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Chinese auto giant Geely has revealed that it has extensively tested its new electric EX5 SUV in Australia to develop suspension for local conditions ahead of the vehicle’s launch this year.
The revelation is an insight into just how serious the car manufacturer is taking its brand launch in Australia with the EX5 being its first model to come here.
Head of Geely Auto Australia Li Lei said the company has an understanding of what Australian consumers want in a vehicle.
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“Geely is extremely proud of the work the Australian team has done to make the Geely EX5 fit-for-purpose for the local market,” he said.
“We now have a great understanding of what Australian car consumers need in a vehicle, how they use it and what features they love,” said Lei.
“We wanted to ensure the car offered a great experience for Australians and these adjustments will deliver a smoother ride over rough surfaces, improved stability for long-distance journeys, and the durability to handle variable loads — all while maintaining the comfort, confidence and reliability consumers expect."
Car makers such as Ford and Toyota have calibrated suspension for Australian conditions for decades and the use of local engineering teams to ensure vehicles are adapted to our varying roads has been one of the secrets to the success of brands such as Kia and Hyundai. Geely doing the same signals the car maker is gearing up to be competitive against these brands.
The EX5 could be the sharpest weapon in Geely’s armoury, too. At 4615mm long the EX5 is the same size as Toyota’s RAV4 and with a similar price tag, expected to be between $49,000-$55,000. The difference is that the EX5 is electric while the RAV4 is a petrol-hybrid.
Not only will that allow the EX5 to compete with the RAV4 and other combustion powered mid-sized SUVs such as the Kia Sportage and Subaru Forester, but it will also be able to rival electric SUVs such as the Tesla Model Y and Leapmotor C10.
“The beauty of this car is that it can compete. It’s an SUV, we’re not compartmentalising ourselves into the battery electric vehicle (BEV) space. We’re expecting people from legacy brands to come and look at this vehicle as well,” a Geely spokesperson told CarsGuide recently.
The EX5 will offer a front mounted motor producing 160kW and 320Nm, and offer a range of up to 430km.
Australia has seen electric vehicles become more mainstream over the past two years. Chinese brands such as BYD, MG, Leapmotor, Deepal, Zeekr, Smart have warmed the local market up to new names and tech and won over many Australians, priming the market for Geely, which is expected to make a major impact on our automotive landscape.
