Geely EX5 Reviews

Why Geely wants its EX5 to be thought of as just a family SUV and not an EV.

Geely has confirmed Australian features for its upcoming EX5 mid-size electric SUV.Set to arrive in customer hands in the first half of 2025, the EX5 is set to go head-to-head with Chinese rivals in an increasingly competitive electric mid-size space with pricing pitched at that of mid- to high-spec combustion SUVs from mainstream brands.Arriving in two grades, the EX5 scores the larger of two batteries available internationally. The 60.22kWh lithium-ion unit, using LFP chemistry, grants it up to 430km of WLTP driving range.The two EX5 trim levels include base ‘Complete’ and top-spec ‘Inspire’, both of which are powered by a 160kW/320Nm front-mounted electric motor.The base Complete grade comes equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, synthetic leather interior trim, six-way power adjust for the driver’s seat and four-way power adjust for the passenger — both heated — a 10.2-inch digital dash cluster and 15.4-inch central multimedia touchscreen, a 15W wireless phone charger, online connectivity and over-the-air updates with built-in navigation, a six-speaker sound system, keyless entry and start with flush doorhandles, dual-zone climate and an N95 cabin filter.The top-spec Inspire adds 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof with powered sunshade, a powered tailgate, front parking sensors, illuminated sunvisor mirrors, RGB interior ambient lighting, six-way power adjust with profile memory options for the front two positions, ventilation for the front seats, a 16-speaker premium audio system, and a 13.4-inch head-up display.Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is not available presently, although the brand says the car is capable of supporting CarPlay and Android Auto in a wireless capacity. It expects the key connectivity tech to become available via an imminent over-the-air update.There are five exterior colours in the EX5 range, including white, black, grey, silver and green, with either a black interior, or an alternate light grey interior as an option on the top-spec Inspire.The EX5 is capable of supporting vehicle-to-load dispensing power at a rate of 3.3kW from its front driver’s-side mounted charging port, or up to 6.0kW in vehicle-to-vehicle charging mode, however a V2L connector will be sold as a separate accessory and not included.Additionally, the EX5 can charge at a maximum rate of 100kW on DC, or 11kW on a slow AC connector. It has a rated energy efficiency of 15.8kWh/100km in the base Complete.While prices are yet to be locked in, the brand’s representatives tell us they are targeting at late $40,000 to mid-$50,000 range for the EX5, which would pit it against the smaller but more affordable BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990) and roughly equivalent Leapmotor C10 (from $45,888 before on-roads), while seemingly undercutting the entry-level Tesla Model Y (from $55,900 before on-roads).The EX5 is yet to be rated by ANCAP, but both grades score the complete array of active safety equipment as well as seven airbags.Ownership terms are yet to be determined, but Geely will offer the EX5 via a traditional multi-franchise dealer and service model, although it is promising competitive ownership terms, which are expected to be revealed at the EX5’s imminent launch. A pre-order offer has the brand providing three years of free servicing and one year of public charging with the EX5.The brand would not yet be drawn on what was next as part of its Australian arrival plans, although internationally it earmarked a small hatchback (think GWM Ora) and the E8 sedan (think Tesla Model S) as part of its global expansion plans.

There are now more Chinese cars in Australia than ever before, and yet there are more which haven't arrived yet which would almost certainly find an audience.

