher degree, although oddly solely on the passenger aspect.
The USB-A and USB-C shops are buried down right here and there’s no illumination, so attempting to plug in a cable at night time is an actual ache.
There are simply 4 bodily buttons on the centre stack: demister, air-conditioning on/off, recirculated air, and air-conditioning auto. There’s additionally a comically outsized quantity knob.
For every thing else, you must use the touchscreen. There’s an anchored shortcut bar on the base, plus a swipe-down menu, however every thing requires one or two further pushes in comparison with rivals with precise buttons.
Even features so simple as opening the sunshade for the (thankfully openable) panoramic glass roof require you to make use of the touchscreen.
You might use the voice assistant, however it struggles with easy duties and weirdly continues to hear till you cancel out of it. Enjoyable truth: it might probably precisely transcribe swear phrases I’ve uttered in frustration with it.
The infotainment system has engaging graphics, fast response occasions, and comparatively easy menu constructions, however the assortment of wallpapers is a bit cringe – I assumed this was a automotive, not a desktop PC?
The top-up show helps forestall distraction by conserving your eyes on the street forward. Tesla, take discover.
Not solely is there a head-up show that’s lacking within the Mannequin Y, however there’s additionally a digital instrument cluster which is absent from the rival Deepal S07. It’s neatly laid out, although not with out its quirks – I needed to chuckle on the animation that seems when somebody walks in entrance of your automotive, because it makes them appear like a crab or a South Park character.
The inside all feels effectively screwed collectively and the doorways shut with a stable thunk, however the stripy trim of the centre console received’t be to everybody’s tastes, and the sprint prime is difficult plastic with solely a sliver of padding on the entrance.
You may customise a shortcut button on the steering wheel to can help you change media supply, open the tailgate, change the drive mode, or activate the surround-view digital camera.
As you method the automobile, the door handles will come out to permit you entry, offered you’ve gotten this characteristic activated. In any other case, you’ll be able to faucet the motive force’s door deal with – however, unusually, not the passenger’s – to achieve entry.
The walkaway locking characteristic is inconsistent. It’ll both lock the automobile nearly instantly, otherwise you’ll get a number of metres away and inside your own home and it nonetheless hasn’t locked.
Additionally, why do Chinese language manufacturers really feel the necessity to reinvent the important thing fob? You may’t put the Geely’s on a key ring. Are there no valets in China?
Step into the rear and there’s loads of headroom and legroom, in addition to a totally flat flooring, which makes it extra liveable for a centre-seat occupant. The seatback additionally reclines.
There are air vents on the rear of the centre console, plus a USB-A port and a USB-C port. Geely has additionally included a useful drawer below the center seat.
Boot area is first rate, and elevate up the boot flooring you get a useful storage compartment that is perfect for unfastened gadgets.
No, there’s no spare wheel. Frankly, we’d have been shocked if there was. The perfect Geely can do, as with many different EV producers, is a tyre restore equipment.
| Dimensions | Geely EX5 |
|---|---|
| Size | 4615mm |
| Width | 1901mm |
| Peak | 1670mm |
| Wheelbase | 2750mm |
| Floor clearance | 148mm (Full) 168mm (Encourage) |
| Boot area | 302L-410L (rear seat up) 1877L (rear seat folded) |
To see how the Geely EX5 strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What’s below the bonnet?
The Encourage has the identical battery and powertrain as the bottom Full, however WLTP vary drops from 475km to 450km whereas WLTP power consumption rises from 16.0kWh/100km to 16.9kWh/100km.
|
Geely EX5 Encourage |
|
|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single motor, entrance |
| System energy | 160kW |
| System torque | 320Nm |
| Pushed wheels | Entrance-wheel drive |
| 0-100km/h | 7.6 seconds |
| Tare mass | 1815kg |
| Battery capability | 68.39kWh |
| Battery chemistry | Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) |
| Vitality consumption (WLTP) | 16.9kWh/100km |
|
Vitality consumption (as examined) |
15.6kWh/100km |
| Claimed vary (WLTP) | 450km |
| Max AC cost charge |
11kW |
| Max DC cost charge | 100kW (30-80% in 20 minutes) |
The claimed 0-100km/h time additionally rises from 7.4 to 7.6 seconds.