Ask Toyota — the world’s biggest carmaker — and two brands are enough.Yes, Toyota makes trucks under the Hino brand and also has the minnow Daihatsu in its stable, but it is essentially Toyota and Lexus and that’s it.Part of Toyota’s success in Australia is it sells a vehicle for everyone, and every occasion.Lexus rarely steps on its big brother’s toes, with a clear premium divide separating the two.Now Chinese behemoth, Geely, is gearing up for an assault on the Australian market.It has a strong toehold Down Under with Volvo and Polestar, but after that is where things get murky.It also has Lotus, Smart, Zeekr and its home brand Geely to forge ahead with in 2025.Volvo and Polestar have clearly positioned themselves in the luxury space, but Geely, Smart and Zeekr are chasing the same mainstream buyers.All three are electric only, and are launching with semi-premium compact and mid-size SUVs.They are essentially the same vehicle underneath a slightly different styled skin. But electric cars all have similar looks, honed for aerodynamics, which gives them all a same-same-ness despite a tweaked non-grille or headlight treatment.The brands all share motors, batteries and tech features, which helps amortise costs, but can be a challenge when attempting to stand out from the crowd.Geely recently merged two of its brands, Zeekr and Lynk and Co, to reduce internal competition.According to Reuters, Geely boss Gui Shengyue said the integration would make the company more competitive."If we don't integrate , we must face issues such as internal competition ... and redundant investments in many aspects such as R&D, sales, which is stupid," he said according to Reuters.Geely isn’t alone in crowding its own space.The huge Volkswagen Group has Volkswagen, Skoda and newcomer Cupra all lobbing cars in a similar price bracket.The big difference is only Cupra is new, the VW Group isn’t attempting to launch three new brands in the space of 12 months that sell effectively the same cars.It’ll be a challenge for these three Chinese brands to stand out.They also face a wave of competition following them across the sea. GAC, Aion, Xpeng, Skywell, Leapmotor and Deepal are all planning to launch or have launched into the same market space as their compatriots.Not to mention established brands such as BYD, Chery, GWM and MG already with a group of loyal buyers and brand cache.It is starting to feel like China’s car industry is replacing the building industry responsible for towering ghost towns as its biggest economic driver and they need to find export markets quickly to keep the production lines open and the steel mills firing.Australia is a prime target with its lack of tariffs and relatively close proximity to the Chinese mainland.There are storm clouds brewing on the edge of the Australia new car market, though.Electric cars still only make up about 8.3 per cent of new cars bought through the first 11 months of 2024. More EVs have found homes this year than last, but less than 10 per cent is still relatively niche.Private buyers — generally the ones snapping up EVs — are stepping away from new car purchases at an alarming rate.Double digit drops in private buyers in each of the past four months compared to the year before is a worrying trend according to the head of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Tony Weber.“This is a disturbing trend which illustrates how cost of living pressures are impacting households,” he said.Only time will tell if these brands can make it work, but it’ll be a tough slog in 2025.

Geely has locked in an Australian launch for the first half of next year. But the brand hasn’t pledged to be all-electric and its new Galaxy Starship 7 plug-in hybrid family SUV could prove a major headache for the BYD Sealion and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.That’s because the Galaxy Starship 7’s generous 19kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack allows up to 120km of electric-only driving range, which is paired with the 82kW petrol engine, bringing combined driving range to 1420km (CLTC) between a charge and fill.For reference, the electric-only range of the BYD Sealion 6 is 92km, while the updated Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is 86km. These figures are WLTP rated and the CLTC numbers quoted by Geely are typically more generous.The Galaxy L7 is fitted with Geely’s ‘NordThor EM-i Super Hybrid’ set-up, while there are no combined outputs yet, the electric motor will do the heavy lifting at 160kW/262Nm. Geely claims a 0-100km/h sprint of 7.5 seconds and 180km/h top speed. Plug-in hybrid driving range has become the new battleground for Chinese car makers. BYD’s soon-to-launch DM-i set-up claims 2000km in a sleek sedan while XPeng, Chery and others are also getting into the plug-in hybrid game.Dimensions of the Galaxy L7 PHEV put it firmly in the medium SUV segment, with the five-seater measuring 4740mm long, 1905mm wide and 1685mm tall with a 2750mm wheelbase. The drag coefficient is 0.29Cd.Inside there’s a 13.8-inch head-up display, 10.2-inch digital driver’s display, 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, 16-speaker sound system, V2L and ‘Marshmallow’ seats with 14-point massaging, heating and ventilation. Chinese car making giant Geely partly or fully owns several marques including Lotus, Volvo, Smart, Polestar, Lynk & Co and Zeekr and will make an entrance in Australia next year with its EX5, expected to be a cut-price alternative to a Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Geely has a past in Australia, which quickly came to an end about a decade ago. Come half one 2025 when the EX5 launches, it is looking for more staying power. A plug-in hybrid like the Galaxy L7 could be just the ticket. 

Geely is gearing up to launch its first electric car in Australia. 

Chinese car brands are rolling out new and improved products at an astonishing rate.

Australia is bracing itself for a multitude of electric cars to arrive from new brands and we’ve just had a peek at Geely’s latest Galaxy L7 SUV, which we could be driving on our roads in the next 12 months.

Geely-owned car brand Lynk & Co has revealed the compact 02 coupe SUV in Europe this week, another potential addition to Geely's growing Australian catalogue.

Another week, another new car company joins the Australian market.