The EX5 additionally has vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging capability of three.3kW and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) capability of 6kW.
To see how the Geely EX5 strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
How does the Geely EX5 drive?
All aboard the SS Geely!
There’s definitely one thing nautical about the way in which the EX5 drives.
The journey is mushy, which suggests it absorbs most craggy surfaces effectively. Nonetheless, whereas the Geely subsequently has a cushty secondary journey, its main journey wants work.
Fairly merely, it will get awfully bouncy on roads the place the floor isn’t degree. This suspension tune is just too mushy, and in case your commute includes undulating roads you’re going to want you went with a automotive that rides extra firmly.
There’s this age-old knowledge that front-wheel drive is best in moist or snowy situations than rear-wheel drive, however the prompt torque delivered to the entrance tyres means for those who’re not considered along with your proper foot you’ll find yourself chirping them, even mid-acceleration.
We are able to’t await the EX5 to modify to rear-wheel drive, although that’s no assure the Geely will change into fun-to-drive in a single day – simply take a look at the rival Leapmotor C10.
After all, the moment grunt anticipated of an EV provides the EX5 peppy efficiency. Nevertheless it’s no enjoyable to drive, due to steering that’s feather-light by default or, when adjusted to a heavier setting, a bit gooey and nonetheless missing in really feel.
The electrical powertrain is quiet, and even at freeway speeds the cabin proves fairly effectively insulated.
As anticipated of a contemporary Chinese language automotive, there’s a protracted record of ordinary energetic security and driver help options, a lot of which is able to drive you batty.
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You interact adaptive cruise management by urgent a button known as OK, adjusting the velocity with the up and down arrows. No, Geely didn’t hassle correctly labelling any of those buttons as most manufacturers would, however no less than it didn’t comply with the more and more in style (and albeit, daft) pattern of getting cruise management engaged by way of the gear shift stalk.
The adaptive cruise management feels clean sufficient, however you’ll typically see the speedometer flickering incessantly between, say, 100km/h and 101km/h. It’s extraordinarily distracting.
Phrase of recommendation: flip off the Automated Pace Restrict Help operate. I’ve but to drive a automotive from any model that may establish velocity restrict indicators accurately greater than 90 per cent of the time, and one shock slowdown to 60km/h on the freeway (it was studying the off-ramp signal) was sufficient for me to show this off and by no means put it again on.
Oh, if solely the overspeed alert would default to off. It chimes incessantly for those who go even barely above the velocity restrict. It’s additionally a ache to show off: you must go into the automobile menu, then driver help, then scroll all the way in which down, then press one other button, then affirm. Meaning it’s laborious to show off on the fly, so it’s essential make turning it off a part of your pre-flight checks.
Additionally, don’t yawn, or the motive force consideration monitoring will chide you, after which get it in its robotic thoughts that any time you open your mouth subsequently it’s a terrific large yawn and also you’re about to go to sleep on the wheel.
Then there’s the rear cross-traffic help, which slammed on the brakes as I used to be reversing down my pretty lengthy driveway at some point as a result of a automotive was driving previous on the road. The ahead collision warning was additionally delicate.
The adaptive cruise management and lane-centring work effectively sufficient, although. Thank heavens for little miracles.
One completely daft transfer by Geely was to take away bodily headlight controls totally. As an alternative, you go diving right into a touchscreen menu, choose which setting you need on, after which push a slider to verify the change. Jeez, what’s subsequent, making us do a Captcha?
Now, to be honest you in all probability received’t be adjusting your headlight setting all that always – and we want individuals would simply depart their automobiles’ lights in ‘Auto’ mode so that they don’t drive round with simply the DRLs on – however to make such a easy course of needlessly difficult like that is ridiculous.
Fans will probably be turned off by the EX5’s driving dynamics, however common punters might also be turned off.
To see how the Geely EX5 strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
What do you get?
There are two members of the native EX5 lineup.
2026 Geely EX5 Full customary tools highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/55 Giti tyres
- Tyre strain monitoring
- Tyre restore equipment
- Automated LED headlights
- Automated high-beam
- Energetic grille shutter
- Privateness glass
- Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- V2L performance
- Keyless entry and begin
- 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
- 15.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- Geely Related Providers
- Voice assistant
- 4G community connection
- Over-the-air software program updates
- Geely Utility Retailer
- On-line media streaming
- Distant automobile features
- 6-speaker sound system
- 15W wi-fi telephone charger
- 6-way energy driver’s seat (totally reclining)
- 4-way energy passenger seat (totally reclining)
- Heated entrance seats
- Seat place reminiscence
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
- Flat-folding, reclining rear seats
- Customisable drive modes
- Second-row storage drawer
- Cargo blind
- Automated local weather management with rear air vents
- Warmth pump
Geely EX5 Encourage provides:
- 19-inch alloy wheels with 235/50 Goodyear tyres
- Panoramic sunroof with energy sunshade
- Energy tailgate
- 13.4-inch head-up show
- Ventilated entrance seats
- Entrance seat therapeutic massage operate with six modes
- Energy leg relaxation for entrance passenger seat
- 16-speaker 1000W sound system
- 256-colour ‘dynamic’ ambient lighting
Is the Geely EX5 secure?
The Geely EX5 has a five-star score from impartial security authority ANCAP, primarily based on testing carried out in 2025.
| Class | Geely EX5 |
|---|---|
| Grownup occupant safety | 86 per cent |
| Youngster occupant safety | 87 per cent |
| Weak street person safety | 83 per cent |
| Security help | 85 per cent |
Customary security tools consists of:
- Adaptive cruise management
- Autonomous emergency braking (entrance and rear)
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver fatigue monitoring
- Evasive Manoeuvre Help
- Lane-keep help
- Emergency lane-keep help
- Multi-collision braking
- Occupant detection alert
- Secure exit warning
- Rear parking sensors
- Encompass-view digital camera with 3D view
- Site visitors signal recognition
- Entrance, front-side, curtain and front-centre airbags
The Encourage additionally consists of entrance parking sensors.
How a lot does the Geely EX5 price to run?
Geely presents seven years of capped-price servicing, with companies costing between $171 and $303 – aside from an enormous one at 4 years at $671.
| Servicing and Guarantee | Geely EX5 |
|---|---|
| Guarantee |
7 years, limitless kilometres – automobile (personal use) 8 years, limitless kilometres – battery (personal use) |
| Roadside help |
7 years, service activated |
| Service intervals |
12 months, 20,000km |
| Capped-price servicing |
7 years, 140,000km |
| Complete capped-price service price |
$2052 |
Business-use protection is restricted to seven years/150,000km for the automobile and eight years/150,000km for the battery.
There’s 12 months of complimentary roadside help, rising to seven years for those who service inside the Geely community.
To see how the Geely EX5 strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Tackle the Geely EX5
For those who imagine driving ought to be an pleasant expertise and have each an aversion to repetitive chimes and a love of buttons, look someplace else.
In brief, this isn’t an fanatic’s buy by any stretch of the creativeness. For individuals who simply want a well-priced, A-to-B EV, although, the Geely EX5 is tempting.
The EX5 is sensational worth for cash, with first rate vary and efficiency plus a cushty, spacious and well-appointed inside. It additionally feels solidly constructed.
It has its flaws, however it’s not stunning to see why the Geely has soared up the gross sales charts in such a brief area of time.
All for shopping for a Geely EX5? Let CarExpert discover you the very best deal right here
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